How Much Does Private Health Insurance Cost in the UK?
There is no single UK average. We use Which? 2026 like-for-like quote examples and insurer-published pricing to show how age, postcode, excess and cover choices change the cost.
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How Much Does Private Health Insurance Cost in the UK?
There is no single reliable UK average. In Which?’s July 2026 quote exercise, broadly comprehensive annual cover for a healthy non-smoker in south London ranged from £932 to £1,450 at age 35 among the comparable providers in our main table. Dividing those annual premiums by 12 gives a monthly equivalent of roughly £78 to £121. At age 55, the comparable range was £1,220 to £2,274 a year, or around £102 to £190 per month.
Those figures are useful benchmarks, not a personalised quote. Which? paid the examples annually and used a specific cover specification, postcode and customer profile. Paying monthly can produce a different total price, and your own premium will depend on factors including age, postcode, excess, hospital access and outpatient cover.
2026 Private Health Insurance Prices by Provider and Age
Which? obtained the following illustrative quotes directly from provider websites in July 2026. The table below keeps the annual quote and adds a simple monthly equivalent (annual premium divided by 12) to make the figures easier to compare.
| Provider | Age 35 annual | Monthly equivalent | Age 55 annual | Monthly equivalent | Age 75 annual | Monthly equivalent |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aviva | £933* | ~£78 | £1,692* | ~£141 | £3,485 | ~£290 |
| AXA Health | £932 | ~£78 | £1,578 | ~£132 | Not available online | — |
| Bupa | £1,450 | ~£121 | £2,274 | ~£190 | £4,719 | ~£393 |
| Saga | 50+ only | — | £1,220 | ~£102 | £2,482 | ~£207 |
| The Exeter | Not included by Which? | — | Not included by Which? | — | Not included by Which? | — |
| Vitality | £1,315 | ~£110 | £2,241 | ~£187 | £4,547 | ~£379 |
| WPA | £1,298 | ~£108 | £2,210 | ~£184 | Not available online | — |
Which? methodology: illustrative single-person annual quotes obtained in July 2026 for a healthy, non-smoking customer living in south London. Which? selected full inpatient and outpatient cover, comprehensive heart and cancer cover, diagnostic tests and scans, some therapies where possible, standard hospital/specialist lists and no excess. *Aviva includes a 15% first-year discount. Bupa includes some dental and mental-health cover that could not be removed online. Vitality did not include therapies because they were unavailable through its online quote. The Exeter was not included in Which?’s 2026 pricing exercise. Source: Which? Best private health insurance 2026.
Why Westfield is separate: Which? quoted Westfield Health Level 2 at £444 a year at age 35, £816 at age 55 and £2,532 at age 75 — monthly equivalents of roughly £37, £68 and £211. However, Westfield does not cover treatment related to heart disease or cancer, so those lower premiums are not directly comparable with the comprehensive PMI specification above. See Which?’s Westfield review.
Insurer-Published 2026 Price Examples
Provider websites can add useful context, but their examples use different cover levels, excesses, locations and underwriting assumptions. They should therefore be read separately rather than ranked against each other.
Bupa
Bupa publishes UK-wide May 2026 averages for a single person with Comprehensive cover, a £500 outpatient allowance, £500 excess, Extended Choice hospital access and full cancer cover.
Bupa cost data, updated July 2026AXA Health
AXA’s worked examples are £42.05 a month at age 30 and £51.75 at age 40 in Bournemouth, using inpatient, outpatient and cancer cover, a £250 excess and the Foundation hospital network.
AXA Health 2026 cost examplesAviva
Aviva currently states that its health insurance could cost less than £48 a month. It also notes that age, location, claims history, cover choices and excess can change the price.
Aviva Health InsuranceVitality
Vitality advertises cover from £1.45 a day based on a 30-year-old in Peterborough, Full Medical Underwriting, Consultant Select, a £250 excess and £500 outpatient benefit.
Vitality price assumptionsSaga
Saga is for customers aged 50+ and offers four HealthPlans. Its own site does not publish one static like-for-like premium because the price depends on the customer and cover selected.
Saga health insurance costsWPA and The Exeter
We have not inserted a generic direct-price estimate for WPA or The Exeter because we could not verify a current insurer-published static example on an equivalent specification. Their actual quote should be compared on the same customer and cover assumptions.
No fabricated estimate used.Bupa’s 2026 UK Price Examples by Age and Smoking Status
Bupa’s own figures are useful because the cover specification stays the same while age and smoking status change.
| Age band | Non-smoker / month | Smoker / month |
|---|---|---|
| Under 30 | £25.18 | £29.73 |
| Under 40 | £31.15 | £36.34 |
| Under 50 | £44.90 | £52.38 |
| Over 50 | £66.97 | £78.13 |
| Over 60 | £102.40 | £119.47 |
| Over 70 | £172.57 | £201.33 |
Bupa says these May 2026 UK averages are based on one person with Comprehensive cover, a £500 outpatient allowance, £500 policy excess, Extended Choice hospital access and full cancer cover. They are rough example costs, not guaranteed premiums. Source: Bupa UK.
How Much Does Location Change the Price?
Bupa also publishes regional averages using the same broad specification. For a non-smoker under 40, its May 2026 examples were:
These are Bupa examples, not whole-market averages. They demonstrate why postcode can materially change a quote even when the cover specification is held broadly constant.
What Affects the Cost of Health Insurance?
Age
Age has a major impact. Bupa’s published non-smoker examples rise from £25.18 a month for under-30s to £102.40 for over-60s and £172.57 for over-70s on the stated specification.
Location
Private treatment costs vary around the UK, so postcode matters. The regional Bupa examples above show a substantial difference between England and Northern Ireland for the same age band and broad cover specification.
Excess
A higher excess generally reduces the premium because you agree to pay more towards eligible treatment when you claim. Bupa explicitly identifies excess as a pricing factor, while Vitality offers excess choices including £0, £100, £250, £500 and £1,000.
Outpatient cover
Consultations, diagnostics and therapies can materially affect the price. AXA’s published example includes outpatient cover, while Vitality’s headline example is based on a £500 outpatient benefit. Compare the limit as well as the premium.
Hospital and consultant choice
Guided or restricted hospital/consultant options can reduce cost. AXA’s worked example uses its Foundation hospital network and Vitality’s uses Consultant Select, so neither should be read as a price for unrestricted nationwide choice.
Smoking and other rating factors
Bupa’s published examples charge more for smokers across every age band shown. Other insurers use their own rating models, so the effect of lifestyle and claims history can differ by provider.
Who the policy covers
Adding a partner or children changes the premium. Family and couple pricing can also include insurer-specific discounts, so a provider that is competitive for one person may not be the cheapest for a family.
How to Reduce the Cost
The main levers are your excess, outpatient allowance, hospital or consultant choice and optional benefits. A higher excess or more guided hospital route can reduce the premium, but only choose restrictions you would be comfortable using when you claim. At renewal, compare the same cover specification across insurers before changing anything that could affect existing underwriting or ongoing treatment. Start a health insurance review if you want the current policy checked against the wider market.
Is Cheaper Always Better?
Not necessarily. The cheapest policy may not include the benefits that matter most to you, such as mental health cover, cancer treatment, or outpatient diagnostics. A proper comparison considers both price and cover level, which is what our advisers provide when you start your health insurance review.
If you are unsure whether private health insurance is worth the cost, read our guide on whether private health insurance is worth it.
If you are checking costs because your current premium has increased, review your health insurance renewal before accepting the new terms. The cheapest alternative is not always the safest move if underwriting or ongoing treatment could be affected.
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