TL;DR
As an FCA-authorised expert broker that has helped arrange over 900,000 policies, WeCovr understands that navigating the world of private medical insurance (PMI) in the UK can be complex. For growing families, one question looms large: how much does it really cost to add everyone to a policy? This guide breaks it down.
Key takeaways
- The Main Member: The policy is priced based on the oldest adult's age and health profile. This person is the primary policyholder.
- Adding a Partner: A second adult is usually added at a slightly lower rate than the main member, reflecting a joint policy discount.
- Adding the First Child: This is often the most significant cost increase after adding a partner. The premium for the first child can sometimes be 50-70% of an adult's premium.
- Adding Subsequent Children: Here's where the real savings kick in. Many leading UK insurers offer substantial discounts for additional children. Some even offer cover for the second, third, and any subsequent children for free.
- Lower Risk: While children get sick, their medical needs are often less complex and costly than those of adults. They are far less likely to require major surgeries like hip replacements or extensive cancer treatment.
As an FCA-authorised expert broker that has helped arrange over 900,000 policies, WeCovr understands that navigating the world of private medical insurance (PMI) in the UK can be complex. For growing families, one question looms large: how much does it really cost to add everyone to a policy? This guide breaks it down.
How adding multiple dependants changes your PMI bill
Adding dependants to a private medical insurance policy isn't a simple multiplication exercise. You don't just take the cost for one adult and multiply it by the number of family members. Insurers use a more nuanced approach, which often works in your favour, especially if you have several children.
Here's the typical structure:
- The Main Member: The policy is priced based on the oldest adult's age and health profile. This person is the primary policyholder.
- Adding a Partner: A second adult is usually added at a slightly lower rate than the main member, reflecting a joint policy discount.
- Adding the First Child: This is often the most significant cost increase after adding a partner. The premium for the first child can sometimes be 50-70% of an adult's premium.
- Adding Subsequent Children: Here's where the real savings kick in. Many leading UK insurers offer substantial discounts for additional children. Some even offer cover for the second, third, and any subsequent children for free.
This "staggered" pricing model makes private health cover significantly more affordable for larger families than they might initially assume.
The Logic Behind "Kids Go Free" Deals
Why would an insurer offer free cover? It's a calculated decision based on risk and market competition.
- Lower Risk: While children get sick, their medical needs are often less complex and costly than those of adults. They are far less likely to require major surgeries like hip replacements or extensive cancer treatment.
- Customer Loyalty: Family policies have a higher "stickiness" factor. A family that is happy with their cover is less likely to switch providers every year, providing the insurer with a stable, long-term customer.
- Competitive Edge: In a crowded market, "kids go free" or "multi-child discount" offers are a powerful way for providers like Aviva and Bupa to attract the lucrative family segment.
Working with a PMI broker like WeCovr is invaluable here, as we can quickly identify which insurers have the most generous family-friendly pricing structures for your specific circumstances.
What Drives Private Health Insurance Costs for Families?
Several key factors determine the final premium for your family's private health cover. Understanding these levers is the first step to finding a policy that fits your budget.
| Factor | How It Affects Your Premium | Expert Insight |
|---|---|---|
| Age | Higher. The older the adults on the policy, the higher the statistical risk of making a claim, leading to a higher premium. | Children's ages have less impact than adult ages, but insurers do price based on age bands. |
| Location | Higher in major cities. Your postcode matters. Premiums are highest in Central London and other major cities where hospital and specialist fees are more expensive. | Some insurers let you choose a hospital list that excludes pricey city-centre hospitals to reduce your cost. |
| Level of Cover | Higher for comprehensive plans. The more you want your policy to cover, the more it will cost. | The biggest decision is outpatient cover. A plan with full outpatient diagnostics and consultations will cost significantly more than one covering only inpatient treatment. |
| Excess | Lower premium for a higher excess. The excess is the amount you agree to pay towards a claim. A £500 excess will result in a much lower premium than a £0 or £100 excess. | This is one of the easiest and most effective ways to manage your family's premium. Consider what you could comfortably afford to pay per claim, per year. |
| Underwriting | Can vary. The type of medical underwriting you choose affects the price and what is covered from the outset. | This is a crucial choice. Moratorium underwriting is simpler, while Full Medical Underwriting provides more certainty but requires a full health declaration. |
The "Multiplier Effect": How Insurers Price Family Policies
Let's move away from theory and look at how the cost builds up. The pricing isn't linear. Insurers apply a multiplier that decreases as you add more children.
