Vitality vs Aviva Health Insurance UK 2025
As an FCA-authorised expert with over 800,000 policies arranged, WeCovr helps you navigate the UK private medical insurance market. This guide compares two leading providers, Vitality and Aviva, to help you make an informed choice for 2025 and find the best private health cover for your needs.
Comparing coverage, pricing and perks
Choosing between private medical insurance (PMI) providers can feel overwhelming. Two of the UK's most prominent names, Vitality and Aviva, offer excellent but distinct approaches to health cover. Aviva is a giant of the insurance world, known for its comprehensive, traditional policies. Vitality, on the other hand, is famous for its innovative wellness programme that rewards you for being healthy.
This guide will break down their offerings for 2025, comparing their core products, optional extras, pricing models, and unique benefits. By the end, you'll have a much clearer picture of which provider aligns best with your lifestyle and healthcare priorities.
A Crucial Note on Private Health Insurance in the UK Before we dive in, it's vital to understand a fundamental rule of UK PMI. Standard policies are designed to cover acute conditions – illnesses or injuries that are short-term and curable, like a joint replacement or cataract surgery. They do not cover pre-existing conditions (ailments you had before taking out the policy) or chronic conditions (long-term illnesses like diabetes, asthma, or high blood pressure that require ongoing management).
Core Coverage: What's Included as Standard?
Both Vitality and Aviva build their policies on a foundation of core coverage. This is the essential protection you get with any plan before you start adding optional extras. The main purpose is to cover the costs of in-patient and day-patient treatment.
- In-patient treatment: When you are admitted to a hospital bed overnight.
- Day-patient treatment: When you are admitted to hospital for a procedure but do not stay overnight.
Here’s a side-by-side look at what their standard plans typically include:
| Feature | Vitality (Personal Healthcare) | Aviva (Healthier Solutions) |
|---|---|---|
| In-Patient & Day-Patient Fees | Fully covered (subject to hospital list) | Fully covered (subject to hospital list) |
| Specialist & Surgeon Fees | Fully covered with a consultant on their fee-assured list | Fully covered with a consultant on their fee-assured list |
| Hospital List | Choice of hospital lists (e.g., Local, Countrywide, London Care) | Choice of hospital lists (e.g., Key, Extended, Trust) |
| Cancer Cover | Advanced Cancer Cover included as standard | Comprehensive Cancer Cover included as standard |
| Mental Health Support | Basic support included, with options to upgrade | Basic support included, with options to upgrade |
| Digital GP | Included (Vitality GP) | Included (Aviva Digital GP) |
| Second Opinion Service | Included | Included (via Best Doctors) |
As you can see, the core offerings are very similar. Both providers fully cover the major costs associated with a hospital stay. The main initial choice you'll make is your hospital list, which dictates where you can be treated and significantly impacts your premium. A more restricted local list will be cheaper than a comprehensive list that includes expensive central London hospitals.
Optional Extras: Tailoring Your Policy
This is where you can truly customise your private health cover to match your needs and budget. Both insurers offer a range of add-ons.
Out-patient Cover
This is arguably the most important optional extra. It covers diagnostic tests and consultations with a specialist that don't require a hospital admission. Without it, you'd need to use the NHS for your initial diagnosis before your PMI could kick in for treatment.
- Vitality: Offers a choice of full out-patient cover or a capped limit (e.g., £500, £1,000, £1,500). They also include some diagnostics like MRI, CT, and PET scans as part of their core cover, which is a significant benefit.
- Aviva: Also provides a choice between full cover or a monetary limit. Their standard out-patient option covers consultations and diagnostics up to your chosen limit.
Therapies Cover
This add-on covers treatments like physiotherapy, osteopathy, and chiropractic sessions.
- Vitality: Includes therapies as part of its main out-patient cover option.
- Aviva: Offers therapies as a separate add-on, giving you more granular control over your policy.
Here is a summary of the main optional extras:
| Optional Extra | Vitality | Aviva |
|---|---|---|
| Out-patient Cover | Yes (full or capped) | Yes (full or capped) |
| Therapies Cover | Yes (part of out-patient add-on) | Yes (separate add-on) |
| Mental Health Cover | Yes (upgradeable options) | Yes (upgradeable options) |
| Dental & Optical Cover | Yes (cashback basis) | Yes (separate Dental & Optical plan) |
| Travel Cover | Yes (can be added) | No (offered as a separate product) |
An expert broker, like WeCovr, can help you model the costs of these different options to find the sweet spot between comprehensive coverage and an affordable premium.
Cancer Cover: A Closer Look
In the face of long NHS waiting times for cancer treatment, robust cancer cover is a primary reason many people seek private medical insurance. According to NHS England data from 2024, meeting cancer waiting time targets remains a significant challenge, making private options more attractive.
Both Vitality and Aviva provide outstanding cancer cover as standard.
- Vitality's Advanced Cancer Cover: This is included in their core policy and covers surgical procedures, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and biological therapies. They also offer a cash-back option if you choose to have your treatment on the NHS.
