Health insurance in the UK
- Private healthcare from as little as £1.45 per day 1
- Rated 5 Star by Defaqto
- Get healthy to earn rewards like Apple Watch
Join 1.9 million UK members that have insurance with us
What is private health insurance?
Health insurance provides access to private healthcare and helps cover the cost. It can cover seeing a private GP, physiotherapist or mental health professional. And covers treatment in private hospitals, as well as access to specialist drugs and ongoing care.
Anyone in the UK can still use the NHS. But private health insurance gives you quicker access to diagnosis and treatment, so you and your family can get the treatment you need, when you need it.
So, how does Vitality health insurance work?
- Pay your premium - you can pay your premium by monthly or annual Direct Debit
- See a GP if you're unwell - speak to a Vitality GP quickly. Or you can refer yourself for physiotherapy and mental health support*
- Make a claim - if you need further treatment, or to see a specialist, you can start a claim online
- We'll pay out - if your claim is approved, you can start your treatment with the peace of mind that you're covered*.
* In some circumstances, you may need to pay an excess
What are the Vitality health insurance benefits?
Stay in control of your health. Get rewarded for it too.
Talk to a Vitality GP quickly
Get an appointment fast, helping you to avoid waitlists and access the care you need quickly. You'll also be able to manage your appointments and treatment online
Choose where you're treated
You can select which local hospitals you'd like to be treated at - get the care you want at a time, and place, that suits your needs
Access specialist treatment
Including mental health support, cancer care and physiotherapy. For certain treatments, you can refer yourself without speaking to a GP
Save on top brands
At Vitality, you'll get health insurance with rewards. Access discounts on top brands. And when you get active, you'll earn points which will help you earn more rewards
A massive weight off my shoulders
I noticed that there were some significant changes in my vision of my left eye. I called Vitality - and got through straight away. From there it was all very quick. I saw consultant in London the next day. The day after I was being operated on. It was a massive weight off my shoulders.
I felt wrapped in cotton wool
I noticed a lump and I made an appointment with Vitality. It was my first experience of big claim and it was seamless. There was no stress, no anxiety and no waiting. It's a situation where you can't control anything, but I didn't have to worry. I felt like I'd been wrapped in cotton wool.
How much does health insurance cost?
The cost of health insurance varies from person to person. How much you pay for UK health insurance is based on several factors including age, location and health status.
At Vitality, our health insurance starts from £1.45 a day - or £44 a month 1. But the amount you pay depends on:
- Age - as you get older, you're more likely to claim. The cost of health insurance will take this into account
- Where you live - healthcare costs vary across the UK. For example, prices may be higher in London because treatments costs more there
- Current health and wellbeing - certain conditions and lifestyle choices are higher risk, like smoking. Your provider will use your current health status to gauge your premium price
- What your chosen excess is - with health insurance, you pay an excess when you make a claim. If you pick a higher excess, you can reduce your premiums
- Type of cover - personalising your cover by adding dependants, or extra cover will affect the cost of health insurance
What's a health insurance premium?
A health insurance premium is what you pay for your health insurance plan. You'll pay for your premium by monthly or annual Direct Debit.
Your premium will be reviewed once a year, and can change depending on:
- Your age
- If you've made a claim
- Medical inflation
To keep your premiums down, you can choose a higher excess. For most UK health insurance companies, the higher your excess, the lower your premiums will be. But make sure you can afford the excess, you'll need to pay it if you make a claim.
And with Vitality, when you get active, earn points and improve your Vitality status, you can reduce how much your premium will increase each year.
1 Price is based on the following criteria: a 35-year-old based in Peterborough, plan start date April 2025, Full Medical Underwriting, Consultant Select hospital option, £250 excess and £500 out-patient benefit and includes Insurance Premium Tax (IPT)
What do you get with our private health insurance?
You'll get all these services as part of our standard health insurance cover
Optional extras
And you can enhance your core cover with our optional add-ons
Optical, dental and hearing
Helps you to manage the costs of eye, hearing and dental care. Including emergency dental treatment and hygiene appointments, as well as eye and hearing tests
Worldwide travel insurance
Cover for unexpected travel costs. Includes access to emergency medical treatment while you're abroad and cancellation cover
Mental health cover
Full cover for Talking Therapies, including cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and counselling. And cover for up to 28 days of in-patient treatment and 28 days of day-patient treatment 2
Choose where you're treated
Choose where you receive medical treatment. Select a hospital list or pick from our panel of specialists, at a place that works best for you
Therapies Cover
Full cover for holistic treatments, including chiropractic and osteopathy treatments, acupuncture, plus up to two consultations with a dietician
Out-Patient Cover
Includes unlimited physiotherapy within our network, full cover for MRI, CT and PET scans and cover for our patient consultations, consultant appointments and diagnostic tests - such as X-rays
** Discounted cancer screenings available to members where appropriate, based on members age and gender. Members who are identified as high-risk will be encouraged to access the discounted cancer screening
2 After 56 days without in-patient or day-patient treatment, we'll fully restore your benefit limits, covering you for further episodes of care during your plan year
What does health insurance not cover?
Long-term conditions
Health insurance has been designed to cover curable conditions and does not usually cover long-term treatment.
What is considered a long-term condition?
A long-term condition, also known as a chronic condition, is a disease, illness or injury that:
- needs ongoing monitoring, tests, treatment or medication
- requires rehabilitation for you to cope with it
- continues indefinitely or is likely to come back
- has no known cure
Some example of long-term conditions would be arthritis, diabetes, hypothyroidism and multiple sclerosis (MS).
We do not consider cancer as a long-term condition. You will be fully covered for cancer with our cancer cover.
Pre-existing conditions
Most insurers don't cover pre-existing conditions. They're considered risky by insurers because you're more likely to make a claim.
You can still get private health insurance with a pre-existing condition, you just won't be able to make a claim for any care relating to that condition.
What is considered pre-existing for health insurance in the UK?
A pre-existing condition is any health issue that you had before taking out a private health insurance plan. This can include:
- Physical health conditions like broken bones
- Mental health issues like depression or anxiety
- Long-term conditions like high blood pressure or asthma
- And one-off medical events like appendicitis
How to claim health insurance
Making a health insurance claim varies depending on your insurance provider. At Vitality, you can start and manage your claim online:
- Speak to a Vitality GP or refer yourself for medical treatment
- Start your claim online through Care Hub
- Manage your claim online by booking appointments or requesting further care
You can also earn rewards for being healthy
Vitality offers health insurance with rewards. Get active. Earn points. Get great rewards.
Ready to get a quote?
It's simple, get a health insurance quote online in minutes
Want some help?
You can always get free advice from one of our qualified experts. Just call us on 0330 678 3326* or get a quote online.
Want to learn more about health insurance?
Health insurance FAQs
Important plan documents
To see the full list of exclusions and what's included in your health cover, look through our health insurance plan documents.
Health insurance plan summary (IPID) (PDF 334KB)
Health insurance plan terms and conditions (PDF 1,961KB)