Family Health Insurance Cost Calculator UK
As an FCA-authorised expert broker that has helped arrange over 800,000 policies, WeCovr understands that protecting your family's health is a top priority. This guide provides an in-depth look at family private medical insurance (PMI) costs in the UK, helping you estimate what you might pay.
Estimate the cost of PMI for a family of three, four or more
Working out the potential cost of private health insurance for your family can feel complex. Premiums are not one-size-fits-all; they are tailored to your family's unique circumstances and the level of cover you choose.
To give you a clear starting point, we've created some estimated monthly costs for family private medical insurance in the UK. These figures are illustrative and based on non-smoking families in average-cost areas (outside Central London) with a mid-range excess of £250.
Estimated Monthly Premiums for a Family of Three
This table shows potential costs for a family with two adults and one child.
| Family Composition | Basic Cover (In-patient only) | Mid-Range Cover (In-patient & Out-patient) | Comprehensive Cover (Incl. Therapies) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 Adults (30) + 1 Child (5) | £80 - £110 | £120 - £160 | £170 - £220 |
| 2 Adults (40) + 1 Child (10) | £95 - £130 | £145 - £190 | £200 - £260 |
| 2 Adults (50) + 1 Child (15) | £130 - £180 | £190 - £250 | £260 - £340 |
Estimated Monthly Premiums for a Family of Four
This table provides estimates for a family with two adults and two children. Many insurers offer discounts or only charge for the eldest child, making cover for larger families more affordable than you might think.
| Family Composition | Basic Cover (In-patient only) | Mid-Range Cover (In-patient & Out-patient) | Comprehensive Cover (Incl. Therapies) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 Adults (35) + 2 Children (8, 5) | £110 - £150 | £160 - £210 | £230 - £290 |
| 2 Adults (45) + 2 Children (15, 12) | £140 - £190 | £200 - £270 | £280 - £370 |
| 2 Adults (55) + 2 Children (20, 18) | £180 - £240 | £260 - £350 | £360 - £480 |
Important Disclaimer: These are estimates only. Your final quote will depend on a wide range of factors, which we explore in detail below. The best way to get an accurate figure is to get a personalised quote.
What Factors Influence the Cost of Family Health Insurance?
Your final premium is a carefully calculated figure based on risk and the scope of your chosen plan. Understanding these elements empowers you to build a policy that fits both your health needs and your budget.
1. Your Family's Ages and Size
This is the most significant factor.
- Age: Older individuals have a higher statistical likelihood of needing medical treatment, so premiums increase with age. However, children's premiums are typically low and remain flat until they reach their early 20s.
- Number of people: A policy for four will naturally cost more than one for three. However, many providers offer compelling family discounts, such as insuring the first child and covering subsequent children for free.
2. The Level of Cover
This determines what treatments and services are included. Policies are generally tiered:
- Basic (or 'In-patient only'): This is the most affordable type of private health cover. It covers costs associated with a hospital stay, such as surgery, accommodation, and specialist fees. It typically does not cover the initial consultations or diagnostic tests that lead to the hospital admission.
- Mid-Range (In-patient and Out-patient): This is the most popular level of cover. It includes everything in a basic plan, plus cover for out-patient consultations, diagnostic scans (like MRI and CT), and tests needed to diagnose a condition. There is usually an annual financial limit on out-patient cover, for example, £1,000 per person.
- Comprehensive: This is the highest level of cover. It offers more extensive out-patient limits (often paid in full) and includes additional benefits like physiotherapy, osteopathy, and mental health support.
3. Policy Excess
An excess is the amount you agree to pay towards a claim. For example, if you have a £250 excess and your eligible treatment costs £3,000, you pay the first £250 and the insurer pays the remaining £2,750.
- Higher Excess = Lower Premium: Opting for a higher excess (e.g., £500 or £1,000) will significantly reduce your monthly premium.
- Lower Excess = Higher Premium: A low excess (e.g., £100 or £0) means you pay less when you claim, but your monthly cost will be higher.
Families often choose an excess of between £250 and £500 as a good balance between manageable monthly payments and an affordable contribution at the point of claim.
4. Underwriting Type
Underwriting is how insurers assess your medical history. This is a critical point to understand.
