Key market facts · 2026-07-17
- Average UK premium: £82.53/month for a single adult — myTribe survey of 11,770 real quotes, March 2026 data (published June 2026).
- At age 30, basic cover averages £35.84/month; at age 60, £90.39 (same myTribe dataset, March 2026).
- NHS waiting list: 7.3 million pathways, median wait 12.4 weeks; 34.4% waiting over 18 weeks (NHS England RTT, May 2026, published 9 July 2026).
- 8.43 million people (12.2% of the UK) had PMI at the start of 2025 — the strongest coverage since 2008 (LaingBuisson, published October 2025).
- Insurers paid a record £4 billion in health claims in 2024 (ABI, published January 2026).
- Insurance Premium Tax adds 12% to every PMI premium (gov.uk, rate unchanged since June 2017).
Comparison table (July 2026)
| Provider | Published example price | Moratorium terms | Excess options | Standout |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bupa By You | £44.89/mo avg, non-smoker 30–50 (Bupa's May 2026 examples) | 5-yr look-back / 2 clear yrs | £100–£2,000 | Direct Access (no GP referral for cancer symptoms, mental health, muscle & joint); dental appointment + £300 allowance standard |
| AXA Health Plan | £42.05/mo, age 30, Bournemouth (AXA's example, April 2026) | 3-yr look-back / 2 clear yrs (shortest look-back) | Not published in full (£250 in AXA's examples) | Modular cover you build per person; 24/7 phone & online GP |
| Aviva Healthier Solutions | Under £48/mo average (Aviva's customers aged 35–50, Jan–Mar 2026) | 5-yr look-back / 2 clear yrs | £100–£5,000 | Full cancer cover + £2,000 outpatient mental health as standard; no-claims discount up to 75% |
| Vitality Personal Healthcare | From £44/mo, age 30, Peterborough (Vitality's example, Sept 2025 basis) | 5-yr look-back / 2 clear yrs | £0–£1,000 (pay per year or per claim) | 8 talking-therapy sessions core, no GP referral; rewards programme cuts renewal increases |
| WPA Complete Health | Not published — quote only | 5-yr look-back / 2 clear yrs | £0–£500 (min £500 if joining at 66+) | Not-for-profit; 97% of claims authorised (WPA, data at 31 Dec 2025); no maximum joining age |
| The Exeter Health+ | Not published — quote only | 5-yr look-back / 2 clear yrs | £0–£5,000 (widest range) | Mutual; unlimited in-patient treatment and uncapped cancer cover in core; paid 90% of claims in 2025 |
| Freedom (Essentials / Elite) | Not published — quote only | 5-yr look-back / 2 clear yrs | Essentials: £100 compulsory +£100–£1,000; Elite: £0–£1,000 | Essentials pays fixed cash benefits with no hospital list — keep the surplus; no postcode price loading |
| National Friendly My PMI | Not published — quote only | 5-yr look-back / min 2 yrs excluded, 2 clear yrs | £0–£1,000 | Joining age up to 85 — the highest of the nine; 5-year fixed terms |
| Benenden Health | £15.85 per person/month flat — same at any age (July 2026) | No health questions at all | No excess concept | Discretionary healthcare membership, not PMI: diagnostics after a 3-week NHS wait, surgery after 5 weeks; no cancer treatment |
All figures verified against each provider's own published documents, July 2026. Provider names link to our full independent reviews where available.
Prices are each provider's own published examples on the dates shown — your quote will differ with age, postcode, cover level, excess and smoker status. WPA, The Exeter, Freedom and National Friendly publish no from-prices at all, so treat any figure you see quoted for them elsewhere with suspicion.
How to compare properly
- Decide what cancer cover you need. It's core and uncapped at The Exeter, core at Bupa (full cancer cover option), Aviva and Vitality — but an optional extra at WPA, absent from Freedom Essentials, and not offered at all by Benenden. This single line item separates the nine providers more than anything else (all verified July 2026).
- Check the moratorium terms, not just the price. Most insurers exclude conditions from the last 5 years until you've had 2 trouble-free years; AXA Health's look-back is 3 years — materially friendlier if you had a minor issue 4 years ago.
- Pick outpatient limits deliberately. £500-a-year outpatient caps are the quiet premium-saver on most policies; MRI/CT/PET scans are usually paid in full outside the cap (true at Bupa, Vitality, WPA and The Exeter, July 2026).
- Use guided/open-referral options to cut cost. Aviva Expert Select, Vitality Consultant Select, The Exeter's guided option and National Friendly's guided route all trade free choice of consultant for a lower premium.
- Set the excess as high as you can genuinely afford. Ranges run £100–£2,000 (Bupa) up to £5,000 (Aviva, The Exeter) — it's paid once per person per policy year, not per claim, at most insurers.
- Don't buy PMI for pre-existing conditions. No standard policy covers them until moratorium terms are satisfied; if that's your main concern, read our guide to pre-existing conditions before paying anyone.
Go deeper
- Bupa health insurance review
- AXA Health review
- Aviva health insurance review
- Vitality health insurance review
- WPA review
- The Exeter Health+ review
- Freedom Health Insurance review
- National Friendly review
- Benenden Health review
- Bupa vs AXA
- Bupa vs Aviva
- Vitality vs Bupa
- Vitality vs AXA
- Vitality vs Aviva
- AXA vs Aviva
- Benenden vs Bupa
- WPA vs Bupa
Frequently Asked Questions
There's no single best — it depends on your priority. On published claims performance, WPA authorised 97% of claims (data at 31 Dec 2025) and The Exeter paid 90% in 2025. On published example pricing for a healthy 30-year-old, AXA (£42.05/mo, April 2026), Vitality (£44/mo, Sept 2025 basis) and Bupa (£44.89/mo average, May 2026) are close together. For mental health included as standard, Vitality (8 sessions) and Aviva (£2,000 outpatient) lead. Verified July 2026.
The average is £82.53/month for a single adult across 11,770 real quotes (myTribe survey, March 2026 data). A 20-year-old averages £28.54/month for basic cover; a 70-year-old £151.04. Your postcode, excess, outpatient limit and smoker status move the price significantly.
No. Benenden is a discretionary healthcare membership at a flat £15.85 per person/month (July 2026): you can request private diagnostics only after a 3-week NHS wait and surgery after a 5-week wait, both after 6 months' membership, and it does not cover cancer, heart or brain treatment. Benenden's own guide states it is not a substitute for full private medical insurance.
Yes. Bupa states there is no age limit, WPA has no maximum joining age (66+ requires full medical underwriting and a £500 minimum excess), and National Friendly accepts new applicants up to 85. Vitality's limit is 79 and Freedom's is 70. Verified July 2026 — expect age-rated premiums either way.