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Insurance Expert
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.
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.
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.
While every effort is made to update the information contained in this guide, offers and discounts can be added and withdrawn by insurers at any time, therefore it is important to check with providers and brokers when you are ready to go ahead.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.
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:
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:
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.
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Here is a summary of the current discounts from Bupa:
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:
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 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.
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.
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.
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Here is a summary of the current premium discounts and membership benefits offered by Vitality:
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.
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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:
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Catherine is one of our insurance copywriting experts. With over 20 years of experience in the insurance industry, she uses this knowledge to help insurance businesses create compelling content by crafting clear, engaging articles, blog posts, and social media content that informs readers, demonstrates expertise, and builds trust.
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