Imagine a base premium for a 40-year-old adult is £60 per month. Here's a simplified illustration of how a family policy might be constructed: (illustrative estimate)
| Family Member(s) | Multiplier Example | Estimated Monthly Cost | Running Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main Adult (40) | 1.0x | £60 | £60 |
| + Partner (38) | 0.9x | £54 | £114 |
| + First Child (8) | 0.5x | £30 | £144 |
| + Second Child (5) | 0.1x (or Free) | £6 (or £0) | £150 (or £114) |
| + Third Child (2) | Free | £0 | £150 (or £114) |
Important Note: This is a simplified example. Actual multipliers and prices vary hugely between insurers. However, it clearly shows that the cost to cover a family of five is not five times the cost of an individual policy. In this scenario, the third and fourth members are added at a tiny fraction of the cost or for free.
Real-Life Cost Examples for UK Families (2025)
To give you a clearer picture, we've compiled some estimated monthly premium ranges for different family structures in 2025.
Assumptions for these estimates:
- Adults: Non-smokers, aged 35 and 37.
- Location: Living in a mid-cost region (e.g., Bristol, Nottingham).
- Cover: Mid-range comprehensive cover (inpatient & day-patient care, with limited outpatient diagnostics).
- Excess (illustrative): A £250 excess per person, per year.
| Family Structure | Estimated Monthly Premium Range (2025) | Key Considerations |
|---|---|---|
| Couple | £90 – £140 | A good baseline to see the individual cost before adding children. |
| Couple + 1 Child | £120 – £190 | The first child adds a noticeable amount to the premium. |
| Couple + 2 Children | £130 – £210 | Note the smaller jump in cost from 1 to 2 children, thanks to multi-child discounts. |
| Couple + 3 Children | £130 – £220 | Often, the cost for 3 children is the same as for 2, as the third child is frequently covered for free. |
| Single Parent + 2 Children | £100 – £160 | Cheaper than a couple's policy, but the family discount structure still applies. |
These figures are for guidance only. The only way to get an accurate price for your family is to get a personalised quote, which an expert broker like WeCovr can provide by comparing the whole market for you at no extra cost.
A Critical Point: What UK Private Health Insurance Does NOT Cover
Before going further, it's vital to understand the fundamental purpose of private medical insurance in the UK.
PMI is designed to cover acute conditions that arise after you take out your policy.
- An acute condition is a disease, illness, or injury that is likely to respond quickly to treatment and lead to a full recovery (e.g., appendicitis, joint-pain requiring a replacement, cataracts, hernias).
- A chronic condition is a disease, illness, or injury that has one or more of the following characteristics: it needs ongoing or long-term monitoring, requires palliative care, has no known cure, or is likely to recur (e.g., diabetes, asthma, high blood pressure, eczema).
Standard UK PMI policies DO NOT cover chronic conditions or pre-existing conditions. If a family member has asthma or was treated for a knee injury two years ago, these will typically be excluded from cover.
Understanding Underwriting for Your Family
The method an insurer uses to assess your family's medical history is called underwriting. This determines which pre-existing conditions will be excluded.
- Moratorium (Most Common): This is the simplest option. You don't declare your family's full medical history upfront. Instead, the insurer applies a blanket exclusion for any condition a family member has had symptoms of, or received treatment for, in the last 5 years. This exclusion can be lifted if that person goes a continuous 2-year period after the policy starts without any symptoms, treatment, or advice for that condition.
- Full Medical Underwriting (FMU): This involves completing a detailed health questionnaire for every family member. The insurer then reviews this information and tells you from day one exactly what is and isn't covered. It takes more effort, but provides complete clarity and can sometimes be cheaper if your family is in good health.
The best choice depends entirely on your family's health history. An experienced adviser can help you decide.
Are There 'Family-Friendly' PMI Providers?
While all major providers offer family policies, some have built their reputation on being particularly family-friendly.
- Aviva: Often cited for its generous family discounts, frequently offering to cover second and subsequent children for free. Their policies are known for being comprehensive and clear.
- Bupa: As one of the UK's largest providers, Bupa has extensive hospital lists and a strong focus on family wellbeing, including direct access to specialist consultations without needing a GP referral for certain conditions.
- AXA Health: Known for excellent customer service and a strong mental health offering, which is a huge benefit for modern families. They also provide a 24/7 virtual GP service (Doctor at Hand).
- Vitality: Unique in its approach, Vitality actively rewards families for being healthy. By tracking activity through apps and smartwatches, you can earn points to reduce your premium and get rewards like cinema tickets and discounted gym memberships. This can be a brilliant way to engage the whole family in a healthier lifestyle.
