Best private health insurance in the UK for 2026: myTribe’s top 10 providers

Why you can trust myTribe Insurance Experts

Our reviews are based on detailed analysis of each insurer's policy documents and tens of thousands of verified customer reviews.

• Independent and impartial, with no commercial ties to insurers
• 198 policy documents and 400+ policy benefits analysed
• 30+ years’ insurance experience and CII-qualified experts

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Read our private health insurance rating methodology

Important: The best private health insurance for you will be different to the next person, so you should always do your own research and compare quotes before you buy. Compare health insurance quotes.

You can access the full list of myTribe's 2026 private medical insurance ratings for a quick overview of each provider's star rating.

Top 10 private health insurance companies UK (2026)

Based on extensive independent research, our private healthcare experts’ top 10 private health insurance companies and plans for 2026 are:

1. Bupa

myTribe rating 5.0 out of five5.0 ★myTribe rating

Best for breadth of cover and appeal to everyone

Watch out for one shared outpatient allowance

Bupa By You Comprehensive

Overall score

91.4%i

How Bupa scored×

• Hospital & Cancer Treatment91.4%
• Eligibility & Underwriting89.9%
• Customer Reviews & Clarity87.5%
• Outpatient & Extra Benefits90.9%
• Treatment Pathways96.4%
• Short/Long-Term Affordability93.1%

The six category scores make up the overall score. How we score

Average premium

£89.39 a month

Average of our 2026 quotes, ages 20 to 70.

Get Bupa quotes

Bupa By You Comprehensive is the most complete private health insurance policy in the UK and is a good fit for individuals, couples, families and retirees. With the strongest mental health cover available, alongside a range of other unique benefits like face-to-face private GP access, it's no surprise that the UK's best-known health insurer tops myTribe's rankings for the second year running.

Bupa health insurance pros

• Mental health cover as standard, and Bupa uniquely keeps paying if a condition becomes long-term
• 15-minute face-to-face private GP appointments and up to £300 a year towards dental treatment
• No GP referral needed for cancer, mental health, and muscle, bone and joint concerns
• Each family member has their own no claims discount, and claims under £300 won’t reduce it
• A 10% family discount, and you only pay for the eldest child under 20
• No upper age limit for new joiners

Bupa health insurance cons

• Consultations, scans and therapies share one outpatient allowance if you choose a £500, £750 or £1,000 limit
• A maximum no claims discount of 70%, lower than the top level at several other insurers
• Policy documents are harder to navigate than most other insurers’ documents

Bupa customer reviews

Bupa is rated 4.5/5 on Trustpilot from 44,750 reviews (checked 27th October 2026), with 83% of all its reviews awarding four or five stars.

Read our in-depth Bupa health insurance review.

Sources: Bupa By You Policy Guide — Bupa By You NCD Leaflet — Bupa Face-to-Face Private GP — Bupa Discounts for Couples and Families — Bupa By You Comprehensive on bupa.co.uk

2. WPA

myTribe rating 5.0 out of five5.0 ★myTribe rating

Best for customer service and flexible benefits

Watch out for stricter joining conditions for over-66s

WPA Complete Health

Overall score

89.7%i

How WPA scored×

• Hospital & Cancer Treatment91.9%
• Eligibility & Underwriting82.7%
• Customer Reviews & Clarity90.2%
• Outpatient & Extra Benefits90.9%
• Treatment Pathways96.4%
• Short/Long-Term Affordability88.8%

The six category scores make up the overall score. How we score

Average premium

£66.22 a month

Average of our 2026 quotes, ages 20 to 60 (WPA doesn’t offer moratorium cover from 66).

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WPA Complete Health is the most flexible private health insurance policy in the UK and is competitively priced outside London, especially for young adults. With the best customer reviews of any UK health insurance provider, it currently has a 4.8 out of 5 rating on Trustpilot and has consistently topped the market in that respect since we started tracking it in 2022. Its configurability is what makes it stand out, giving people real control over their cover.

