TL;DR
As an FCA-authorised broker that has helped arrange over 900,000 policies, WeCovr understands the UK private medical insurance market inside and out. This guide distils the best cost-saving advice from the UK's most trusted finance bloggers, helping you secure the right private health cover without overpaying. Summarise and quote key cost-saving levers reported across top blogger guides—excess choices, hospital lists, policy bundling, and using broker services.
Key takeaways
- Premium Tier: Includes the most expensive private hospitals, often located in Central London (e.g., The Lister, The London Clinic). This list provides the most comprehensive access but comes with the highest premium.
- Standard National Tier: Offers a wide choice of private hospitals across the UK but excludes the premium-priced London facilities. This is a popular choice, balancing good access with more manageable costs.
- Local or Regional Tiers: Some insurers offer lists that focus on specific hospital groups (e.g., Nuffield Health, Spire Healthcare) or a more limited local network. These are often the most budget-friendly options.
- Guided Care Options: A newer development where the insurer guides you to a specific consultant or hospital from a pre-approved list. This 'directed' approach further reduces costs and is a growing trend for saving money.
- When you need eligible inpatient treatment, you are first referred to the NHS.
As an FCA-authorised broker that has helped arrange over 900,000 policies, WeCovr understands the UK private medical insurance market inside and out. This guide distils the best cost-saving advice from the UK's most trusted finance bloggers, helping you secure the right private health cover without overpaying.
Summarise and quote key cost-saving levers reported across top blogger guides—excess choices, hospital lists, policy bundling, and using broker services. Premiums drop if you agree to pay more per claim. Shopping around and getting advice from a specialist can also save families money on health insurance. — Martin Lewis and MoneySavingExpert
The consensus among the UK's top personal finance experts is clear: you have significant control over the cost of your private medical insurance (PMI). Rather than accepting a one-size-fits-all premium, you can adjust several key "levers" to tailor a policy to your budget. As consumer champion Martin Lewis often highlights, agreeing to pay a little more when you claim (your 'excess') can substantially lower your monthly payments. Likewise, being selective about which hospitals you can use, understanding what's truly essential in your cover, and never auto-renewing are fundamental strategies. The single most powerful tip, echoed by almost every guide, is to shop around using an independent specialist broker. They do the comparison work for you and unlock savings that are often impossible to find on your own.
Understanding Your Excess: The First Lever for Lower Premiums
One of the quickest and most effective ways to reduce your private health insurance premium is by adjusting your policy's excess.
What is an Excess?
In plain English, the excess is a fixed amount you agree to pay towards the cost of a claim before your insurer pays the rest. It works just like the excess on your car or home insurance. You typically pay it once per policy year, regardless of how many claims you make.
For example, if you have a policy with a £250 excess and receive eligible treatment costing £3,000, you would pay the first £250, and your insurer would cover the remaining £2,950.
How Excess Impacts Your Premium
The rule is simple: the higher the excess you choose, the lower your monthly or annual premium will be. By agreeing to share a small portion of the initial cost, you reduce the insurer's financial risk, and they pass those savings directly on to you.
Finance bloggers consistently flag this as a primary cost-control measure. The logic is that you are betting on your own good health. You save money every month, and only have to pay the excess in the event you need to make a claim.
Here’s an illustrative table showing how different excess levels can affect a sample premium for a 40-year-old individual:
| Excess Amount | Illustrative Monthly Premium | Potential Annual Saving (vs. £0 Excess) |
|---|---|---|
| £0 | £85 | £0 |
| £250 | £72 | £156 |
| £500 | £64 | £252 |
| £1,000 | £55 | £360 |
Expert Tip: When choosing an excess, pick an amount you could comfortably afford to pay at short notice without causing financial stress. A £1,000 excess might offer the biggest discount, but it's only a saving if you can actually pay it when you need treatment. (illustrative estimate)
Tailoring Your Hospital List for Significant Savings
Not all hospitals cost the same. Where you choose to be treated has a major impact on your private medical insurance UK premium. Insurers group hospitals into 'lists' or 'tiers', usually based on cost, with central London hospitals being the most expensive.
