- Private healthcare from £1.25 per day
- Rated 5 Star by Defaqto
- Get healthy to earn rewards like Apple Watch
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Top-rated medical insurance for when you need it most
- Why Vitality
- Rewards
- What's covered
- How it works
- FAQs
What is health insurance?
Health insurance gives you access to private healthcare and helps cover the cost. It's also known as private health insurance or private medical insurance.
Consider private health insurance if you want to:
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See a private GP. And avoid lengthy GP and hospital waiting lists
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Get diagnosed and treated quickly
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Access specialist drugs and treatments
Need some advice?
Call us on 0808 291 6913*
Or
Request a callback
* Call centre opening hours: Monday to Thursday 9am - 8pm, Friday 9am - 6pm,
Saturday 10am - 2pm, Sundays closed.
Why Choose Vitality health insurance?
Stay in control of your health. Get rewarded for it too.
Private treatment and support
Fast access to specialist health care – like mental health support and physiotherapy
Manage your health yourself
Access private healthcare simply online – you can see a GP, book treatment and more
Save on top brands
Enjoy benefits and discounts on top brands. Earn rewards when you get active
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Earn rewards for being healthy
It's so easy. Buy a private health insurance plan. Get active. Earn points. Get great rewards.
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What's included in our health insurance?
Our health insurance plan covers the following as standard:
Optional extras
You can boost your health insurance plan with these optional extras
Optical, hearing and dental
Cover that helps pay for eye, hearing and dental care
Worldwide travel insurance
Access emergency medical treatment while you're abroad. Also includes certain pre-trip vaccinations
Mental Health Cover
Extra cover for mental health conditions as a day-patient or in-patient
Choose where you're treated
Choose where you receive medical treatment. Select a hospital list or pick from our recommended panel of specialists
Therapies Cover
Covers chiropractic and osteopathy treatments. Plus consultations with a dietician
Out-Patient Cover
Includes extra physiotherapy, specialist consultations and medical tests - such as MRI and CT scans
More about your cover options
What's not covered
Some examples of exclusions:
Long-term conditions
Like diabetes and asthma, which require routine treatment
Pre-existing conditions
Conditions you have before you buy your health insurance plan
Important plan documents
To see the full list of exclusions and what’s included in your health cover, take a look through our health insurance plan documents.
Health insurance plan summary (IPID) (PDF 334KB)
Health insurance plan terms and conditions (PDF 1,961KB)
How does private health insurance work?
You can do it all on your phone.
1 Pay for your health cover every month
You can pay this by Direct Debit.
2 See a GP or contact us if you’re unwell
This can either be your NHS GP or a private GP, like Vitality GP. For certain conditions you can also refer yourself directly to us.
3 Make a claim
If you need to see a specialist or get treatment, you can make a claim online.
4 We pay the bill
If your medical insurance claim is approved, you can receive treatment and we’ll pay the bill. In some circ*mstances, you may need to pay your excess.
How much does private health insurance cost?
Our health insurance starts from £1.25 a day. How much you pay is mostly based on your:
- Age
- Where you live
- Current health and wellbeing – like if you smoke
- What your chosen excess is – the higher your excess, the lower your premium
- Cover options – if you opt for additional cover
- If you add dependants to your plan
- Hospital access choice – where you want to be treated.
More about health insurance premiums
How to make a health insurance claim
Already a member?Filing a claim on your health insurance plan is simple.You can submit a claim online if you have received treatment from a private GP or therapist.
Learn how to make a claim
Health insurance FAQs
Private medical insurance works alongside the NHS. It focuses on providing quicker access to treatment, with more choice about who treats you, and where.Private healthcare is paid for - usually through a private health insurance plan financed by yourself or your employer.
Anyone with private healthcare policy can still use all services offered by the NHS.
This depends on your individual circ*mstances. It’s worth considering private health insurance if you:
- Can afford to pay monthly premiums (our core coverstarts from £1.25 a day)
- Want quick access to healthcare
- Want to ensure you are protected from any sudden, large private medical bills.
You’ll also need to be able to afford the monthly premiums. This is what you pay each month to stay covered by your private health insurance plan. Our core cover starts from £38 a month.
Yes, you can add your husband, wife or partner, and your children to your health insurance plan.
Additionally, you can refer a friendfor Vitality health insurance - you’ll both be rewarded if they sign up*.
*Your friend will need to take out a health or life plan directly from Vitality - and paid premiums for three months. For the full offer details, read the terms and conditions.
No. If you don't have any pre-existing medical conditions, you just need to:
- Give the insurer your personal details
- Pick your level of cover
- Answer some basic questions.
If you do have a pre-existing condition, the insurer may need additional information from your GP.
Pre-existing health conditions aren't usually covered under Vitality’s private health insurance. This tends to be the same for most insurance providers across the UK. Please check with your provider for more information.
You can still get private medical cover with a pre-existing condition - you just won’t be able to make a claim for any care relating to that condition. Instead, you will need to carry on seeking treatment from the NHS for your pre-existing medical condition.
There is not typically an age limit for taking out private medical insurance. But this can vary depending on the insurer.
Your age is one of the factors used to determine the cost of your private health insurance premium. The older you are, the more expensive your plan is likely to be.
This will vary depending on your insurance provider. Vitality offers worldwide travel insurance as an add-on to its core private health insurance cover. Worldwide travel insurancegives you access to emergency medical treatment while you're abroad.
The cost of private medical care varies depending on the consultant, hospital, and treatment. For example, a hip replacement done privately costs on average £15,000 (Vitality data, 2020).
You can manage the costs of private healthcare with private medical insurance. By paying a monthly premium, you can access private healthcare more affordably.
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. It’s reviewed once a year and can change, depending on your age and if you make a claim. Your insurance premium also includes Insurance Premium Tax (IPT).
To keep your monthly premiums down, you can choose private medical cover with a higher excess.The higher the excess, the lower the premiums. This is the same with most insurers.However, this will mean that if you do need to make a claim, the amount you will have to pay upfront will be higher. Learn more about how you can control your costs.
With our core cover, you can help reduce the amount your premium will increase at renewal. To do this, engage in our Vitality Programme to earn points and improve your Vitality status. Learn more about health living rewards.
Yes, your premium will change each year based on your age, claims history and medical inflation. The amount you’ve claimed also affects your premium.
If you don’t make any insurance claims, your premium will only rise in line with age and medical inflation.
Learn more about how your health insurance premium is calculated.
Want to learn more about health insurance?
Read some of our popular guides.
See all our health guides