- Aviva's Comprehensive Cancer Cover: Also included as standard, this covers your diagnosis and treatment from start to finish, with no time or financial limits, as long as the treatment is within their recognised list. They also include monitoring and aftercare support.
The key takeaway is that both insurers offer market-leading cancer protection, covering the high costs of advanced drugs and treatments that may not be readily available on the NHS.
The Vitality Difference: Earning Rewards for Healthy Living
Vitality's entire philosophy is built around a "shared value" model. They believe that by incentivising you to be healthier, you're less likely to claim, which saves them money. They share these savings back with you through rewards and lower premiums.
This is managed through the Vitality Programme.
How It Works
- Track Your Activity: You connect a fitness tracker (like an Apple Watch, Garmin, or even just your phone's health app) to the Vitality app.
- Earn Points: You earn "Vitality Points" for daily activities like walking a certain number of steps, completing a workout, or going for a health check.
- Achieve Status: The more points you earn, the higher your Vitality Status climbs, from Bronze to Silver, Gold, and finally Platinum.
- Unlock Rewards: Your status unlocks a huge range of rewards and discounts.
Vitality's Rewards and Partners
This is the main draw for many customers. The rewards are tangible and can significantly offset the cost of your premium if you engage with the programme.
- Weekly Rewards: Earn enough points in a week and get a free coffee from Caffè Nero or a movie ticket from Vue or Odeon.
- Discounts on Partners:
- Apple Watch: Get a new Apple Watch and "pay" for it by being active. The more points you earn each month, the less you pay towards the device.
- Gym Memberships: Get up to 50% off memberships at Nuffield Health and Virgin Active.
- Healthy Food: Get up to 25% cashback on healthy food items at Waitrose & Partners.
- Travel: Get discounts on flights with British Airways and hotel stays with Champneys.
The "gamification" of health is not for everyone, but for those who are motivated by goals and rewards, it's a powerful proposition. By staying active, you can actively reduce the net cost of your insurance.
A Real-World Example: Sarah, a 35-year-old marketing manager, pays £50 a month for her Vitality policy. She walks her dog daily, hitting her 12,500-step target and earning 4 activity points a week. This gets her a free weekly coffee (worth ~£3.50) and a cinema ticket (worth ~£10). She also has a 50% discounted gym membership. The value of her weekly rewards alone can be over £50 a month, effectively covering her premium.
The Aviva Advantage: Comprehensive Cover and Digital First
Where Vitality focuses on wellness and rewards, Aviva's strength lies in its straightforward, comprehensive cover and excellent digital health services. It's a more traditional insurance model, but it's backed by one of the UK's largest and most trusted financial institutions.
Aviva's core policy, Healthier Solutions, is highly regarded for its clarity and breadth of cover.
Key Strengths of Aviva
- The "Expert Select" Hospital Option: This is a unique approach to managing costs. If you choose this option, Aviva will guide you to a pre-vetted list of high-quality hospitals and consultants for your condition. In return for this guided journey, you receive a discount on your premium. It simplifies the process and ensures quality care.
- Strong Digital Health Proposition:
- Aviva Digital GP: This app, powered by Square Health, gives you 24/7 access to a GP via your phone. You can get consultations, prescriptions, and onward referrals without leaving your home. This is a huge convenience and can speed up the diagnostic process significantly.
- Mental Health Support: Aviva provides access to a 24-hour stress counselling helpline as standard. Their upgraded mental health option is also one of the most comprehensive on the market, covering psychiatric treatment and therapy.
- The Aviva Lineage: As a company with a history stretching back over 300 years, Aviva has a reputation for financial stability and reliability. For many, this peace of mind is a major factor.
A Real-World Example: David, a 52-year-old accountant, is less interested in tracking his steps. He wants to know that if something goes wrong, he'll be looked after quickly and without fuss. He chooses Aviva's Healthier Solutions with the "Expert Select" option. When he needs a knee operation, he calls Aviva. They give him a choice of three top-rated orthopaedic surgeons and hospitals. The entire process is managed for him, and he gets his surgery within a month of his GP referral.
How Much Does It Cost? Understanding Premiums in 2025
The price of your private medical insurance UK policy is not fixed. It depends on a wide range of factors. Both Aviva and Vitality use similar criteria to calculate your premium.
Key Factors Influencing Your Premium:
- Age: This is the single biggest factor. The older you are, the higher the statistical likelihood of you needing medical treatment, so premiums increase with age.
- Location: Where you live matters. Healthcare costs, particularly for private hospitals, are much higher in London and the South East. A policyholder in Scotland will typically pay less than someone in Surrey.
- Excess: This is the amount you agree to pay towards any claim. For example, if you have a £250 excess and your treatment costs £3,000, you pay the first £250 and the insurer pays the rest. Choosing a higher excess will lower your monthly premium.
- Hospital List: As mentioned, a policy that gives you access to all private hospitals, including those in central London, will be more expensive than one with a more restricted or regional list.
- Level of Cover: Adding optional extras like out-patient, dental, or enhanced mental health cover will increase your premium.
