When looking for a health insurance policy, whether for the first time or at renewal stage, it can be confusing to know where to start.
We’re exploring everything the leading UK health insurance providers have to offer with their policies.
When it comes to finding health insurance, we always recommend comparing policies to be sure you find the best policy at the best price.
Using an intermediary like Usay Compare takes all the hard work out of comparing for you, making sure you understand the full ins and outs and have confidence in your policy.
Who are the UK’s leading health insurers?
There are several health insurance providers in the UK. Usay Compare work with all the leading insurers.
You can expect policies to be compared from, Aviva, AXA, Bupa, Freedom Health Insurance, The Exeter, Vitality and WPA.
Whilst most insurers have similar offerings in terms of core cover, and optional add-ons, we’re exploring the differences with each insurer and what’s on offer.
Take a look below for our overview and key highlights of each policy. For full details of policies, check out the individual insurer pages or have a free consultation with one of our expert advisers.
Aviva Health Insurance
Aviva health insurance policies will include core cover that comes as standard, along with optional extras you can add-on to enhance your cover. They also have a range of benefits and rewards available.
Aviva Core Cover
With an Aviva health insurance policy, core cover includes:
- Outpatient treatment, including: CT, MRI and PET scans, pre-admission tests and surgical procedures
- Inpatient and day patient treatment, including: hospital charges, accommodation and meals, specialist fees and diagnostic tests
- NHS hospital cash benefit when receiving treatment in an NHS hospital
- £100 bonus for each baby birthed or adopted whilst a policy is in place
- Home nursing where necessary
- Parent accommodation when a child 15 years old or younger is receiving treatment
- Up to two speech therapy sessions for each child covered on the policy
Aviva Optional Extras
Aviva also offer optional extras to enhance your policy, these include:
- Options that reduce the outpatient cover and the premium from that of the core cover, these can be capped at £0, £500 or £1,000.
- Dental treatment due to an accident, routine dental treatment and optical cover
- Added mental health cover, covering you for inpatient and day patient treatment, accommodation and nursing costs for up to 28 days
- Additional cover of up to 10 sessions combined total per condition with physiotherapist, chiropractor, osteopath or acupuncturist, if referred by your GP
Aviva Discounts and Rewards
There are also a number of benefits that come with an Aviva Health Insurance policy. These benefits can help to support towards a healthy lifestyle and include:
- Unlimited 24/7 digital GP service
- Discounts on lifestyle products and access discounts at over 4,000 health & fitness clubs as well as at-home fitness products and online workouts
- A digital wellbeing tool ‘MyHealthCounts’ that encourages and supports a healthy lifestyle
- 24/7 stress counselling helpline
AXA Health Insurance
AXA are another leading health insurance provider in the UK. They provide core cover, optional extras and a range of benefits and discounts to their customers.
AXA Core Cover
With an AXA Health Insurance policy, as standard you can expect:
- Inpatient and day patient treatment, including: full hospital fees, specialist fees, diagnostic tests, CT, MRI and PET scans and physiotherapy
- Outpatient treatment including: CT, MRI and PET scans, as well as no yearly limit on surgery
- Comprehensive cancer cover, including: Diagnostic surgery, CT, MRI and PET scans, chemotherapy/radiotherapy.
- NHS hospital cash benefit - A cash payment of £50 a night up to £2,000 a year when you have in-patient treatment free on the NHS
- Home nursing and private ambulance when medically necessary
- Parent accommodation for one parent staying in hospital with their child covered by the policy
- Six sessions of speech therapy for a child aged 14 and under
- Free cover on your plan for new-borns until your renewal date
AXA Optional Extras
You could enhance your AXA Health Insurance policy with:
- Full outpatient cover, which includes no yearly limit on specialist consultations
- Therapies cover, which adds cover for out-patient treatment by physiotherapists, acupuncturists, osteopaths and chiropractors with no yearly limit on fees
- Extended mental health cover to treatment as inpatient or day patient. Also includes psychiatric treatment
- Dentist fees – up to 80% of costs up to £400 each year
- Up to £25 a year towards the cost of an eye test
- European or worldwide travel cover
AXA Rewards and Benefits
- 24/7 access to their digital GP service – Doctor@Hand
- 24/7 access to a health support line
- 40% off gym memberships at Nuffield Health or Hussle Monthly+
- 25% off health assessments
Bupa Health Insurance
Bupa are a leading health insurance provider in the UK. With policies designed to suit your individual needs.
Bupa Core Cover
- Inpatient treatment including: hospital charges, surgeons/anaesthetics/specialist consultants fees, all tests and scans such as MRIs, X-rays, PET scans and CT scans
- Outpatient treatment including: all eligible outpatient treatment in full up to your chosen limit. You’ll also get out-patient therapies such as physiotherapy for eligible treatment
- Home treatment for certain eligible treatments
- Private ambulance when medically necessary
- Parent accommodation when staying in hospital with a child covered on the policy under the age of 17
- Dental care – Bupa policies include one Bupa Dental Care appointment every year, for everyone on your policy. Everyone covered on the policy has a £300 allowance each towards restorative treatments, which includes things like crowns, fillings or bridges
Bupa Rewards and Benefits
- 40% off Hussle Monthly+ membership
- 20% off Fitbit products
- 20% off health assessments
Freedom Health Insurance
Having a policy with Freedom Health Insurance keeps your future health covered, with a range of options available.
