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Whether private health insurance is worth it in the UK depends on your personal circumstances.

While UK residents have access to free NHS services, long waiting times (with over 7 million people waiting for planned care in 2025) often lead people to consider private insurance for faster access to non-emergency treatment, a wider choice of consultants, private hospitals, and sometimes drugs and therapies not available on the NHS.

However, private health insurance can be expensive, typically costs more as you age, and may initially exclude pre-existing conditions, making it unaffordable for some.

If you are not a UK resident, you may need proof of private medical insurance for visa purposes, as you might not be entitled to free NHS care.

For businesses, providing private health insurance to employees can be a valuable investment. It can help reduce staff absence by allowing employees to access treatment more quickly than they might through the NHS, supporting faster recovery and return to work.

Offering health insurance can also help attract and retain talent, as it is a highly valued employee benefit that demonstrates a company’s commitment to staff wellbeing.

Additionally, employees who have access to private healthcare may feel more supported and valued, which can contribute to higher morale and productivity within the workplace.

The cost of private health insurance in the UK varies greatly depending on personal or employee circumstances and the level of cover chosen. For individuals, prices can start from around £12 a month for a child-only policy or £40 for a healthy 35-year-old, while business health insurance typically starts from £30 per employee per month for basic cover. Factors influencing cost include:

• Age
• Medical history
• Postcode (London hospitals can increase prices)
• Lifestyle (such as smoking)
• Level of cover
• Chosen excess

For businesses, the number of employees and postcode will also affect pricing. Providing cover through a business will be more cost-effective than individual policies while also helping employees access treatment faster.

Private Medical Insurance is designed to cover conditions that you don’t have a history of prior to taking out the policy but insurers are fair and often we will have something that concerns us from the past. If you already have a policy, we can usually transfer the cover across without new medical exclusions being applied but if it is a new policy then underwriting can be done on a Fully Medically Underwritten (FMU) or Moratorium basis.

FMU means completing a Health form and working with the insurer to get a precise understanding of what isn’t going to be covered. These are called exclusions. Even if an exclusion is applied, often the insurer will agree to review it in 12 or 24 months’ time.

The other way of underwriting a policy is Moratorium which essentially means anything that you have had a history of in the 5 years prior to taking the policy out, won’t be covered until you have been on the policy for 24 months and during those 24 months you haven’t received any consultations, treatments, symptoms or medication for that condition.

Working with a broker who can liaise with the insurer will always help you understand what can and can’t be covered in terms of pre-existing conditions.

A health insurance broker acts as an intermediary between you and insurance providers, helping you compare different policies to find one that suits your needs and budget.

Brokers can often access a wider range of products, provide independent advice, and assist with claims or policy changes.

Going direct means purchasing a policy straight from the insurer, which may limit your choice to that provider’s products and may not give you access to advice tailored to your circumstances.

Using a broker will not cost more as the insurers pay the broker for the introduction of the business, and in some cases, brokers have unique offers or discounted rates which are not available from insurers. Meaning, not only do you get the right advice, resulting in the correct policy for your needs, but also it could be at a lower premium.

Yes, you can switch health insurance providers even if you already have a policy in place. However, it is important to check if your new provider will offer continued cover for any existing medical conditions you have claimed for under your current policy.

Some insurers offer a “continued personal medical exclusions” (CPME) or “switch” underwriting option, allowing you to move cover without restarting waiting periods, subject to terms and conditions.

Always compare the benefits, exclusions, and costs before switching to ensure your new policy meets your needs.

Yes, in the UK, business health insurance is generally classed as a taxable benefit (P11D benefit) for employees.

This means employees need to pay tax on the value of the health insurance provided by their employer. However, businesses can usually claim the cost of providing health insurance as a business expense, which may help offset the cost.

It is important for both employers and employees to understand the tax implications of business health insurance, and it may be helpful to seek advice from an accountant or tax adviser if you are unsure how it applies to your situation.

Some insurers offer a “continued personal medical exclusions” (CPME) or “switch” underwriting option, allowing you to move cover without restarting waiting periods, subject to terms and conditions.

Always compare the benefits, exclusions, and costs before switching to ensure your new policy meets your needs.