Estimate your UK private health insurance (PMI) premium. Enter age, cover level and excess to get a realistic cost estimate — and understand what drives health insurance pricing.
| Cover Level | Est. Annual | What's Included |
|---|
The NHS provides comprehensive free healthcare for all UK residents, which makes private medical insurance a choice rather than a necessity. PMI becomes most valuable when NHS waiting lists are long for non-emergency procedures, when specialist access speed matters for your work or lifestyle, or when employer-provided PMI means the tax cost is manageable. Understanding what PMI actually covers — and what it does not — prevents expensive surprises.
| Cover Type | Typically Covered | Typically Excluded |
|---|---|---|
| Core / In-patient | Elective surgery, in-patient stays, day surgery | A&E, maternity, pre-existing conditions, GP visits |
| Mid / Out-patient | All core + specialist consultations, diagnostics, physiotherapy | Dental, optical, cosmetic, long-term chronic conditions |
| Comprehensive | All mid + mental health, dental, optical, some therapies | Pre-existing conditions (moratorium or full underwriting) |
PMI is most worth the cost if: (1) You can use it regularly — at least 1-2 specialist consultations per year; (2) Your employer part-pays or pays in full (reducing net cost); (3) You have a condition requiring regular non-GP care; (4) NHS waiting lists in your area are particularly long for conditions relevant to you. For young healthy individuals with low healthcare use, PMI often costs more in premiums than the equivalent NHS care would delay. Cost-benefit is highly individual.
Higher excess = lower premium. A £500 excess typically reduces annual premium by 15-20% versus £0 excess. A £1,000 excess saves 20-30%. The break-even calculation: if premium saving > excess, you save money even if you make one claim per year. Example: £200/year premium saving with £500 excess — break-even at 2.5 claims. If you expect fewer than this, the higher excess is beneficial. Only choose an excess you can genuinely afford to pay.