WPA health insurance pros

• Build your cover from core hospital treatment plus any of six optional extras you want
• Separate outpatient pots for consultations, tests, therapies and mental health, so one doesn’t eat into another
• Choose any consultant at more than 1,000 hospitals and clinics, and avoid fee shortfalls by using WPA’s Fee Agreed consultants
• Fast-track services for cancer, skin and physio, plus up to six self-referred counselling sessions a year
• Each family member has their own no claims discount, plus a family discount of up to 10%

WPA health insurance cons

• Joining is harder from 66, with a fairly strict full medical underwriting process and a minimum £500 excess
• Full medical underwriting asks questions about family members not covered by the policy
• Claims over £750 in a year drop your no claims discount three levels
• Policy documents are more complex than most, with around 11 choices to make when you buy

WPA customer reviews

WPA has a Trustpilot score of 4.8/5 from 6,113 reviews (checked 27th October 2026), and is rated Excellent.

Read our in-depth WPA health insurance review.

Sources: WPA Complete Health Policy Guide — WPA Complete Health Brochure — WPA FMU Application Form — WPA Complete Health IPID — WPA Complete Health on wpa.org.uk

3. The Exeter

myTribe rating 5.0 out of five5.0 ★myTribe rating

Best for protective no claims discount and product clarity

Watch out for a GP referral for every claim

Health+

Overall score

86.2%i

How The Exeter scored×

• Hospital & Cancer Treatment90.3%
• Eligibility & Underwriting89.0%
• Customer Reviews & Clarity75.9%
• Outpatient & Extra Benefits90.2%
• Treatment Pathways74.5%
• Short/Long-Term Affordability89.8%

The six category scores make up the overall score. How we score

Average premium

£88.61 a month

Average of our 2026 quotes, ages 20 to 70.

Get The Exeter quotes

The Exeter Health+ has the fairest no claims discount of any UK health insurance provider and is a good fit for anyone who wants more protection from premium rises after a claim. With a precise approach to underwriting, the choice of combined or separate outpatient limits and extremely clear product information, it earned five stars in our 2026 ratings, one of only three insurers to do so.

The Exeter health insurance pros

• Each family member has their own no claims discount, and claims under £300 won’t reduce your discount
• Easier to switch to, with health questions based on how serious a condition was alongside precise medical underwriting
• Unlimited remote GP, plus up to six physio and six mental health sessions a year via its app
• The broadest restorative surgery cover, and the only insurer we assessed that includes illness as a trigger
• An NHS cash benefit of £250 a night as an inpatient and £150 a day as a day patient

The Exeter health insurance cons

• Every claim needs a GP referral, with no direct treatment pathways for cancer, mental health or joint problems
• No option for routine dental and optical cashback, which many other insurers offer as an add-on
• New members can’t join after their 80th birthday, although existing members can keep their cover for life

The Exeter customer reviews

The Exeter is rated 4.1/5 on Trustpilot from 1,534 reviews (checked 27th October 2026) - but this is based on a lower volume than larger insurers and includes feedback from life and income protection customers, not just health insurance members.

Read our in-depth review of The Exeter health insurance.

Sources: Exeter Health Plus Product Guide — Exeter Health Plus Do Not Disclose Guide — Exeter Health+ Data Capture Form — Exeter Health+ IPID — Exeter HealthWise Leaflet — Health+ on the-exeter.com

4. Vitality

myTribe rating 4.5 out of five4.5 ★myTribe rating

Best for active people who want to be rewarded for staying healthy

Watch out for a renewal price that rises faster if you’re not active

Personal Healthcare

Overall score

82.2%i

How Vitality scored×

• Hospital & Cancer Treatment85.9%
• Eligibility & Underwriting78.4%
• Customer Reviews & Clarity87.5%
• Outpatient & Extra Benefits89.2%
• Treatment Pathways92.7%
• Short/Long-Term Affordability78.8%

The six category scores make up the overall score. How we score

Average premium

£86.82 a month

Average of our 2026 quotes, ages 20 to 70.

Get Vitality quotes

Vitality Personal Healthcare rewards you for staying healthy, so it's a good fit for active individuals or couples who can make the most of its perks. With advanced cancer cover, self-referred physio and talking therapies, and a virtual GP who can approve treatment during the call, it's the highest-rated four-and-a-half-star policy in our 2026 ratings.

