Lateral unveils hybrid health plan for active over-60s

A new London-based startup has launched a hybrid health plan designed specifically for active people over 60, targeting the growing group of older adults caught between long NHS waiting lists and the rising cost of private medical insurance.

Lateral, which focuses on health and wealth products for later life, has unveiled its “Lateral Health Plan”, a policy combining financial cover for selected private treatments, preventative healthcare benefits and nurse-led support to help customers navigate both NHS and private care.

The launch comes as the UK’s self-pay healthcare market reaches an estimated £1.6bn, fuelled by older people paying out of their own pocket for consultations, diagnostics and elective procedures to avoid NHS delays.

According to a recent YouGov survey, 15% of people aged over 65 used private healthcare in the past year, with the majority (71%) funding treatment using savings or their disposable income rather than insurance.

Who qualifies (and who doesn't) 

Lateral says its product is aimed at “fit and active” over-60s who don’t want, or can’t afford, traditional comprehensive private medical insurance, but who are willing to pay for quicker access to care when they need it.

The plan is open to those aged 60 to 74, though eligibility criteria are strict. Applicants will be turned away if they have a BMI below 18 or above 30, have had a cancer diagnosis or treatment in the past five years, any major cardiovascular disease diagnosis or treatment in the past three years, organ failure or a transplant, diabetes that is not well controlled, or if they smoke. Prospective members must also be able to walk one kilometre unaided.

Future cover depends on still meeting this eligibility criteria each year; if you don’t you won’t be able to renew your policy. To determine eligibility there is a mandatory health check.

How the Lateral Health Plan differs

Rather than replacing the NHS, the Lateral Health Plan is designed to work beside it. Cover is focused on procedures commonly sought privately by older adults such as hip and knee replacements, cataract surgery, hernia repairs, while deliberately excluding more complex and costly areas such as cancer and cardiac care, where NHS provision remains the primary route.

By narrowing the scope of cover and building in preventative services, Lateral says it can keep pricing lower and more sustainable. Premiums range from £125 to £200 a month, based on age and health status. Where you live does not affect the cost of your cover. Existing policyholders can remain covered beyond age 80, but only until the end of their current policy year.

Laura Ashforth, Co-founder and Chief Executive of Lateral, said: “Many people in their 60s and 70s today are active, independent and focused on staying healthy for longer, but feel caught between long NHS waits and private medical insurance that can become difficult to afford throughout retirement. We designed Lateral specifically for them, combining targeted cover for the types of treatment people most commonly pay for themselves with an annual preventative health check and our nurse navigation support to help members make informed decisions across both NHS and private care.” 

Central to the plan is a nurse-led navigation service, staffed by qualified case-management nurses, helping members understand diagnoses, assess treatment pathways and decide whether NHS or private care is the right option. The plan also takes a notably more lenient approach to pre-existing conditions: rather than the five-year exclusion periods common elsewhere in the market, Lateral uses a two-year window.

Members can access treatment through Lateral’s hospital network, which includes major private hospital providers, or use alternative facilities within agreed contribution limits. 

Key features of the Lateral Health Plan

• Cover for eligible private surgery: up to £5,000 a year for minor procedures and up to £50,000 for major procedures 
• Up to £2,000 a year for private consultations and diagnostic tests 
• Nurse-led navigation support across NHS and private pathways
• Annual health check (valued at £362) included as standard 
• Access to 24/7 virtual GP appointments 
• Up to six virtual and six in-person physiotherapy sessions annually 
• Up to three virtual nutritionist sessions per year 
• £100 excess on the first claim each policy year 

The healthcare limbo

The launch comes against the backdrop of sustained pressure on NHS waiting lists, particularly in areas affecting older adults most acutely. Around 860,000 people are currently on the trauma and orthopaedics waiting list, the single longest queue in the health service, with average waits for treatment now exceeding 15 weeks.

As delays continue, more people are turning to self-funded private treatment to preserve their mobility and maintain independence. Lateral's argument is that many older adults currently exist in a kind of healthcare limbo, paying ad hoc for private treatment without the protection or structure that insurance provides.

Chris Steele, founder and editor of myTribe Insurance Experts, said: “The over-60s are more willing than ever to pay for faster treatment, especially when it comes to procedures that affect their mobility and quality of life. Lateral's approach could help to fill the gap between self-funding and full private medical insurance for those who want targeted cover that sits alongside the NHS, without the cost or complexity of a comprehensive policy. That said, there are some drawbacks to be mindful of, namely no option to renew beyond your 80th birthday.”

For more information read our in-depth review of the Lateral Health Plan.

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