How Hospital Lists Work
Insurers negotiate rates with hospital groups across the country. By opting for a more restricted hospital list, you can achieve substantial savings.
The typical tiers are:
- Premium Tier: Includes the most expensive private hospitals, often located in Central London (e.g., The Lister, The London Clinic). This list provides the most comprehensive access but comes with the highest premium.
- Standard National Tier: Offers a wide choice of private hospitals across the UK but excludes the premium-priced London facilities. This is a popular choice, balancing good access with more manageable costs.
- Local or Regional Tiers: Some insurers offer lists that focus on specific hospital groups (e.g., Nuffield Health, Spire Healthcare) or a more limited local network. These are often the most budget-friendly options.
- Guided Care Options: A newer development where the insurer guides you to a specific consultant or hospital from a pre-approved list. This 'directed' approach further reduces costs and is a growing trend for saving money.
Choosing a list that excludes expensive hospitals you are unlikely to use is a smart financial move. If you live in Manchester, you probably don't need cover for a top-priced hospital in Chelsea.
An expert PMI broker like WeCovr can be invaluable here. We can instantly check which hospitals are near your home and workplace and match you with an insurer whose list provides the access you need at the lowest possible price.
The 6-Week Wait Option: A Smart NHS-Integrated Approach
The "6-week wait" option is one of the most significant cost-saving levers you can pull, reducing premiums by as much as 20-30%. It's a pragmatic choice that leverages the strengths of both the NHS and the private sector.
How Does It Work?
It’s beautifully simple. If you add the 6-week wait option to your policy:
- When you need eligible inpatient treatment, you are first referred to the NHS.
- If the NHS waiting list for that treatment is longer than six weeks, your private medical insurance policy kicks in, and you can be treated privately straight away.
- If the NHS can treat you within six weeks, you use the NHS for your care.
You are effectively using your PMI as a safety net to bypass long waiting lists, rather than replacing the NHS entirely. Given the pressures on the health service, this can be a very powerful tool.
According to the latest NHS England data (e.g., figures from late 2024 often show a median wait of over 14 weeks for consultant-led treatment), the probability of the NHS wait time exceeding six weeks for many procedures is high. This makes the 6-week option a calculated and often rewarding choice for many people.
This option is perfect for those who are happy to use the NHS for routine matters but want the peace of mind that they can access prompt treatment for more serious issues if the health service is facing delays.
A Crucial Reminder: What UK Private Medical Insurance Doesn't Cover
Before going further, it is vital to understand the fundamental purpose of private medical insurance in the UK. Finance bloggers and regulators alike stress this point to avoid disappointment at the point of claim.
Standard UK PMI is designed to cover new, short-term, curable medical conditions that arise after your policy has started. These are known as acute conditions.
PMI is NOT designed to cover:
- Pre-existing Conditions: Any disease, illness, or injury for which you have had symptoms, medication, advice, or treatment before your policy began. Most policies exclude these for a set period or entirely.
- Chronic Conditions: Long-term illnesses that cannot be cured but can be managed, such as diabetes, asthma, high blood pressure, or certain types of arthritis. The NHS provides ongoing management for these conditions.
Other standard exclusions typically include routine pregnancy, cosmetic surgery, and treatment for addiction. Always read your policy documents carefully.
Demystifying Policy Options: Do You Need Full Outpatient Cover?
Your core PMI policy will always cover inpatient and day-patient treatment (care that requires a hospital bed). However, the level of outpatient cover you choose is a major driver of your premium.