Vitality health insurance pros

• Rewards for staying active, including 50% off gym membership and lower renewal premiums
• Advanced cancer cover as standard, with no financial limits on treatment
• Six physio and eight talking therapy sessions a year with no GP referral, including for recent mental health problems after three months
• Its virtual GP can approve treatment during the call, plus £100 a year for private prescriptions
• Pays 75% of some weight loss surgery, with discounted weight loss medication for eligible members

Vitality health insurance cons

• Outpatient consultations and tests aren’t in core cover, so you’ll need to add outpatient cover
• Your renewal price rises faster if you’re not active, and age alone typically adds around 3% a year
• It doesn’t offer a no claims discount, and claims are shared across all policy members, so a child’s claim could raise everyone’s premium
• Recurring mental health conditions can be classed as chronic, with cover then withdrawn

Vitality customer reviews

Vitality is rated 4.6/5 on Trustpilot from 69,836 reviews (checked 27th October 2026), with 11,320 submitted in the past 12 months - the second-highest volume of any insurer myTribe assessed, although this covers all its products, including life insurance.

Read our in-depth review of Vitality health insurance.

Sources: Vitality Personal Healthcare Terms and Conditions — Vitality Benefits at a Glance — An Adviser's Guide to Personal Healthcare — Vitality Priority Physio Sales Aid — Vitality Mental Health Cover Sales Aid — Personal Healthcare on vitality.co.uk

5. Aviva

myTribe rating 4.5 out of five4.5 ★myTribe rating

Best for flexible premiums and joining at any age

Watch out for a three-level no claims drop for any claim over £250

Healthier Solutions

Overall score

79.8%i

How Aviva scored×

• Hospital & Cancer Treatment85.0%
• Eligibility & Underwriting87.9%
• Customer Reviews & Clarity68.8%
• Outpatient & Extra Benefits77.0%
• Treatment Pathways70.9%
• Short/Long-Term Affordability85.2%

The six category scores make up the overall score. How we score

Average premium

£135.51 a month

Average of our 2026 quotes, ages 20 to 70.

Get Aviva quotes

Aviva Healthier Solutions gives you more ways to control what you pay than any other UK health insurer and suits families looking for value and people joining later in life. With unlimited outpatient cover and extensive cancer cover as standard, and no upper age limit for new joiners, it finished fifth in our 2026 ratings.

Aviva health insurance pros

• More ways to cut your premium than any other insurer, including seven excess levels from £0 to £5,000 and an NHS six-week option
• Up to 15% off in your first year if you meet its health criteria, and up to 15% off at renewal through MyHealthCounts
• Unlimited outpatient cover as standard, with the option to cap it at £500 or £1,000 or remove it
• Extensive cancer cover and up to £2,000 of outpatient mental health treatment as standard
• Families pay only for the eldest child when two or more children under 20 are covered, and each member has their own no claims discount

Aviva health insurance cons

• Any claim over £250 drops your no claims discount three levels, whatever its size, unless you pay to protect it
• Claiming for the same mental health condition in three separate years means it is no longer covered
• Limiting your outpatient cover means one shared limit, and losing cover for pregnancy complications and dental surgery

Aviva customer reviews

Aviva is rated 4.3/5 on Trustpilot from 66,638 reviews (checked 27th October 2026), although this covers its full product range, and its health insurance reviews mention frustrations with getting through and with claims.

Read our in-depth review of Aviva health insurance.

Sources: Aviva Healthier Solutions Brochure — Aviva Terms and Conditions — Aviva No Claims Discount Factsheet — Aviva Outpatient and Excess Factsheet — Aviva 6 Week Option Factsheet — Aviva FMU/Moratorium Application Form — Aviva Trustpilot Screenshots (27/01/2026) — Healthier Solutions on aviva.co.uk

6. AXA Health

myTribe rating 4.5 out of five4.5 ★myTribe rating

Best for modular cover and a shorter moratorium

Watch out for a lifetime exclusion for any previous cancer

AXA Health Plan

Overall score

77.4%i

How AXA Health scored×

• Hospital & Cancer Treatment82.8%
• Eligibility & Underwriting62.9%
• Customer Reviews & Clarity81.0%
• Outpatient & Extra Benefits77.8%
• Treatment Pathways89.1%
• Short/Long-Term Affordability77.3%

The six category scores make up the overall score. How we score

Average premium

£83.61 a month

Average of our 2026 quotes, ages 20 to 70.