Crucially, standard UK private medical insurance is designed for new, treatable (acute) conditions that arise after you take out the policy. It does not cover pre-existing conditions or long-term (chronic) illnesses.
- Moratorium (Most Common): This is the simplest method. You don't declare your full medical history upfront. Instead, the insurer automatically excludes any condition you've had symptoms, treatment, or advice for in the last five years. If you then go two continuous years without any issues relating to that condition after your policy starts, it may become eligible for cover.
- Full Medical Underwriting (FMU): You provide a full medical history questionnaire. The insurer assesses it and permanently excludes specific conditions. This provides certainty from day one but can be more complex to set up.
5. Hospital List
Insurers group UK private hospitals into tiers, which affects your premium.
- Local List: A restricted list of private hospitals in your area. This is the cheapest option.
- National List: A comprehensive list of several hundred private hospitals across the UK, excluding the most expensive ones in Central London. This is the standard choice for most people.
- Premium / London List: Includes the top HCA hospitals in Central London, which have higher running costs. This is the most expensive option.
Choosing a national list that excludes Central London is a popular way to keep costs down without severely limiting your choice of high-quality facilities.
6. Optional Extras
You can add extra benefits to your policy for an additional premium:
- Dental and Optical Cover: For routine check-ups, treatments, and glasses/contact lenses.
- Mental Health Cover: Enhanced support for conditions like anxiety and depression, including talking therapies.
- Therapies Cover: Physiotherapy, osteopathy, chiropractic treatment, and sometimes acupuncture.
- Travel Cover: Adding European or Worldwide travel insurance to your PMI policy.
7. Your Postcode
Where you live affects your premium because the cost of private treatment varies geographically. Insurers charge more for postcodes in and around London and other major cities where hospital costs are higher.
How to Calculate Your Family's Health Insurance Cost: A Step-by-Step Guide
While only a formal quote can give you a precise figure, you can get a very good estimate by following these steps. Let's use a fictional family, the Patels, to illustrate.
The Patel Family:
- Anjali (42) and Ben (43), living in Birmingham.
- Two children, Maya (12) and Leo (8).
- They are non-smokers and in good general health.
Step 1: Decide on the Level of Cover You Need
The Patels want peace of mind that if one of them needs tests or a scan, they won't face a long wait. A basic in-patient plan isn't enough. They want cover for consultations and diagnostics.
- Decision: They opt for a Mid-Range plan with full in-patient cover and a £1,000 annual limit for out-patient diagnostics and consultations. This provides a good balance of cover and cost.
Step 2: Choose a Suitable Excess
They consider their budget. A £1,000 excess would make the premium very low, but finding £1,000 at short notice could be a stretch. A £0 excess makes the premium too high.
- Decision: They choose a £250 excess per person, per year. This keeps the monthly cost reasonable and the contribution manageable if they need to claim.
Step 3: Select a Hospital List
Living in Birmingham, they have excellent local private hospitals. They don't foresee needing treatment in Central London.
- Decision: They select a National hospital list. This gives them a wide choice of facilities across the UK, including high-quality options in Birmingham and other major cities, while avoiding the extra cost of a London-inclusive list.
Step 4: Consider Optional Extras
Ben wears glasses, and Maya might need braces soon. They ask for a quote with and without dental/optical cover. They also value mental health support.
- Decision: They decide to add mental health cover as a priority. They will handle routine dental and optical costs themselves for now to keep the premium down, but they know they can add it later if their budget allows.
Step 5: Get Quotes from a Broker
With these decisions made, the Patels are ready for an accurate quote. Instead of going to individual insurers, they use an expert broker like WeCovr. The broker takes their requirements and gathers quotes from leading UK providers like Bupa, Aviva, AXA Health, and Vitality.
The Result: The broker presents several options. For their chosen Mid-Range plan with a £250 excess, a national hospital list, and mental health cover, the quotes for the Patel family range from £210 to £280 per month.
The variation is due to differences in each insurer's specific benefits, no-claims discount structures, and introductory offers. The Patels can now compare the policies side-by-side to see which one offers the best value for their specific needs.
Is Family Health Insurance Worth the Cost?
This is a personal decision, but for many families, the value lies in peace of mind and timely access to care. According to the latest NHS England statistics, the median waiting time for consultant-led elective care was 15.3 weeks in June 2024, with hundreds of thousands waiting over a year. Private medical insurance allows your family to bypass these queues for eligible conditions.
