Private health and protection insurance expert and editor
If you're looking for Bupa health insurance costs, you're in the right place. In 2024, we obtained hundreds of quotes to bring you this extensive Bupa pricing guide.
Our extensive research in 2024 found that the average cost of Bupa health insurance is currently £75.35 per month (£904.20 per year).
Please read on to learn more about the cost of Bupa health insurance in 2024.
Health insurance is a complicated financial product with many options and variables; therefore, the price of your Bupa health insurance will differ from what we share here. The costs of Bupa Health Insurance included in this article are only meant as examples.
While Bupa is undoubtedly one of the best health insurers in the UK, they're one of many, and there's a high probability that another provider may be a better fit for you. Comparing health insurance is quick and easy and is a surefire way to ensure you get the best policy and price for your circumstances.
The British United Provident Association Limited, which trades as "Bupa," is an international health insurance and healthcare group that began in the UK. Today, it has a presence in numerous countries and provides services to some 43 million customers worldwide.
Bupa is perhaps the best-known health insurance provider in the UK and, perhaps unsurprisingly, has one of the biggest customer bases, at around 2.3 million people. The company is limited by a guarantee, meaning it doesn't have shareholders and can reinvest profits.
Bupa offers two core policy types, "Treatment and Care", their entry-level option, and "Comprehensive", which gives you access to a broader care range. The independent rating agency Defaqto scored Treatment and Care three stars in 2024, and Comprehensive their maximum rating of five stars. At the time of writing, Bupa boasts an impressive Trustpilot rating of 4.3 from 26,444 reviews, as of 8th October 2024.
Please read our recent review to learn more about Bupa's private health insurance coverage.
Here's where we believe that Bupa stands out in comparison to other leading insurers:
There are many factors that will affect the cost of private health insurance, whether with Bupa or another insurer. You'll have control over many of them, such as the level of cover you opt for and the excess you set on the policy, but you won't over others, such as where you live or your age.
Here are just some of the factors that will affect the ultimate cost of your Bupa insurance:
As we mentioned at the start of this section, these are just some factors that will affect the cost of your Bupa private medical insurance. There's more, which we don't want to get into now, but suffice to say, getting advice from an independent broker before buying is vital.
Bupa offers several private health insurance discounts for people looking to join them, which we've detailed below:
If two of you apply for a policy together, you'll save 5% compared to getting two individual health insurance policies.
Families with at least two adults and one child on their health insurance benefit from a 10% discount compared to buying three individual policies.
If everyone on the private policy has a BMI between 18.5 and 24.9 and has not been treated or pre-treated for diabetes in the past two years, you'll get a 10% discount. You can use this tool on the NHS website to calculate your BMI.
Bupa offers a 15% health insurance discount to dentists, doctors, and their dependents, as long as the medical professional is the primary policyholder.
These discounts usually apply to both Bupa's Treatment and Care Health Insurance and Comprehensive plans.
While this post focuses on Bupa, it illustrates how complicated health insurance can be. If you multiply the above by 7-8 of the top providers, each with subtle differences, it's a minefield. The only way to ensure you get the best price and private health insurance policy is to get a comparison quote and speak to a health insurance broker.
Health insurance brokers compare policies daily and are in the perfect position to find the best private medical insurance provider for you. Health insurance brokers work for you, the customer, not the insurers, yet the service is free. Yes, they earn a commission if you buy a policy, but under their obligations with the Financial Conduct Authority, they have to work in your interests, not theirs.
Save up to 37%* on your insurance by comparing policies
*Based on 461 quotes between 01/22-01/23
Here are our findings based on hundreds of quotes from Bupa obtained in 2024. We examined how much they charge for their entry-level Treatment and Care health insurance and their Comprehensive cover, looking at six age groups in ten major towns and cities across the UK.
To find meaningful averages, we needed to select policy terms that we believe are typical for people looking at health insurance. We must reiterate that these terms and, therefore, the prices are just examples. You could opt for more cover options and pay a higher premium, or vice versa.
Here is how our two example plans were configured:
Our in-depth pricing research is based on hundreds of health insurance quotes from Bupa for fictional people of varying ages living across the UK. Your age plays a significant role in the cost of your Bupa health insurance; therefore, understanding the prices as you get older is vital.
The table below reveals the average cost of Bupa health insurance in 2024, broken down by policy type and age group:
As you can see, Bupa health insurance is fairly affordable, especially if you're young. However, please bear in mind that these prices are for a new policy, which comes with a substantial no-claims discount.
If you have a policy for several years and make several claims, your renewal health insurance premiums will likely be far higher than what we show here. Our recommendation - keep in touch with your broker and review your policy every year or two.
Most health insurance providers, including Bupa, charge different private health insurance prices based on where you live in the UK. The primary reason is that private medical treatment costs vary significantly around the country, but other factors, such as claim rates, also play a part.
In this section of our guide to Bupa costs, we'll share how prices varied across the towns and cities we sampled. To keep things simple, we'll look at the overall average of all age groups purely for a comprehensive policy. As a reminder, the national average for a policy, including out-patient cover and therapies, was £75.35 per month.