Get AXA Health quotes

The AXA Health Plan is the only UK health insurance with no mandatory core cover, so you can build it around each member's needs. With a three-year moratorium instead of the usual five, you may face fewer exclusions upfront when you join, and the plan finished sixth in our 2026 ratings.

AXA Health insurance pros

• Each person builds their cover from four parts: hospital treatment, outpatient care, cancer care and mental health
• Up to eight family members across several generations on one policy
• A three-year moratorium instead of the usual five years
• Self-refer for up to 10 physio and osteopathy sessions
• 24/7 mental health and general health support lines

AXA Health insurance cons

• Any cancer you've ever had is excluded, however long ago, which we haven't seen with other policies
• A five-year look-back still applies for diabetes, mental health and raised PSA
• It's mainly sold direct, so comparing it with other insurers' policies may not be easy, and it can only be underwritten on a moratorium basis

AXA Health customer reviews

AXA Health has a score of 4.1/5 on Trustpilot from 22,846 reviews (checked 27th October 2026), which is a rating of Great. Almost 6,000 reviews were left in the past 12 months, all relating to its private health insurance products.

Read our in-depth review of AXA health insurance.

Sources: AXA Health Plan Handbook (Oct 2026) — AXA Health Plan Pre-existing Conditions Guide — AXA Health Trustpilot Reviews (27/01/2026) — AXA Health Trustpilot Reviews 12 Months (27/01/2026) — AXA Health Plan on axahealth.co.uk

7. Freedom

myTribe rating 4.5 out of five4.5 ★myTribe rating

Best for the same premium wherever you live

Watch out for no published detail on how claims affect renewals

Elite

Overall score

77.1%i

How Freedom scored×

• Hospital & Cancer Treatment82.8%
• Eligibility & Underwriting77.2%
• Customer Reviews & Clarity73.3%
• Outpatient & Extra Benefits80.6%
• Treatment Pathways79.1%
• Short/Long-Term Affordability68.8%

The six category scores make up the overall score. How we score

Average premium

£129.11 a month

Average of our 2026 quotes, ages 20 to 70.

Get Freedom quotes

Freedom Elite is the only UK health insurance that doesn't use your postcode to set your premium, which makes it worth a look for anyone in London and the South East, where cover usually costs more. With almost every private hospital on its standard list and, as an optional extra, more days of inpatient mental health cover than any other insurer we assessed, it finished seventh in our 2026 ratings.

Freedom health insurance pros

• The same premium wherever you live, as it's the only UK insurer that doesn't price on your postcode
• Optional mental health cover includes up to 45 inpatient days, the most we assessed, plus £2,000 of outpatient treatment
• MRI, CT and PET scans covered in full as standard when a specialist requests them
• Almost every UK private hospital on its standard list, and any consultant within its fee schedule
• Families with up to three children pay only for the first child, and paying annually saves 6%

Freedom health insurance cons

• Renewal premiums are calculated individually, with no no claims discount protection, and children's claims can affect adults' premiums
• No consultant fee agreements, which raises the risk of a shortfall
• New members can only join up to age 70, one of the lowest limits in the market

Freedom customer reviews

Freedom has the lowest volume of customer reviews of any provider in our 2026 assessment. On Trustpilot it holds a 3.6 out of 5 rating and has collected just 26 reviews in the past 12 months. On Feefo, where it has a 4.5 out of 5 rating, it has only collected two reviews in the last year.

Read our in-depth review of Freedom health insurance.