Freedom Health Insurance Core cover
- Inpatient and day patient treatment, including: all hospital fees, specialist fees and MRI, CT and PET scans on specialist referral
- Digital GP service
- NHS cash benefit when receiving inpatient treatment at an NHS hospital
- Cancer cover including diagnosis, monitoring, monitoring, surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, genetic testing and targeted therapies
- Home nursing where medically necessary
- Private ambulance where medically necessary
- Parent accommodation when accompanying a child under 18 years of age
- Certain dental surgical procedures are covered
Freedom Health Insurance Optional Extras
- Outpatient cover, for diagnostic tests requested by a GP, for up to £750 when using a hospital within the policy cover
- Alternative therapies when referred by a GP or medical specialist for acupuncture, osteopathy, podiatry and homeopathy
- Treatment of acute mental or psychiatric illness as an outpatient
- Dental costs, accidental dental injury, optical costs and private GP costs
The Exeter Health Insurance
A policy with The Exeter comes with standard core cover, optional extras and great benefits to support your health and wellbeing.
The Exeter Core Cover
- Unlimited inpatient and day patient treatment, no limits for in-patient and day patient treatment.
- Outpatient surgery, including CT, MRI and PET scans
- Complete cancer cover, cover for all stages of cancer with access to the latest drugs and treatments
- NHS cash benefit for eligible treatment at an NHS hospital
- Home nursing where medically necessary
- Private ambulance where medically necessary
- Parent accommodation if your child aged 18 or under requires treatment in hospitals
- Post-operative physiotherapy where required
The Exeter Optional Extras
- Outpatient cover for specialist consultation fees, diagnostic tests such as X-rays, ECGs and pathology test
- Therapy treatments including: physiotherapy, osteopathy, acupuncture and speech therapy
- Mental health cover for inpatient, day patient and outpatient
The Exeter Rewards and Benefits
The Exeter offer an extensive list of benefits for their members.
- Unlimited digital GP appointments
- Up to six consultations with a physiotherapist
- Up to six consultations for mental health support
- Up to six registered dietician consultations
- Up to six lifestyle consultations
- Up to six nutrition consultations
- An annual health MOT
All of the above benefits are per policy year.
Vitality Health Insurance
Vitality Health Insurance policies come with core cover as standard, a range of optional extras to enhance your policy and a vast amount of rewards and benefits.
Vitality Core Cover
- Inpatient and day patient treatment, including: hospital fees, consultant fees, diagnostic tests and MRI, CT and PET scans
- NHS hospital cash benefit when receiving treatment at an NHS hospital
- Full cover for outpatient surgery
- Comprehensive cancer cover
- £100 childbirth cash benefit for each child, when you’ve had the plan for at least 10 months
- Home nursing when medically necessary
- Private ambulance when medically necessary
- Parent accommodation when a child under 14 is receiving treatment
- Oral surgery for specific procedures
- Pregnancy complications
- Up to 8 sessions of talking therapies
Vitality Optional Extras
- In addition to the outpatient surgery covered in full in the core cover, you can add this benefit on to include: consultations, consultants' fees, out-of-network physiotherapy and diagnostic tests such as blood tests and x-rays will be covered to the chosen cover limit
- Full cover for outpatient diagnostics can be added so that out-patient diagnostic tests, such as blood tests and x-rays, are covered in full
Vitality Benefits and Rewards
Vitality health insurance offer a wide range of rewards and benefits for their customers, with a good rewards programme.
Track your weekly step count, workouts or gym visits to get points, points can the result in the following benefits:
- Caffe Nero discounts, discounted cinema tickets and free meals
- Up to 50% off health screenings/checks
- 50% off Virgin Active or Nuffield Health gym memberships
- Discounted Apple Watch
Rewards with Vitality also include:
- Up to 50% off health screenings/checks
- 50% off Virgin Active or Nuffield Health gym memberships
- Discounted Apple Watch
WPA Health Insurance
WPA are a leading insurer in the UK, offering policies designed to suit your needs and requirements.
WPA Core Cover
- Inpatient and day patient treatment including: hospital fees, consultation fees, diagnostic tests and MRI, CT, PET scans and therapy
- Outpatient treatment, with core cover contributing £250 towards costs for MRI, CT and PET scans
- Digital GP services
- Telephone counselling
- NHS hospital cash benefit if you receive eligible treatment in an NHS hospital
- Home nursing for up to 4 weeks where medically necessary
- Private ambulance where medically necessary
WPA Optional Extras
- Extra outpatient cover, for a limit of your choice
- Cancer care for inpatient and outpatient and tests and treatments
- Overseas emergency treatment
- Dental emergencies and dental injuries
- Mental health treatment
WPA Rewards and Benefits
- 24/7 health and wellbeing helpline
- Mental health support
- Structured counselling
- Health & wellbeing hub
There’s a lot to take in when looking for health insurance and comparing options. That’s why using a health insurance intermediary like Usay Compare can help.
They take the hard work out of comparing policies, using comparison technology and expert knowledge to find the best policy for your needs at the best price. And its free.
They’ll set up the policy for you, make sure you fully understand your cover and have full confidence in your policy.
To find out what health insurance options are available, get in touch with our expert team for a free, no obligation consultation on: 01285 864670