Pros of Family PMI:
- Speed of Access: Get appointments, scans, and treatment quickly.
- Choice: Choose your specialist, consultant, and hospital.
- Comfort: Access to a private room for overnight stays.
- Advanced Treatments: Potential access to new drugs or treatments not yet available on the NHS.
- Added Benefits: Many policies include 24/7 digital GP access, mental health support lines, and wellness rewards.
- Peace of Mind: Knowing you have a plan in place if someone in your family falls ill.
Cons and Considerations:
- The Cost: It is an ongoing financial commitment.
- Exclusions: It does not cover everything. Chronic and pre-existing conditions are the main exclusions.
- Premium Increases: Premiums rise with age and can also increase if you make a claim.
- Emergencies: All emergency care (A&E) is handled by the NHS. PMI is for planned, non-emergency treatment.
Tips for Reducing Your Family's PMI Premiums
If initial quotes seem high, don't be discouraged. There are several effective ways to tailor a policy to your budget without sacrificing core protection.
- Increase Your Excess: As shown with the Patels, moving from a £250 to a £500 excess can reduce your premium by 15-25%.
- Opt for a '6-Week Option': This is a clever way to save money. If the NHS can provide the in-patient treatment you need within six weeks of it being recommended, you use the NHS. If the wait is longer, your private policy kicks in. This can lower your premium by up to 30%.
- Tailor Your Hospital List: If you don't live near London, ensure you aren't paying for a hospital list that includes its expensive facilities.
- Pay Annually: Most insurers offer a small discount (around 5%) if you pay for the year upfront.
- Review Out-patient Cover: Capping your out-patient cover at a set amount (e.g., £1,000) is much cheaper than having unlimited cover.
- Look for Family Deals: Ask your broker about insurers that offer free cover for second or third children.
- Use an Independent Broker: A specialist PMI broker like WeCovr has access to the whole market and can find the best policy for your budget. Their service is free to you, as they are paid a commission by the insurer you choose.
Beyond the Premiums: Added Value and Wellness Benefits
Modern private health cover is about more than just paying for treatment. Insurers now focus heavily on keeping your family healthy and providing everyday value.
- Digital GP: Get a video or phone appointment with a private GP, often within hours, 24/7. This is incredibly useful for busy families.
- Mental Health Support: Access to helplines, counselling sessions, and digital tools for mental wellbeing.
- Wellness Programmes: Earn rewards for being active. Providers like Vitality are famous for offering cinema tickets, coffee, and discounts on smartwatches for hitting activity goals.
- Health and Nutrition Advice: Many policies provide access to expert guidance on diet, sleep, and fitness.
With WeCovr, clients who purchase a PMI or life insurance policy also receive complimentary access to CalorieHero, our AI-powered calorie and nutrition tracking app, helping your family build healthy eating habits. Furthermore, clients can benefit from discounts on other types of insurance, providing even greater value.
The Crucial Point: What Family Health Insurance Does Not Cover
Understanding the exclusions is as important as understanding the benefits. It prevents disappointment at the point of a claim.
UK PMI does not typically cover:
- Chronic Conditions: Long-term illnesses that require ongoing management but cannot be cured. This includes conditions like diabetes, asthma, high blood pressure, and most cancers once they are diagnosed and managed long-term. PMI is for the diagnosis and acute phase of treatment.
- Pre-existing Conditions: Any illness, injury, or symptom you or your family members had before the policy started. As explained under 'Underwriting', these are usually excluded for a set period (Moratorium) or permanently (FMU).
- Emergencies: A&E visits, whether for an accident or a sudden illness like a heart attack or stroke. This is always handled by the NHS.
- Normal Pregnancy & Childbirth: Routine maternity care is not covered, though some policies will cover complications.
- Cosmetic Surgery: Procedures that are not medically necessary.
- Drug and Alcohol Abuse: Treatment for addiction is typically excluded.
Can I add a newborn baby to my family health insurance policy?
Is dental and optical cover included as standard?
What is a '6-week option' in health insurance?