Sources: Elite Policyholder's Guide to Cover — Elite Brochure — Moratorium & FMU Application Form — Elite Summary of Benefits — Elite Hospital List — Elite IPID — Cancer Cover Explained — Elite on freedomhealthinsurance.co.uk

8. Saga

myTribe rating 4.0 out of five4.0 ★myTribe rating

Best for over-50s who want fewer exclusions when they join

Watch out for a two-level no claims drop for every claim

Health Plan (Secure & Super)

Overall score

74.5%i

How Saga scored×

• Hospital & Cancer Treatment87.2%
• Eligibility & Underwriting68.1%
• Customer Reviews & Clarity65.3%
• Outpatient & Extra Benefits76.3%
• Treatment Pathways92.7%
• Short/Long-Term Affordability76.2%

The six category scores make up the overall score. How we score

Average premium

£88.03 a month

Our 2026 quote for a 50-year-old (Saga only covers over-50s).

Compare health insurance

Saga's health plans are built for the over-50s, underwritten by Bupa, and suit anyone over 50 who wants strong cover with fewer exclusions when they join. With mental health cover as standard, no GP referral needed for some concerns and a three-year moratorium instead of the usual five, Saga finished eighth in our 2026 ratings.

Saga health insurance pros

• Mental health cover as standard, with up to 28 days in hospital and up to £2,500 of outpatient treatment
• No GP referral for mental health or joint problems, or worrying symptoms such as breast changes and moles
• A three-year moratorium instead of the usual five, so fewer past conditions are excluded when you join
• No upper age limit for new joiners, and a partner or children under 50 can be added
• A four-week NHS wait option, unique to Saga, can cut your premium by around 15%

Saga health insurance cons

• Every claim drops your no claims discount two levels, whatever its size, with no limit on how far it falls in a year
• One no claims discount for the whole policy, and no family discounts or parental accommodation
• Claims below your excess still use up your outpatient, therapy and mental health benefit limits

Saga customer reviews

Saga has a Trustpilot rating of 4.2/5 from about 46,400 reviews across all of Saga's insurance products (checked 27th October 2026). Many relate to Saga's broader product range rather than health insurance, and its recent change of underwriter may mean older reviews don't reflect the current claims experience.

Read our in-depth review of Saga health insurance.

Sources: Saga HealthPlan Super Policy Book (Nov 2025) — Saga HealthPlan Secure Policy Book (Nov 2025) — Saga Key Treatments Policy Book (Nov 2025) — Saga Pre-Medical Screening Questions — Health Plan (Secure & Super) on saga.co.uk

9. National Friendly

myTribe rating 4.0 out of five4.0 ★myTribe rating

Best for a premium your own claims can't raise for five years

Watch out for limited mental health cover

My PMI (Levels 3 & 4)

Overall score

72.7%i

How National Friendly scored×

• Hospital & Cancer Treatment77.0%
• Eligibility & Underwriting88.1%
• Customer Reviews & Clarity65.1%
• Outpatient & Extra Benefits68.9%
• Treatment Pathways89.1%
• Short/Long-Term Affordability74.5%

The six category scores make up the overall score. How we score

Average premium

£133.61 a month

Average of our 2026 quotes, ages 20 to 70.

Compare health insurance

National Friendly My PMI is the only UK health insurance sold as a five-year contract, where your own claims don't affect your premium until the five years are up. It suits people who want a steadier premium, older applicants and anyone switching insurer. With some of the easiest switching terms we've seen and new members accepted up to 85, it finished ninth in our 2026 ratings.

National Friendly health insurance pros

• A five-year contract where your own claims don't affect your premium until the five years are up
• New members accepted up to 85, the highest joining age of any insurer that sets a limit
• No lifetime 'have you ever' health questions, so switching from another insurer is easier
• Unlimited cancer treatment at Level 4, including stem cell and bone marrow treatment and palliative care
• A 24/7 remote GP, plus counselling, legal, financial and dental helplines at no extra cost

National Friendly health insurance cons

• Mental health cover is limited to one assessment and 10 counselling sessions a year, with no hospital stays
• Premiums are still reviewed every year, and your claims can be reflected at each five-year renewal
• An NHS cash benefit of just £100 a night, for up to 20 nights a year on Level 4
• Few ways to lower your premium beyond an excess of up to £1,000 or guided treatment

National Friendly customer reviews

National Friendly has a 4.3/5 Trustpilot rating from 660 reviews in total (checked 27th October 2026), with just 367 in the past 12 months. It's too few to draw any meaningful conclusions about service levels.

