What's the best health insurance for the over 70s?

There's often confusion about health insurance and whether health cash plans, like those from Benenden or SimplyHealth, are insurance products. To help you know the difference, here's a brief explanation:

Health insurance covers unpredictable health conditions that typically require hospital treatment or surgery. Private health insurance often extends to other services such as physiotherapy and mental health care, but crucially, it covers unpredictable health issues.

Health cash plans help you budget for routine medical expenses such as trips to the dentist, opticians, audiologists and sometimes physiotherapy. These plans aren't insurance, as they're there to cover predictable costs.

Get Health Insurance Cover That Works For You!

Our experienced health insurance brokers compare different providers and their cover options for you

Rated Excellent

on

Get a Quote

We have a detailed guide explaining why health insurance gets more expensive as we age. But in short, it's because we're at a higher risk of developing medical conditions as we age. Treatment also becomes more complicated and costly due to patients often having comorbidities* that have to be considered. Finally, recovery from treatment often takes longer, again pushing the cost of claims up for insurers.

*Comorbidities are medical conditions that coexist alongside a primary diagnosis and affect your health, including your treatment and outlook.

Some top health insurance companies have upper age limits that restrict people from joining after a certain age. Importantly, these restrictions only apply to people joining these companies. If you get a policy before you reach one of the ages listed below, you can keep it for as long as you wish.
Age limits for new members by provider:

• Aviva - no upper age limit
• Axa Health - Full medical underwriting after 75th birthday
• Bupa - no upper age limit
• National Friendly - 85 years old
• Saga - no upper age limit
• The Exeter - 80 years old
• Vitality - 80 years old
• WPA - strict joining criteria after 65th birthday

You can learn more about health insurance age limits in our dedicated guide.

All health insurance in the UK is designed to cover new, acute medical conditions that come on after taking out a policy. Basic policies will usually cover the cost of treatment in private hospitals once you are diagnosed, with more comprehensive policies including out-patient cover so that you can go private for diagnostic testing and consultations, too.

A note on cancer and mental health conditions

Both cancer and mental health conditions can share characteristics with both acute and chronic conditions. However, they are usually covered so long as you have the appropriate policy options.

While each insurer will have a list of exclusions, which is well worth looking at, the two exclusions of particular note are chronic and pre-existing medical conditions. Chronic conditions are those that require management and where a full recovery often isn't possible, for example diabetes and asthma.

Pre-existing conditions are things you've suffered from or sought treatment for in the past. With Moratorium underwriting, anything in the past five years will automatically be excluded, whereas with Full Medical Underwriting, your insurer will be more specific about your exclusions.

Comprehensive vs Basic health insurance plans

Insurance with pre-existing medical conditions

Why is health insurance so complicated?

Your underwriting options when looking at health insurance

Underwriting is the process your insurer goes through to assess the risk of insuring you, and with private medical insurance, you usually get a choice between several types, moratorium, full medical, and switch underwriting.

What is moratorium underwriting?

Moratorium underwriting is often the simplest option when getting a new policy, as your insurer will ask only a limited number of questions about your medical history. With moratorium underwriting, your insurer will usually automatically exclude any health conditions you've suffered from in past five years, including those you've had treatment for, or merely sought advice about. If you get a policy and don't experience symptoms of a previously excluded condition for two years, it'll be covered in future years.

Benefits of moratorium underwriting:

• Quick and easy, there is no need to complete a medical questionnaire.
• Enables you to regain coverage for conditions that might have previously been excluded.

What is full medical underwriting?

Full medical underwriting takes a different approach. You'll need to complete a medical questionnaire about your history of illnesses, injuries and previous conditions. Your insurer will then use that information to provide you with a list of exclusions, and you'll have the choice as to whether you'd like to continue and take out the policy, or not. Unlike moratorium underwriting, once you have exclusions on your policy from full medical underwriting, it's unlikely to be removed unless you were to negotiate it with your insurer.

Benefits of full medical underwriting:

• Gives you more clarity over what is and isn't covered by your policy.
• Can sometimes reduce premiums.
  

What is switch underwriting?

Finally, if you already have a health insurance policy and you're looking to switch to a new provider, you'll have the option to consider "switch" underwriting. With this type of underwriting, you can move to a new insurer while preserving your current list of exclusions, i.e. minimising the risk of more being added. Each insurer has different switch criteria you'll need to meet to benefit, and it won't be an option for everyone.

Benefits of switch underwriting:

• Avoid adding more exclusions to your policy when you change providers.
• Potentially save money by moving to a new insurer without significant risk.
  

What our expert says:

"Underwriting is perhaps the most important consideration when taking out health insurance, especially if you're over 70 and have had previous health concerns. Choosing the best type of underwriting for you, can be the difference between having cover for specific conditions, and not."

‍Chris Steele - Editor and private health insurance expert

Our team of private healthcare and insurance experts regularly review the market of UK health insurance companies to help you better understand how they all compare. We look at policy benefits, limits and restrictions, costs and customer satisfaction to provide a balanced view of the private healthcare market.

In 2024, our top private health insurance providers for over 70s are:

Our latest 2024 research found that the average cost of private health insurance for a 70-year-old was £141 per month for a plan without out-patient cover and £203 with out-patient cover.

These prices are purely indicative and depending on where you live, your cover options and other factors your premiums could be higher or lower.

Looking for affordable health insurance?

Request a free comparison quote, and find the cheapest health insurance for you.

Compare quotes

When you start looking at private health insurance cover there are several key considerations and decisions you'll need to make. Here we summarise some of the main ones to be mindful of, and to raise with your broker come the time you speak with one.

1. Underwriting method - as explained earlier, this is perhaps the most important consideration and one that's worth taking time to understand.
2. Hospital list or guided care - do you want almost free choice over your treatment options, or are you happy to be led by your insurer?
3. Level of cover vs. budget - your premiums will only rise as you get older, consider whether your policy will remain affordable and look at removing policy benefits if necessary.
4. Insurer reviews - many leading insurers have comparable policy benefits, but customer service and claims experience can be key differentiators.

Health insurance is a relatively complicated financial product, so we always recommend you speak with a health insurance broker or financial adviser before buying a policy and getting expert advice. They don't charge you for their service; you'll pay the same, and sometimes less than you would go direct, and you'll have an expert on hand to answer any questions you have. If you compare health insurance with myTribe, we'll introduce you to one of our highly-rated, fully vetted health insurance brokers. Each of those we work with is excellent, and we continually get glowing feedback from people about them.

Best private health insurance 2025

Best private health insurance providers based on customer reviews and our expert ratings, along with getting a better understanding of how private healthcare works.