Strategies to Reduce Your Family's PMI Premium
Worried about the cost? There are many practical ways to make private medical insurance more affordable without sacrificing the core benefits.
- Increase Your Excess: As shown earlier, agreeing to pay the first £250 or £500 of a claim can slash your monthly premium.
- Choose a Guided Hospital List: Instead of a list that includes every private hospital in the UK, opt for your insurer's guided or limited list. These lists exclude the most expensive hospitals (usually in Central London), leading to significant savings.
- Opt for the '6-Week Wait' Option: This is a clever compromise. Your policy will only pay for inpatient treatment if the NHS waiting list for that procedure is longer than six weeks. As many waiting lists are currently much longer, this option can provide savings while still giving you a safety net against long delays. According to NHS England data, the median waiting time for consultant-led treatment was 14.5 weeks in July 2024. This makes the 6-week option a very viable cost-saving measure.
- Review Your Cover Level: Do you really need unlimited outpatient cover? Limiting outpatient diagnostics and consultations to a set amount (e.g., £1,000 per year) can dramatically lower your bill. You can always use the NHS for initial diagnostics and then switch to your private cover for treatment.
- Pay Annually: Most insurers offer a small discount (around 5%) if you pay for the whole year upfront.
- Embrace a Healthy Lifestyle: If you choose a provider like Vitality, staying active directly translates into lower costs. This is a win-win for your family's health and your wallet.
- Use an Expert Broker: This is the single most effective strategy. A broker like WeCovr has access to the entire market and understands the fine print of each policy. We can compare family discounts, underwriting terms, and benefit levels to find the optimal balance of cover and cost for your family. Our service is completely free to you.
Beyond the Premium: The Hidden Value of Family PMI
The value of private medical insurance for a family extends far beyond just the cost of treatment. The "add-on" benefits and peace of mind can be priceless.
- 24/7 Virtual GP Access: No more waiting for a GP appointment. Most PMI policies now include a digital GP service, allowing you to have a video consultation for you or your child within hours, day or night. This is a game-changer for worried parents.
- Mental Health Support: Modern policies increasingly offer comprehensive mental health support, from counselling sessions to access to psychiatric care, for adults and children alike.
- Faster Diagnosis: The anxiety of waiting for tests and results can be immense. PMI gives you swift access to scans (MRI, CT) and consultations, providing answers and a treatment plan quickly.
- Choice and Comfort: If a family member needs to stay in hospital, PMI provides a private room, more flexible visiting hours, and your choice of specialist and hospital. This reduces stress for the patient and the whole family.
- Wellness Programmes: Many policies now come with a host of benefits designed to keep you well, including gym discounts, health screenings, and nutritional advice. At WeCovr, we enhance this by providing our PMI clients with complimentary access to our AI-powered calorie and nutrition tracking app, CalorieHero.
- Bundled Discounts: When you arrange a PMI or Life Insurance policy through WeCovr, you may also be eligible for discounts on other types of cover, such as home or travel insurance, adding even more value.
A Note on Health, Wellness, and Your Family
While insurance provides a crucial safety net, prevention is always the best medicine. Fostering a healthy environment at home can have a profound impact on your family's long-term wellbeing.
- Balanced Diet: Encourage a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and whole grains. Use tools like CalorieHero to understand nutritional content and make healthier choices together.
- Active Lifestyles: The UK Chief Medical Officers' guidelines recommend children and young people (5-18 years) get at least 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity each day. Make it fun – family walks, bike rides, park visits, or dancing in the living room all count.
- Quality Sleep: Establish consistent sleep routines for all family members. The NHS recommends 9-12 hours for school-age children and 7-9 hours for adults. Good sleep is fundamental to physical and mental health.
- Mindful Screen Time: Set clear boundaries around screen time to encourage more active play and real-world interaction.
Investing in these habits not only improves health but also builds a strong family bond and a positive relationship with wellbeing for life.
Does private health insurance cover childbirth in the UK?
Can I add my adult children to my family health insurance policy?
What is the difference between an acute and a chronic condition for PMI?
Ready to Protect Your Family?
Understanding the cost of private medical insurance for your family is the first step towards securing invaluable peace of mind. While the options can seem daunting, you don't have to navigate them alone.
As an independent, FCA-authorised PMI broker, WeCovr can compare policies from all the UK's leading insurers to find the perfect fit for your family's needs and budget. Our expert advice is always free, and there's no obligation.
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.