Sources: National Friendly My PMI Policy Conditions — National Friendly My PMI Policy Summary — National Friendly My PMI FMU Application Form — National Friendly My PMI CPME Application Form

10. General & Medical

myTribe rating 4.0 out of five4.0 ★myTribe rating

Best for benefits you won't find elsewhere

Watch out for an NHS GP referral for every claim

Elite

Overall score

70.3%i

How General & Medical scored×

• Hospital & Cancer Treatment81.8%
• Eligibility & Underwriting75.6%
• Customer Reviews & Clarity65.1%
• Outpatient & Extra Benefits87.2%
• Treatment Pathways70.9%
• Short/Long-Term Affordability67.1%

The six category scores make up the overall score. How we score

Average premium

£80.46 a month

Average of our 2026 quotes, ages 20 to 70.

Compare health insurance

General & Medical Elite includes benefits you won't find with any other UK health insurer and can suit people with a manageable pre-existing condition. With cover for private childbirth, a pet boarding allowance, a critical illness cash benefit and the option to cover up to two pre-existing conditions, it completes our 2026 top ten.

General & Medical health insurance pros

• Cover for private childbirth, a £250 pet boarding allowance and a critical illness cash benefit
• Can cover up to two pre-existing conditions from a list of 14, up to £1,000 each a year
• The joint highest NHS cash benefit, at £250 a night for up to 30 nights
• A choice between a hospital list and guided consultants

General & Medical health insurance cons

• Every claim needs a referral from your NHS GP, and there are no self-referral routes
• Waiting periods before some benefits start, including six months for mental health
• No traditional no claims discount, and no published detail on how claims affect renewals
• More vague or discretionary terms than any other insurer we assessed

General & Medical customer reviews

General & Medical has a 4.4/5 Trustpilot rating from 432 reviews in total (checked on 27th October 2026), with just 112 submitted in the past 12 months. Too few to draw meaningful conclusions about service levels.

Sources: G&M Policy Doc Part 2 — PMI — G&M Benefits at a Glance — G&M Personal Healthcare Brochure — G&M Policy Doc Part 1 — Terms & Conditions — G&M Personal Healthcare Application Form

What should I look for when comparing private health insurance?

When comparing UK health insurance policies, we believe four things matter most: how claims will affect your renewal premiums, which hospitals and consultants you can access, what real customers say about the claims experience, and how the insurer's underwriting will treat your medical history. Price matters too, but the cheapest year one premium is rarely the best long-term value.

1. How will claims affect renewal premiums?

Most insurers start new members at a 60-75% no claims discount (NCD), so there is far more to lose than to gain. Each insurer has different rules about how far you fall if you claim. Some drop you three levels for a claim of any size, while others, like The Exeter, only apply the maximum drop if you claim more than £2,000 in a year.

We mention this because it's easy to buy a policy with low year one premiums, but if the insurer penalises claims more harshly than others, you might find that after several years you'd have been better off elsewhere. Private health insurance renews yearly, but it pays to have a long-term mindset and find a provider you're happy to stay with.

2. What hospitals and consultants will I have access to?

In recent years, some of the largest insurers have introduced a "guided option", which limits your choice of hospitals and consultants in return for a discount on your premiums. When you claim, your insurer will typically recommend two or three specialists and tell you which private hospitals you can use.

The alternative is a traditional hospital list, where you have far more freedom over who treats you and where. Some insurers, like WPA and Freedom, don't offer a guided option at all, so their price gives you more choice by default. There's nothing wrong with guided options, they're an effective way to bring premiums down, but make sure you're comparing like with like.

3. What is the claims experience really like?

Unlike most types of insurance, there's a high chance you'll claim on your health insurance at some point, so the claims experience matters enormously. We've heard accounts of people waiting on hold for 45 minutes to an hour each time they call their insurer, and during a claim you'll need to speak to them a fair amount.