Outpatient services include:
- Specialist consultations
- Diagnostic tests (like MRI scans, blood tests, X-rays)
- Physiotherapy
You can choose from several levels of outpatient cover:
| Level of Outpatient Cover | Description | Impact on Premium |
|---|---|---|
| Full Cover | No annual limit on the cost of consultations or diagnostics. | Highest Premium |
| Capped Cover | Your cover for outpatient services is limited to a set amount per year (e.g., £500, £1,000, or £1,500). | Medium Premium (significant savings) |
| No Outpatient Cover (Diagnostics Only) | You use the NHS for initial consultations but can use your PMI for expensive scans like MRI/CT/PET if referred by a specialist. | Lower Premium |
| No Outpatient Cover | You rely entirely on the NHS for all consultations and diagnostics. Your PMI only covers inpatient care. | Lowest Premium |
Many finance bloggers suggest that capping outpatient cover is a sweet spot. A limit of £1,000 is often enough to cover the consultations and tests needed to diagnose most conditions, giving you fast answers while saving you a significant amount on your premium compared to a 'full cover' policy.
Leveraging a Specialist Broker: The 'Shop Around' Superpower
If there is one piece of advice that unites all UK finance experts, from Martin Lewis to smaller specialist bloggers, it's this: do not buy private health cover without comparing the market via an independent broker.
Going direct to an insurer is like visiting one supermarket and accepting their price. Using a broker is like having a personal shopper who checks the prices and special offers in every supermarket for you, for free.
Benefits of using a specialist PMI broker like WeCovr:
- Whole-of-Market Access: We compare policies from all the UK's leading providers, including Aviva, Bupa, AXA Health, and Vitality, as well as specialist insurers you may not have heard of.
- Expert Guidance: We don't just find the cheapest price; we find the best value. Our experts help you pull the right levers—adjusting your excess, hospital list, and outpatient cover—to create a policy that fits your exact needs and budget.
- Time-Saving: A single 10-minute call with one of our advisors replaces hours of tedious research and form-filling on multiple websites.
- No Cost to You: Our service is completely free for you to use. We are paid a commission by the insurer you choose, which is already built into the premium, whether you buy direct or through a broker.
- Annual Review Service: We don't just help you once. At renewal, we'll proactively re-broke the market for you to combat 'premium creep' and ensure you're always on the best deal.
Policy Bundling and Embracing Wellness for Extra Value
Family and Partner Discounts
Insurers often provide discounts for adding a partner or children to a policy compared to the cost of separate individual plans. If you and your partner are both considering cover, always get a quote for a joint policy. This not only simplifies administration but can also unlock savings.
Furthermore, at WeCovr, we can often provide additional discounts if you take out other forms of cover, such as life insurance, alongside your PMI policy. This bundling approach can lead to even greater overall savings.
Wellness Programmes and Added Benefits
Modern private health cover is about more than just treatment. The best PMI providers now include comprehensive wellness programmes designed to help you stay healthy. These often include:
- Discounted gym memberships and fitness trackers.
- Rewards for being active (e.g., free cinema tickets, coffee).
- Access to virtual GP services, often 24/7.
- Mental health support lines and apps.
- Discounts on healthy food.
These benefits can provide hundreds of pounds in real-world value each year. When comparing policies, don't just look at the premium—look at the total value proposition.
As part of our commitment to our clients' health, WeCovr provides complimentary access to CalorieHero, our proprietary AI-powered calorie and nutrition tracking app, helping you stay on top of your health goals every day.
Do I have to have a medical exam to get private health insurance?
What is a chronic condition and why isn't it covered by PMI?
Can I switch my health insurance provider if I find a cheaper deal?
Is it cheaper to get private medical insurance for my whole family on one policy?
Ready to put these cost-saving strategies into action?
The key to unlocking the best value in private medical insurance is expert, independent advice. At WeCovr, our friendly team can compare the UK's leading insurers in minutes, helping you tailor a policy that delivers the protection you need at a price you'll love.
Get your free, no-obligation PMI quote from WeCovr today and discover how much you could save.
Sources
- Office for National Statistics (ONS): Mortality, earnings, and household statistics.
- Financial Conduct Authority (FCA): Insurance and consumer protection guidance.
- Association of British Insurers (ABI): Life insurance and protection market publications.
- HMRC: Tax treatment guidance for relevant protection and benefits products.










