Six ways health insurance can help you to stay healthy as you age

As we get older and people are living longer, prioritising our health as we age is essential to a happy, healthy life.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) reported that people born in 2023 can expect to live until 86 for boys and 90 for girls. So with an increase in life expectancy predicted for us, how can we ensure we look after our health as we age?

Investing in health insurance can be a great way to continue living a healthy lifestyle as you age. We’re exploring six key ways health insurance can help you to age well, but first, let's look at what it is.

What is health insurance?

Health insurance is an insurance product designed to provide fast and effective private medical treatment outside of the NHS.

When you take out a policy, you and the insurer agree that should you fall ill or suffer an injury, the PMI policy will attempt to return you to the same level of health you had when you took out the policy.

Quicker access to private healthcare services is just one of the many benefits, see our top six below.

1. Quicker access to treatments

One of the most discussed benefits of health insurance is that it can give you quick access to private healthcare.

This can offer real peace of mind, especially with current circumstances within NHS, long waiting lists, lack of services available and doctor strikes.

This means you can get back on track and back to full health much quicker if you need to call on healthcare services.

Waiting a long time for treatment could mean potentially worsening conditions or spending extended periods of time living in pain or worry.

This can be a great way to get peace of mind over your health and most importantly getting you back living the life you love much quicker.

Having quick access to private healthcare can be a life saver as we age. It allows us more time to focus on our overall health and what we can do to stay on track.

Some of the most common services that you may get quicker private access to treatment for include:

• Hip replacement surgery
• Knee replacement surgery
• Cataract surgery
• Gallbladder removal surgery
• Chemotherapy
• Knee arthroscopy

2. Access to health checks

Some health insurers will give you access to a free health check or a discount for one, included in your policy.

These checks are a great way to get a deeper understanding of your health and keep yourself on track. They can help you to make informed decisions about your wellbeing and see the benefits of living a healthy, active lifestyle.

This can include a face-to-face or virtual health check, depending on your preference or what's offered by the insurer.

This is a great benefit for you as you age as it allows you to really focus on your health and what you need to do.

What's included in a health check will vary by insurer, but typically includes checks on:

• Blood pressure
• Glucose
• Body Mass Index (BMI)
• Cholesterol

Vitality offer one free health check per each policy year, which also earns you up to 240 Vitality points. 

Bupa currently offer a free mini health check worth £100 when you take out a policy between 4^th August and 30^th September 2025

The Exeter offer what they call a 'health MOT'. You’ll receive a kit once per your policy year which contains a pin prick blood test. It'll checks 20 different markers to spot any problems early on. You will receive a report in the app with the findings.

AXA Health provide a easy to use home blood test kit, which will give you important information on your cholesterol and blood sugar levels.

3. Access to a digital GP service

A digital GP service comes included with most health insurance policies. The service is a great way to get quick access to professional medical advice, follow-ups and recommendations.

Typically with a digital GP, you’ll get much quicker access to GP services and many additional great benefits, such as:

• Not needing to attend a GP surgery
• Having a phone call or video consultation from anywhere that suits you
• Quicker access, no ringing at a certain time and waiting on hold/in queues
• Using the service as many times as you need during your policy

Learn more about the benefits of digital GPs in our blog.

4. Mental health support

With a health insurance policy, you’re likely to get some sort of mental health support included.

Our mental health forms an important part of our overall health and does go hand in hand with our physical health. It's an important aspect to also look after as we age.

As we get older, we may go through different life changes or challenges that could affect our mental health, so having access to support within a policy can be a huge benefit.

Some of the mental health support you could expect from a health insurance policy includes:

• 24/7 phone helplines to talk through worries, stresses or concerns
• Video consultations focusing on anxiety and depression
• Treatment from a mental health specialist without a GP referral
• Talking therapy sessions like CBT and counselling, without GP referral

You’ll also have the option to add some mental health cover onto your policy for extra support. Cover varies from insurer to insurer, but usually includes access to in, day and out-patient treatments. 

5. Complementary and alternative therapies

You may also find that complementary and alternative therapies are included in your policy, which can be a useful resource to help you stay healthy as you age.

Some common therapies that can help include:

• Physiotherapy – helps with pain relief, improved mobility, improve movement, flexibility and strength.
• Acupuncture – used to promote physical and mental wellbeing, relieving discomfort associated with: dental pain, headaches, lower back pain and neck pain.
• Osteopathy – can detect, treat and prevent health problems. It can help with pain relief, improve posture and mobility and enhance wellbeing.
• Chiropractic care – mainly focuses on musculoskeletal health. Benefits include pain relief, better posture and stress reduction.

In some cases it may be that these are available as an optional extra, but it’s worth considering your options when speaking to an expert adviser about what’s important for you to have covered.

These all vary by insurer but is just some idea of what could be available to you to keep on top of your health as you age.

6. Rewards and discounts

Some insurers offer rewards and discounts with their policies, giving you the opportunity to continue looking after your health.

These can include discounted gym memberships to help you stay active or  product discounts to help you stay on track, such as fitness trackers.

Continuing to exercise as we age is hugely important for your overall health. Some of the benefits can include:

• Increasing your strength and mobility
• Improving your balance and coordination
• Improving your cardiovascular health
• Reducing the risk of depression and anxiety
• Improving sleep

Some insurers, like The Exeter can also offer lifestyle consultations or consultations with a registered dietician to help keep your overall health and wellbeing on track.

There are a lot of ways a health insurance policy can be beneficial and support you in staying healthy as you continue to age.

How to find a health insurance policy

It can seem overwhelming when you’re new to health insurance to know where to start, but it doesn’t have to be.

Using an independent intermediary like Usay Compare can help you to understand what options are available for you and find cover for all of your needs.

Our expert advisers offer, free, no obligation quotes, advice and recommendations to help you find the best policy for you and your needs.

There’s no pressure and you can have the opportunity to ask any questions and get all the information you need to make an informed decision.

Fill out the form below to get a quote or give us a call on: 01285 864670.