For a better picture of an insurer's claims handling, go to its Trustpilot page, filter reviews using the keyword "claims" and sort by most recent. This surfaces what members say about the part of the service that matters most.

4. How will the insurer treat your medical history?

Underwriting terms vary more than most buyers realise. Moratorium underwriting typically excludes conditions from the past five years, but AXA Health and Saga offer a three-year look-back, while The Exeter's severity-based questions and National Friendly's lack of lifetime "have you ever" questions can make switching simpler. If you have a pre-existing condition or are moving from another insurer, these differences could matter more than the headline premium.

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What is private health insurance?

Private health insurance, also called private medical insurance or PMI, is a policy that pays for private diagnosis and treatment of new, curable medical conditions. In return for a monthly premium, you get faster access to consultants, scans and surgery than NHS waiting lists typically allow. Chronic and pre-existing conditions are usually excluded.

How does health insurance work?

UK private health insurance works in five steps. You choose your level of cover and underwriting type, then pay a monthly or annual premium. When you fall ill, you visit your GP (or use a self-referral pathway where your insurer offers one) and get a referral for private treatment. You contact your insurer for pre-authorisation before treatment begins, and once approved, your insurer pays the hospital and consultant directly, minus any excess you've chosen. Your policy then renews annually, with your premium adjusted for your age, medical inflation and, with most insurers, your claims history.

If you're new to health insurance, our introductory video below explains the basics:

Watch: How does health insurance work?

A short video explaining the basics of UK private health insurance.

Is health insurance worth it?

Private health insurance can be worth it if fast access to diagnosis and treatment matters to you. Over a third of NHS waiting-list cases (34.6%) had been waiting longer than 18 weeks at the end of July 2026 (NHS England), and UK private hospitals recorded 953,000 admissions in 2025, a record for the fourth consecutive year (PHIN). For the cost of an average £55.89 a month at age 30, a comprehensive policy buys prompt specialist access, a choice of consultant and a private room.

It may not be worth it for everyone. Health insurance doesn't cover chronic or most pre-existing conditions, emergencies are still handled by the NHS, and premiums rise significantly with age, reaching an average of £207.27 a month at 70 in myTribe's 2026 pricing research. If your priority is cover for an existing condition, or you'd comfortably self-fund occasional private treatment, the maths may not stack up. We believe the value case is strongest for those in good health who want certainty over waiting times.

What’s happening in the NHS?

The latest NHS waiting time data, covering the period to July 2026, shows 7.3 million pathways still waiting, with 65.4% of patients waiting up to 18 weeks.

The pressure behind those numbers is long-standing. A September 2024 government-commissioned review led by Lord Darzi found the NHS "in serious trouble", with public satisfaction at its lowest recorded level, and an ONS survey from early 2024 estimated that as many as 9.7 million adults in England were waiting for an appointment, test or treatment once unrecorded waits were included. The recent improvement in the headline figures is welcome, but waiting times remain the main reason people take out private cover.

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What are the benefits of private health insurance?

Generally speaking, you can expect all of the following benefits from a health insurance policy:

• Be treated sooner in a private healthcare setting, bypassing NHS waiting lists
• Access to a virtual private GP, and other remote healthcare services
• A private room if you're admitted to hospital
• More choice over who provides your treatment
• Various rewards, discounts and member incentives

Read more about the benefits of private health insurance

What does health insurance cover?

Private health insurance covers the costs associated with treating acute medical conditions, meaning those which, generally speaking, are curable. Chronic conditions are usually excluded, as are pre-existing conditions you've suffered from in the past five or three years if you opt for moratorium underwriting. There are many benefits of health insurance, but there are limitations too, and it's not designed to replace the NHS but work alongside it.

Core cover vs comprehensive policies

Even the most basic policies will cover the cost of being treated in a private hospital where you require a bed for a day or overnight. However, you'll need to be diagnosed via the NHS, or self-pay to be diagnosed privately before you can claim for medical treatment.