As our stats show, London and Birmingham have the highest monthly Bupa premiums, followed by Bournemouth and Cambridge. At the other end of the scale, Edinburgh and Cardiff are far below the national average. Leed's also fairs well, and surprisingly, prices in Manchester are also below the national average.
We don't have as much data for couples and families, but if we hear there is demand for it, we may expand this post. For now, we can provide you with example pricing based on a single location in the UK chosen randomly. Families also benefit from a 10% discount in comparison to applying individually.
As you can see, this methodology is far from perfect, and it's improbable that you and your partner are identical in age and have kids the same age, too! To reiterate, please take the following with a large pinch of salt and compare health insurance costs and providers before you buy a policy.
In this section, we share the price of a comprehensive Bupa medical insurance policy for a couple. Please note that couples save 5% compared to two individuals taking out a health insurance policy. This pricing research also has subtle differences from the research for individuals, so the two are not comparable.
Disclaimer: The pricing is merely an example based on many factors, and your premiums will undoubtedly differ.
In this section, we outline what you can roughly expect to pay for a Bupa private health insurance policy for your family, looking at both their Treatment and Care entry-level policy and their Comprehensive plan. Unlike our research into the average cost of individual plans, we haven't gone into as much depth here, but if there is demand, we can do further research in the future.
Bupa offers a couple of discounts for families to help reduce the cost of private health insurance. These are:
The cost of Bupa health insurance for a family of three is largely based on the age of the adults on the policy. The cost of adding a child is relatively nominal, especially once you factor in the 10% family discount.
The Table below outlines pricing for a couple living in Oxford, who are both the same age, and who have a 10-year-old child.
| Adults' Ages | Treatment and care (per month) | Comprehensive (per month) |
|---|---|---|
| 30-years-old | £57.29 | £82.76 |
| 40-years-old | £76.21 | £107.69 |
| 50-years-old | £109.18 | £155.78 |
| 60-years-old | £148.55 | £207.75 |
| 70-years-old | £234.76 | £323.37 |
As Bupa only charges for your eldest child, depending on your children's ages, it's likely the price of Bupa for a family of four will be the same as that for a family of three. Of course, many other factors will affect the cost of your policy, so in practice, what you pay will be different, but having more children doesn't necessarily increase the cost of your Bupa policy.
| Adults' Ages | Treatment and care (per month) | Comprehensive (per month) |
|---|---|---|
| 30-years-old | £57.29 | £82.76 |
| 40-years-old | £76.21 | £107.69 |
| 50-years-old | £109.18 | £155.78 |
| 60-years-old | £148.55 | £207.75 |
| 70-years-old | £234.76 | £323.37 |
Bupa only charges you for your eldest child, so whether you have three or six children, you should pay the same. Of course, the more people you add to a policy, the higher the probability of claims being made, which could affect your renewal premiums in the future.
| Adults' Ages | Treatment and care (per month) | Comprehensive (per month) |
|---|---|---|
| 30-years-old | £57.29 | £82.76 |
| 40-years-old | £76.21 | £107.69 |
| 50-years-old | £109.18 | £155.78 |
| 60-years-old | £148.55 | £207.75 |
| 70-years-old | £234.76 | £323.37 |
We hope you found this research and article useful. If you would like a quote for Bupa and the other leading private medical insurance market insurers, please request a comparison quote here.
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.
Chris Steele is myTribe’s resident expert in private health insurance and healthcare, with over a decade of experience in the field. As a Chartered Insurance Institute (CII) qualified professional, he has helped countless consumers navigate private medical insurance. Regularly quoted by national media, Chris is a trusted voice in the UK insurance industry, with his insights featured in leading consumer finance publications.
The average cost of a Bupa Health Insurance policy in 2024 is £75.35 per month. However, this is based on people aged 20-70 and many other variables, so the cost of your policy will be different. Please request a comparison quote to find out how much a policy will cost you.
There are several ways you can reduce the cost of Bupa health insurance. Perhaps the most important is to shop around and compare all the insurers in the market. You could also consider reducing or removing the out-patient cover or increasing your policy excess to better the prices with your health insurance provider.
Bupa is among the best health insurance companies in the UK and is undoubtedly worth your consideration. Their Comprehensive policies have a 5-star Defaqto rating and excellent customer reviews. Please bear in mind that several leading insurers are in the UK; therefore, it's always wise to compare policies before buying.
Bupa is one of the leading health insurance providers in the UK; however, others might be better for you and your circumstances.
Yes, Bupa has a network of private hospitals and clinics across the UK.
Yes, unless removed, a Bupa health insurance policy will include cancer cover. If you would like your private medical insurance policy to cover the cost of investigations and tests leading up to a diagnosis, you will need to opt for out-patient cover, too.
No, like others, Bupa won't cover pre-existing medical conditions; however, if you don't suffer from any symptoms or require treatment for the said condition for two years after taking out a policy, it will be covered.
Bupa is one of the only health insurance companies to offer mental health coverage as part of their core comprehensive policy.
Unless it is seen as reconstructive, cosmetic surgery typically isn't covered by Bupa health insurance.
Save up to 37%* on your insurance by comparing policies
*Based on 461 quotes between 01/22-01/23