- No Claims Discount (NCD): Similar to car insurance, if you don't make a claim, your NCD increases each year, leading to a discount on your renewal premium. Both Aviva and Vitality operate a protected NCD system.
- Smoker Status: Smokers represent a higher health risk and will always pay more for their cover.
Indicative Price Comparison
It's impossible to give exact prices without a personalised quote. However, here's a general comparison of how premiums might look for a healthy non-smoker living outside London, with a £250 excess and mid-range out-patient cover.
| Age | Estimated Monthly Premium (Vitality) | Estimated Monthly Premium (Aviva) |
|---|---|---|
| 30 | £40 - £55 | £45 - £60 |
| 45 | £65 - £80 | £70 - £90 |
| 60 | £110 - £140 | £120 - £150 |
Important Note: Vitality's premiums can be actively reduced. If you achieve Gold or Platinum status through the wellness programme, you could see your renewal premium discounted by up to 20-25%. Aviva's premiums are more static and depend primarily on your claims history.
Choosing Your Underwriting: Moratorium vs Full Medical
When you apply for a policy, the insurer needs to know about your medical history to exclude pre-existing conditions. There are two main ways they do this.
-
Moratorium Underwriting (Most Common):
- How it works: You don't declare your full medical history upfront. Instead, the insurer applies a general exclusion for any condition you've had symptoms, advice, or treatment for in the last 5 years.
- The "2-year rule": If you go 2 full years on the policy without any symptoms, advice, or treatment for that previous condition, it may become eligible for cover.
- Pros: Quick and easy application process.
- Cons: There can be uncertainty at the point of claim, as the insurer will investigate your history then.
-
Full Medical Underwriting (FMU):
- How it works: You complete a detailed health questionnaire, disclosing your entire medical history. The insurer's underwriting team reviews it and provides you with a policy document that explicitly lists any conditions that are permanently excluded.
- Pros: Complete clarity from day one. You know exactly what is and isn't covered.
- Cons: The application process is longer and more intrusive.
Both Vitality and Aviva offer both types of underwriting. For most healthy individuals, moratorium is the standard and simplest choice. If you have a more complex medical history, FMU can provide valuable peace of mind.
Why Use an Expert Broker like WeCovr?
While you can go directly to Aviva or Vitality, using an independent, FCA-authorised broker like WeCovr offers several distinct advantages, at no extra cost to you. Our fee is paid by the insurer, so you get expert advice for free.
- Whole-of-Market Advice: We aren't tied to one provider. We compare policies from Aviva, Vitality, Bupa, AXA, and others to find the absolute best fit for your specific needs and budget.
- Expert Guidance: The world of PMI is complex. We explain the jargon—from moratorium underwriting to guided consultant lists—in plain English, ensuring you understand what you're buying.
- Bespoke Policy Design: We help you tailor your policy, advising on which optional extras offer the best value and which hospital lists and excess levels will save you money without compromising on essential cover.
- Exclusive Perks: When you arrange your policy through WeCovr, you get more than just insurance.
- Complimentary access to CalorieHero: Our AI-powered calorie and nutrition tracking app to help you stay on top of your health goals.
- Discounts on other cover: Our clients receive preferential rates on other insurance products, such as life or income protection insurance.
- High Customer Satisfaction: Our focus on clear, honest advice has earned us high ratings on customer review platforms. We act as your advocate, not just at the point of sale but for the life of your policy.
Final Verdict: Vitality or Aviva?
There is no single "best" PMI provider; there is only the best provider for you.
- Choose Vitality if: You are self-motivated, active (or want to be), and excited by the idea of earning tangible rewards for your healthy lifestyle. If you're willing to engage with the programme, you can achieve fantastic value that goes far beyond just the insurance policy.
- Choose Aviva if: You prioritise straightforward, comprehensive cover from a globally trusted brand. You want a robust policy that is easy to understand, with excellent digital tools and a clear, reliable claims process, without the need to track your daily activity.
Ultimately, the best way to decide is to get personalised quotes for both. An expert adviser can run a detailed comparison based on your unique circumstances, helping you weigh the pros and cons of each and secure the right protection for your health and peace of mind in 2025.
Does private medical insurance cover pre-existing conditions?
How can I lower the cost of my health insurance premium?
- Increase your excess: Agreeing to pay a larger amount towards any claim (e.g., £500 instead of £100) will lower your monthly cost.
- Choose a limited hospital list: Opting for a list that excludes expensive central London hospitals can significantly reduce your premium.
- Limit out-patient cover: Instead of full out-patient cover, you can choose a capped amount (e.g., £1,000 per year).
- Engage with wellness programmes: With a provider like Vitality, being active can earn you direct discounts on your renewal premium.
Is it better to go directly to an insurer or use a broker like WeCovr?
Ready to find the right health cover for you? Get your free, no-obligation quote from WeCovr today and let our experts compare Aviva, Vitality, and the wider market to secure your peace of mind.
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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Who Are WeCovr?
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!