Health insurance discounts
Whether you are looking for health insurance for the first time or looking to change providers, find out which private health insurance providers are offering premium discounts in the summary below.
Health insurance discounts are one part of the overall search
Before you explore the current list of health insurance discounts, it’s essential to consider these incentives as just one part of the overall search for the right private health insurance. It is important to look at the policy as a whole and factor in the benefits of each insurer, cover limits or monetary amounts and how the cover works in practice. Selecting a provider purely on price could leave you without a key cover area.
What types of discounts are on offer from insurers?
There are two types of health insurance discounts offered by the providers we’ve surveyed; these are policy discounts where you might get a reduction for paying in full annually or a discount for couples and families. The second type of discount is where private health insurers offer a discounted benefit, this could be gym memberships at a preferential rate or rewards for referrals.
The health insurance discounts provided are designed to attract new customers but often only apply to the first year of the policy, while there is the option to move provider, this can be difficult if you have had health issues, we would recommend looking at the best insurer for the next 3-5 years, rather than focusing on upfront offers and discounts.
An important note: Disclaimer
While every effort is made to update the information contained in this guide, offers and discounts can be added and withdrawn by insurers at any time, therefore it is important to check with providers and brokers when you are ready to go ahead.
We provide general information and what is best for you will depend on your circumstances. Please speak with a financial adviser or do your research before making a decision.
Health insurance discounts by provider
Aviva
Aviva is one of the largest insurers in the UK offering a range of financial service products, from insurance and investments to pensions and retirement planning. Over 1.1 million people agree and have health insurance with Aviva as of year-to-date May 2023.
Here is a summary of the current discounts available from Aviva:
Up to a 15% discount on your first-year premium if you meet their health-related eligibility criteria. Reduces by half at renewal and there is no discount in year three.The offer is currently available for customers purchasing a Healthier Solutions policy with a start date between 1 May 2024 and 31 December 2024. Aviva reserves the right to amend or withdraw this offer before 31 December 2024 or extend the offer beyond that date. You can read the full terms to this promotion here.Child Discounts: If you have more than one child under 20 on the policy, you’ll only pay for the oldest child.Multi-Person Discounts: If you add your spouse, partner or civil partner there is a premium discount of up to 15% less than the price of two individual policies.Get the Body Coach App free for 12 months. Buy a new health insurance policy with Aviva before 13th December 2024 and you’ll get 12 months free of the Body Coach App worth £89.99 which includes, real-time workouts, meal plans and challenges.Aviva’s “Get Active” scheme gives policyholders discounted gym membership at 3000 places, provided by Incorpore Limited.
AXA Health
AXA Health was formed in 2020 and AXA Health is part of one of the largest and most recognisable insurance groups in the world. AXA Health’s flagship health insurance policy, Personal Health, combines an excellent hospital list with generous standard out-patient limits (add-on) and great reviews from thousands of customers. It’s a modular private health insurance product that can be configured to meet your needs, with more options and add-ons than most.
Here is a summary of the current discounts from AXA:
40% Gym discount with no cancellation charges and in-person and online optionsSave 5% by paying your premium annually
Bupa
Bupa is synonymous with private health insurance in the UK. Bupa is perhaps the best-known private health insurer in the UK. With its global reach, Bupa provides healthcare through an international network of hospitals, outpatient clients, dental centres, and care homes.
Here is a summary of the current discounts from Bupa:
Couples pay 5% less than individual policies (providing that they live at the same address, the discount applies to Comprehensive and Treatment and Care).Families pay 10% less than individual policies. Must include at least one adult and one or more children. Children don’t have to live at the same address as the main member.Free cover for younger children – add more than one child under 20 and only pay for the oldest, you’ll also still get their 10% family discount. You can read the full terms to this promotion here.10% health and lifestyle discount for over 18s, if you meet their health-related eligibility criteria. You can find the full terms of this promotion here.Doctors and dentists and their dependents save 15% with an active General Medical Council (GMC) or General Dental Council (GDC) registration number. You can find the full details here.There is an Armed Forces Discount, details of which can be found here; HM Forces Bupa Health – Forces Health, however please note that this information hasn’t come directly from Bupa.Health and Wellness Rewards: The current list of rewards and discounts includes.50% off fruit and veg boxes10% off health assessments40% of multi-gm memberships25% off annual English Heritage membership20% off fit-bit products25% off floral bouquets25% off balms and candles – health and wellness rewards
Freedom Health Insurance
Freedom Health Insurance is a relatively new health insurance provider. It was founded in 2003 in Poole (not far from us). As a specialist health insurer, they can focus their efforts on providing the best products and services to their clients.
Here is a summary of the discounts currently available from Freedom Health Insurance:
Pricing: Their pricing isn’t based on your postcode, so it doesn’t matter if you’re in a big city or a rural village the price is the same.Family Discounts: If you add up to three children you only pay for the 1st child.Annual Discount: There is a 6% discount for paying your premium annually.
SAGA
Saga specialises in offering services to people over 50s, from holidays and cruises to car, home, and health insurance. Saga health care is underwritten by Bupa Insurance Limited.
Customers can take advantage of a range of benefits including exclusive offers from Saga Holidays, Cruises and Insurance, carefully chosen offers from our partners. These include informative articles, videos and, advice, and prize draws.
