Who operates in the UK private health insurance market

Before weighing up a policy, it helps to know which insurers are actually writing private medical insurance business in the UK. This list sets out the insurers operating in that market, with a note of where the information for each entry came from and when it was last checked.

What the entries show

Each entry names the insurer and points to where you can find its own published terms. Many of these insurers are members of the Association of British Insurers (ABI), a trade body whose members agree to published standards of conduct. Membership is worth knowing about because it tells you the insurer sits within that framework, but it is not a mark of quality and it says nothing about how any individual policy is written.

What it does not decide for you

The order the insurers appear in is not a ranking, and no insurer is presented as better suited to your situation than another. Two insurers can offer very different look-back periods, exclusions and add-ons, and the only way to know how a specific insurer would treat your own medical history is to read that insurer's own policy wording and membership certificate, or to put the question to the insurer directly.

If you want more background on how this site approaches that distinction between information and advice, that is set out on the About page.

The insurers operating in the UK market

A list of who is currently selling private medical insurance in the UK, with a note on what it means when an insurer belongs to the Association of British Insurers. It is a reference for checking who is active.

National Friendly National Deposit Friendly Society

National Friendly, trading name of National Deposit Friendly Society formed in 1868, is a Bristol-based mutual society offering private medical insurance to individuals.

  • cover_types inpatient, outpatient, cancer, mental health (outpatient sessions only, no inpatient mental health cover) source
  • established_year 1868 source

Freedom Health Insurance

Freedom Health Insurance is an independent UK private medical insurer founded in 2003, offering individual and business health insurance with no location-based pricing.

  • cover_types inpatient and day-patient treatment, outpatient cover, therapies/complementary treatment, psychiatric/mental health as an inpatient, cancer treatment, dental and optical cover source
  • established_year 2003 source

The Exeter

The Exeter, established in 1927, is a mutual friendly society offering private medical insurance primarily to individuals in the UK.

  • cover_types inpatient and day-patient treatment, outpatient cover, therapies/complementary treatment, psychiatric/mental health as an inpatient, cancer treatment source
  • established_year 1927 source

WPA

WPA (Western Provident Association) is a not-for-profit UK private medical insurer founded in 1901, offering health insurance for individuals, small-medium businesses and corporates.

  • cover_types inpatient and day-patient treatment, outpatient cover, therapies/complementary treatment within outpatient limit, psychiatric/mental health as an inpatient, cancer treatment, dental and optical cover, travel cover source
  • established_year 1901 source

Vitality Discovery Holdings

Vitality is a UK private medical insurer, previously known as PruHealth, that uses a shared-value model rewarding members for healthy living, owned by Discovery Group.

  • cover_types inpatient and day-patient treatment, outpatient consultations and tests, therapies/complementary treatment, psychiatric/mental health as an inpatient, cancer treatment, dental cover, travel cover source
  • established_year 2004 source

Aviva Healthcare Aviva

Aviva Healthcare is the health insurance arm of Aviva, one of the UK's largest insurance companies, offering private medical insurance for individuals, families and businesses.

  • cover_types inpatient and day-patient treatment, outpatient cover, therapies/complementary treatment within outpatient limit, psychiatric/mental health as an inpatient, cancer treatment, dental and optical cover source
  • established_year 1990 source

AXA Health AXA

AXA Health is a UK-based private medical insurer, part of the global AXA Group, offering flexible and modular health insurance policies for individuals, families and employers.

  • cover_types inpatient and day-patient treatment, outpatient cover, therapies/complementary treatment, psychiatric/mental health as an inpatient, cancer treatment, dental and optical cover, travel cover source
  • established_year 1938 source

Bupa

Bupa (British United Provident Association) is a not-for-profit UK private medical insurer founded in 1947, offering health insurance for individuals, families and businesses with no shareholders.

  • cover_types inpatient and day-patient treatment, outpatient consultations and tests, therapies/complementary treatment, psychiatric/mental health as an inpatient, cancer treatment, dental and optical cover, travel cover source
  • established_year 1947 source

Aviva Healthcare Aviva

  • established_year 1990 source

Drewberry

Drewberry is an FCA-authorised independent insurance broker specialising in private health insurance and personal protection products in the UK.

  • regulator_status Authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority source

General & Medical Healthcare

General & Medical Healthcare is a UK private health insurer offering its Elite personal healthcare plan with unique benefits including private childbirth cover and pre-existing condition options.

  • cover_types inpatient, outpatient, mental health (with deferment period), cancer, dental helpline source

Saga Health Insurance Bupa

Saga Health Insurance offers private medical insurance exclusively to the over-50s in the UK, with policies underwritten by Bupa.

General & Medical

General & Medical is a UK private health insurer offering its Elite personal healthcare plan with unique benefits including private childbirth cover and pre-existing condition options.

  • cover_types inpatient, outpatient, mental health (with six-month deferment period), cancer; dental and optical not mentioned as available source

Aviva

Aviva is one of the UK's leading insurance providers offering private health insurance under its Healthier Solutions plan for individuals and families.

  • cover_types inpatient, outpatient, mental health (outpatient standard; inpatient/day-patient optional upgrade up to 28 days) source

Which insurer's own terms should you read next?

Being a member of the Association of British Insurers tells you an insurer meets published industry standards. It doesn't tell you how your own medical history would be treated under their underwriting rules, their look-back period, or their trouble-free period. Those are set out in each insurer's own policy wording and membership certificate.