Take the Next Step to Protect Your Family
Calculating the exact cost of family health insurance requires a personalised approach. By understanding the key factors, you can make informed decisions about the level of cover that's right for your loved ones.
The easiest way to find the right policy at the best price is to speak with an expert.
Why private medical insurance and how does it work?
What is Private Medical Insurance?
Private medical insurance (PMI) is a type of health insurance that provides access to private healthcare services in the UK. It covers the cost of private medical treatment, allowing you to bypass NHS waiting lists and receive faster, more convenient care.How does it work?
Private medical insurance works by paying for your private healthcare costs. When you need treatment, you can choose to go private and your insurance will cover the costs, subject to your policy terms and conditions. This can include:• Private consultations with specialists
• Private hospital treatment and surgery
• Diagnostic tests and scans
• Physiotherapy and rehabilitation
• Mental health treatment
Your premium depends on factors like your age, health, occupation, and the level of cover you choose. Most policies offer different levels of cover, from basic to comprehensive, allowing you to tailor the policy to your needs and budget.
Questions to ask yourself regarding private medical insurance
Just ask yourself:👉 Are you concerned about NHS waiting times for treatment?
👉 Would you prefer to choose your own consultant and hospital?
👉 Do you want faster access to diagnostic tests and scans?
👉 Would you like private hospital accommodation and better food?
👉 Do you want to avoid the stress of NHS waiting lists?
Many people don't realise that private medical insurance is more affordable than they think, especially when you consider the value of faster treatment and better facilities. A great insurance policy can provide peace of mind and ensure you receive the care you need when you need it.
Benefits offered by private medical insurance
Private medical insurance provides numerous benefits that can significantly improve your healthcare experience and outcomes:Faster Access to Treatment
One of the biggest advantages is avoiding NHS waiting lists. While the NHS provides excellent care, waiting times can be lengthy. With private medical insurance, you can often receive treatment within days or weeks rather than months.
Choice of Consultant and Hospital
You can choose your preferred consultant and hospital, giving you more control over your healthcare journey. This is particularly important for complex treatments where you want a specific specialist.
Better Facilities and Accommodation
Private hospitals typically offer superior facilities, including private rooms, better food, and more comfortable surroundings. This can make your recovery more pleasant and potentially faster.
Advanced Treatments
Private medical insurance often covers treatments and medications not available on the NHS, giving you access to the latest medical advances and technologies.
Mental Health Support
Many policies include comprehensive mental health coverage, providing faster access to therapy and psychiatric care when needed.
Tax Benefits for Business Owners
If you're self-employed or a business owner, private medical insurance premiums can be tax-deductible, making it a cost-effective way to protect your health and your business.
Peace of Mind
Knowing you have access to private healthcare when you need it provides invaluable peace of mind, especially for those with ongoing health conditions or concerns about NHS capacity.
Private medical insurance is particularly valuable for those who want to take control of their healthcare journey and ensure they receive the best possible treatment when they need it most.
Important Fact!
We can look at a more suitable option mid-term!
Why is it important to get private medical insurance early?
👉 Many people are very thankful that they had their private medical insurance cover in place before running into some serious health issues. Private medical insurance is as important as life insurance for protecting your family's finances.👉 We insure our cars, houses, and even our phones! Yet our health is the most precious thing we have.
Easily one of the most important insurance purchases an individual or family can make in their lifetime, the decision to buy private medical insurance can be made much simpler with the help of FCA-authorised advisers. They are the specialists who do the searching and analysis helping people choose between various types of private medical insurance policies available in the market, including different levels of cover and policy types most suitable to the client's individual circumstances.
It certainly won't do any harm if you speak with one of our experienced insurance experts who are passionate about advising people on financial matters related to private medical insurance and are keen to provide you with a free consultation.
You can discuss with them in detail what affordable private medical insurance plan for the necessary peace of mind they would recommend! WeCovr works with some of the best advisers in the market.
By tapping the button below, you can book a free call with them in less than 30 seconds right now:
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WeCovr is an insurance specialist for people valuing their peace of mind and a great service.👍 WeCovr will help you get your private medical insurance, life insurance, critical illness insurance and others in no time thanks to our wonderful super-friendly experts ready to assist you every step of the way.
Just a quick and simple form and an easy conversation with one of our experts and your valuable insurance policy is in place for that needed peace of mind!