The Exeter
The Exeter excels in its incredibly fair approach to how claims affect your no-claims discount, alongside an excellent, comprehensive core product and great customer reviews. The Exeter has mutual status, which means it is owned by its members (customers) and, without shareholders, can re-invest profits to benefit members and advisers.
The Exeter don’t promote discounts for couples or families, but using their online quote suggests that they offer a discount of around 5% for a policy for a couple, and around 8% for a family.
However, these discounts are only shown once you’ve requested a quote so please be mindful that this could change or may discounts be only available for clients that meet certain criteria.
Vitality
Since entering the UK health insurance market in 2004, they’ve brought innovation and offered a fresh approach to private medical cover. With its “Shared Value Insurance” business model, Vitality Health and Life doesn’t merely provide insurance but a programme of incentives and discounts to help members live healthy lives to benefit their 1.7m customers.
Here is a summary of the current premium discounts and membership benefits offered by Vitality:
Cash-Back: New policyholders can earn 2 months of cashback between 1st July to 30th September 2024. You can read the full terms to this promotion here.Gym Membership: Up to 50% off a monthly gym membership with PureGym. Get a qualifying Vitality insurance plan to enjoy a discounted PureGym monthly membership, subject to a joining fee. gym membership.Apple Watch: Enjoy Apple Watch Series 9 from £39 upfront. And you could pay nothing more when by staying active.Discounted Treats: Get active to earn treats from Caffee Nero, Mindful Chef, Odeon and Waitrose & Partners. Refer a friend and get £100 to spend.Mori+, pass a medical declaration to get 15% off.
WPA
WPA is a non-profit organisation that solely provides health insurance and nothing else. They’ve been supporting members since 1901 and pride themselves on offering freedom to choose when, where and who provides your treatment.
Here is a list of the current discounts and membership benefits available from WPA.
Doctors discount of 10% with an active General Medical Council (GMC) or General Dental Council (GDC) registration number.Membership benefits include Hussle gyms, Fiit memberships, selected Nuffield Fitness & Wellbeing gyms, Garmin fitness devices, Apex Rides, Bluecrest health checks, a range of Check4Cancer screening services, Specsavers discounts, Allen Carr’s Easy way seminars, Gousto healthy food recipe boxes and SpaBreaks.com experiences.
Why discounts are only one part of the equation and what else to look for
The discounts offered by private medical insurers are designed to attract new customers, whether you’re buying cover for the first time or looking to move cover at renewal.
While the sound of a cheaper gym membership or a shiny new piece of tech might be appealing you need to make sure that the policy itself meets your demands and needs and that when it comes to making a claim, the policy responds how you expect it to.
Before you take out a policy you should:
compare the benefits of each insurercompare any cover limits or monetary amountsconsider your own health needsconsider what benefits are available to help keep you in good healthask questions about how the cover works
You might also find these articles useful when considering different private medical insurance providers.
Why thinking long-term helps when it comes to private health insurance.
While the incentives and discounts might look appealing at first glance, we would advise caution! It is worth looking at the benefits available over the lifetime of the policy and not just for the first 12 months.
Private health insurance is an annually renewable product but usually runs for much longer periods of time, so we encourage you to consider what your needs might be over the next 5-10 years rather than focusing too much on upfront offers and discounts.
We appreciate that there is a lot to consider and understand so that you can make an informed decision. It might be beneficial for you to seek professional advice from a financial advisor or insurance broker; that way, you are getting expert advice and information about what is and isn’t covered. Professional advisors will make sure that they correctly assess your needs and match you to the most appropriate cover available in the market.
How do I buy private health insurance?
The process of buying private health insurance is similar to buying other types of insurance and can be bought directly from the insurer, via an independent insurance broker of from a retail outlet such as bank, building society or supermarket.
The application process can be face to face, over the phone, online or by post. It is important to know that if you go direct to an insurer or a tied agent who sells policies on an insurer’s behalf, they will only be able to discuss that insurer’s own policies whereas an independent adviser offers policies from a range of insurers.
Independent advisers can give you recommendations after assessing your needs. They are responsible to you for the advice they give, this is an important distinction to make between advised sales and non-advised sales. Whichever way you buy your private medical insurance the adviser must explain whether they are independent or not and if they are advising on a range of insurers or only one.
If you buy direct from an insurer or insurer’s agent without receiving advice, it is your responsibility to choose a policy that is right for you.
The Application Process
It is common to be asked to fill in an application form and you may be asked for information about your health. Your application, or any declaration you make to your insurer, is very important. In fact, it forms the basis of your contract with your insurer.
It is vital that you answer any questions you are asked as fully and as accurately as you can, to the best of your knowledge and belief. If you do not, your insurer may reduce your claim or refuse to pay and cancel your policy. If you are unsure whether something is important, it is best to tell your insurer. Once your application has been accepted you will be told when cover will start.
What if I change my mind?
You will have 14 days from the day you receive the policy documents to decide if the insurance is suitable for you, this is known as the “cooling off period”. During this period, you can let your insurer know that you would like to cancel your policy. You can do this within the specified time and if you have made any payments these will usually be refunded in full unless you have made a claim.
Sources
Association of British Insurers: Are you buying private medical insurance?
Disclaimer: This information is general and what is best for you will depend on your personal circumstances. Please speak with a financial adviser or do your own research before making a decision.