Comprehensive health insurance usually includes outpatient cover, sometimes limited to a monetary value per year. With these policies, all you need is a referral from your GP, and then everything from then onwards will be done privately.

All providers and their policies are different, so take your time when choosing the right one for you. We recommend that you compare quotes through myTribe before deciding.

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If you're looking for a lower cost policy, read our guide to cheap health insurance in the UK.

Optional extras

While comprehensive policies will cover numerous private healthcare treatment and diagnosis options, you can also look to enhance your cover with a range of extras; typically including:

• Therapies cover - such as physiotherapy (although many will include post-op physiotherapy sessions in their core product).
• Mental health cover - many policies include access to helplines, but you'll usually pay more for access to more extensive private healthcare treatment options.
• Dental and optical cover - you can get help towards the cost of routine appointments and check-ups.
• Travel insurance - if you want your private health insurance to extend beyond the UK.

What's excluded from private healthcare cover?

All private healthcare insurance companies will have some exclusions, and it's always best to refer to your policy documentation to see what yours excludes. However, generally speaking, you can expect the following to be excluded on most policies:

• Monitoring of and treatment of long-term (chronic) conditions
• Emergency treatment
• Cosmetic treatment
• Self-harm, alcohol abuse and drug abuse
• Normal childbirth, birth control and infertility
• Treatment that takes place outside the UK

Please note: There are some circumstances or providers, where what we’ve listed above may be covered.

The average cost of private health insurance

Comprehensive private health insurance costs an average of £55.89 a month for a 30-year-old and £132.53 a month for a 60-year-old, according to myTribe's 2026 pricing research, which analysed 11,770 quotes from seven leading insurers across 21 UK locations.

^{*Average based on quotes from seven leading health insurers in 21 UK towns and cities in 2026. We opted for a comprehensive policy, with a £250 excess (or as close as possible), outpatient cover limited to £1,000 per policy year where possible, and we included alternate therapies cover. We opted for a guided consultant list where available, excluding mental health, dental, optical and travel cover.}

Our health insurance rating methodology

The myTribe 2026 private medical insurance ratings are the result of a detailed, independent review of the UK's leading health insurance products. With an estimated 7.6 million UK adults holding private medical insurance (Broadstone's analysis of the FCA Financial Lives Survey, 2024), choosing the right provider has never been more important. We assess each provider's flagship policy across six weighted categories, more than 20 measures and 63 sub-measures, covering everything from the quality of hospital and cancer treatment cover to how claims affect your premiums over time.

Every rating is built from evidence, not opinion alone. Our experts analyse nearly 200 policy documents, product guides, terms and conditions, provider websites, data submitted by providers and real customer reviews. Each sub-measure is scored out of 10 from the policy wording, and every score is backed by the exact wording and page it comes from. Those scores are then weighted according to what matters most to policyholders, with outpatient and extra benefits carrying the most weight, and combined into an overall percentage, which determines the star rating.

What we assess

• Hospital & Cancer Treatment evaluates the scope of inpatient and day-patient surgical cover, the depth of cancer treatment and aftercare, and the breadth of hospital, consultant and fee coverage available to members.
• Eligibility & Underwriting looks at how accessible a product is to different types of customer. We assess age limits and joining terms, family friendliness, underwriting options, including how easy it is to switch from another insurer, and product accessibility to understand how well each policy serves a wide range of households.
• Customer Reviews & Clarity considers what real customers say about the service they receive, how clearly the provider explains its cover, and how much discretion it keeps over how claims are decided.
• Outpatient & Extra Benefits is our most detailed category. It covers outpatient options and how allowances are structured, mental health cover, cash benefits, unique provider benefits, remote and digital healthcare services, and proactive health checks.
• Treatment Pathways assesses how easy it is to access treatment when you need it, including whether you can self-refer for certain conditions and how guided care works alongside your hospital list.
• Short/Long-Term Affordability examines the discounts and options available to reduce your premiums, and critically, how claims affect your renewal costs over time.

We believe ratings should be transparent. For a full breakdown of how our star ratings work, including what each category and measure covers, read our full methodology.

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