Private health and protection insurance expert and editor
As a single parent, finding time for yourself, let alone that to review private health insurance policies, is a push at best. With several top providers, each with their policies, options and benefits, you’ll be forgiven for being put off before you even get started. We’ve created this guide to help you quickly find the right policy for you and your family, and we’ve even included some example costs, so you’ll know what a policy will roughly cost.
There’s an awful lot of pressure on the shoulders of single parents; you’re a one-stop shop for everything your children need, not to mention taking care of bringing money in and keeping everything on track. For many, being unwell isn’t an option. Or at least not one that bears thinking about. Private health insurance gives you the best chance of getting better as soon as possible, so you can get back to spinning all those plates and your children and concentrate on being children.
Whether it is for an individual, family, or business, private health insurance gives those who are covered access to private healthcare services in the UK. A basic policy will only cover you to treat conditions that require an overnight stay in hospital with more comprehensive policies, including outpatient treatments. Many of the leading providers will also give you the option to add enhanced mental health cover, routine dental, optical cover, and even complementary therapies. Arguably the primary reason many people take out private medical insurance (PMI) is that it allows you to be seen and treated faster than via the NHS.
This guide aims to provide you with a valuable amount of information about health insurance for single parents, but if you are looking for the answer to a specific question, please click one of the links below to scroll to that section.
All health insurance policies will cover you to treat acute conditions that require an overnight stay in hospital (inpatient), with many also including day-patient treatments. While you’re in a hospital, any scans and tests will be included, as will the cost of consultant fees. If you opt for a comprehensive policy, you and your children will also be covered for outpatient diagnostics and treatments.
Health insurance won’t cover chronic conditions, meaning those that can’t be cured and require ongoing management. Your policy also won’t cover you for any pre-existing medical conditions. However, with moratorium underwriting, those conditions will be added to the policy if you don’t suffer any symptoms in two years. Your policy also won’t cover you for emergency services, and while some include private GPs, not all do, so you will still need the NHS.
No, it doesn’t cost much to add children to a health insurance policy; it’s the adults who attract more significant fees. So, put it this way, you’re saving by being a single parent!
There are four or five top providers of health insurance in the UK, each of which have highly rated products. Seeing as this section is about the best health insurance for single parents and their children, we’re going to focus on comprehensive policies and only those with a Defaqto five-star rating in 2022. The best providers are, in no particular order:
Bupa is perhaps one of the first insurers that comes to mind when you think of health insurance in the UK, and with good reason. Established some 80 years ago, Bupa today provides health insurance to millions of people. We’ve created a guide that reviews Bupa in detail, so please click the link if you’re keen to learn more.
Bupa By You is their Defaqto five-star rated comprehensive private medical insurance policy that includes all of the following and more:
Another household name, but perhaps not one immediately springs to mind when you think of health insurance, is Aviva. Alongside their significant range of insurance policies, Aviva’s Healthier Solutions stands out as one of the best in the market. Indeed, it attracted a five-star Defaqto rating for 2022. If you want to learn more about Aviva’s offering, please click here to read our Aviva health insurance review.
Here’s just some of what is included in Aviva’s flagship policy:
With a history spanning over 80 years, Axa is another well-known insurer on our list of the best in the UK. Renowned for their high levels of customer service and competitive pricing for even their most comprehensive policies, they are rightfully seen as one of the best you can choose. Similarly to the other providers in this guide, we’ve created another article reviewing Axa PPP; click the link to read it. Axa PPP is a provider that many of our customers opt for, owing to their excellent policies and pricing, especially for families.
Here is what you can expect from an Axa PPP Personal Health policy:
With its highly recognisable bright pink livery, Vitality is another top provider for family health insurance and is well suited for both single parents and their children. With a unique approach to both health and life insurance, one that rewards healthy living among its members, Vitality is perhaps one of the more innovative insurers we’ve included here. If you would like to find out more about the company and their insurance policies, please read our Vitality health insurance review, which will cover everything you need to know.
This is what’s included in their market-leading Personal Healthcare policy:
As we’ve already mentioned, the fact you’re a single parent is a plus when it comes to health insurance, as it’s the adults on the policy who tend to cost more to cover!
Several factors will determine the cost of your policy; some you will have control over, others you won’t. Here are just some examples:
The difficulty with health insurance is that there are so many factors that affect the price it’s impossible to predict which provider and, indeed, the policy will be best for you. If you would like accurate pricing and compare all top providers, please request a quote or call us.
As we’ve mentioned, there are a significant number of factors that will affect the cost of your health insurance, so we can only give you a very rough idea of what one might cost. In this section, we’ve done some research to provide you with what you can expect to pay, with the only difference between quotes being the age of the adult and the number of children added to the policy.
For these examples, we’ve based the quotes on the applicants living in Oxford and opting for a comprehensive policy with a £250 excess, and children added to the policy will be under 15.
To reiterate, the pricing provided in this section of our guide are merely examples; the price you pay will be different, so please request a comparison quote to find out how much a policy will cost you.
In this section, we’ve excluded children from the policy, so these are the prices just for one adult living in Oxford and based on the other preset factors we’ve already mentioned.
*Please note that these prices are based on a fictitious person and are only intended as a guide. The price you pay will be different.
In this section, we’ve added one child under the age of 15 to the policy, with everything else being the same.
*Please note that these prices are based on fictitious people and are only intended as a guide. The price you pay will be different.
In this section, we’ve added two children, both under the age of 15, to the policy, with everything else being the same.
*Please note that these prices are based on fictitious people and are only intended as a guide. The price you pay will be different.
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.
As a single parent, you’ll know how important it is that you’re fit, healthy and able to look after your children. While the NHS provides a brilliant service, it is no secret that it is under incredible strain and waiting lists for routine operations and other vital services are the longest they’ve ever been. Therefore, considering health insurance might be wise, so you can access the best medical services, and crucially quickly when you need them.
No, in fact, as insuring adults costs significantly more than children, you’ll save money in comparison to couples with kids.
While some insurers would offer you health insurance just for your children, we’d recommend that you consider taking it out for yourself too, as arguably keeping you fighting fit is as important as looking after your children.
Children are only included on private health insurance policies if you specifically add them. Being that cover is relatively inexpensive for children, it’s usually worthwhile to add them to your policy so that they can enjoy the same benefits as you.
Save up to 37%* on your insurance by comparing policies
*Based on 461 quotes between 01/22-01/23
