Over 50s Health Insurance
with over 50s health insurance you could have access to:
- Speedy referral and treatment, avoiding NHS queues
- Access to top consultants and leading specialists
- Use of private hospitals usually with ensuite rooms
- Access to new treatments and drugs not available on the NHS
How to choose the best health insurance plans
Private health insurance covers some or all of the costs associated with private medical care. What is covered will depend on the type of plan you choose, so it’s important to understand how plans work and the different private health cover options and companies available to you.
The information provided in this private health insurance guide will help you understand how plans work and how to make your cover more affordable.
You can also compare health insurance quotes by clicking on the request a quote button - it’s quick and easy and could save you up to 40% from the standard premium.
Health insurance comparison
Our advisers will listen to your requirements and recommend the best health insurance company to provide cover at the most affordable price. Depending on your needs and budget, there are ways that they can suggest to reduce the overall cost, which is why it's always better to speak to an adviser rather than just look at price comparison sites.
You will see from the following comparison of some of the UK’s leading private health insurance companies that premiums vary considerably. This is why getting advice on the cover provided by each company can help you find the best option for you.
Compare health insurance quotes
*If you're viewing this page on a mobile phone, scroll right to see the full table.
| Company | Monthly Premium | Excess | Outpatient cover | Get a quote |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| National Friendly | £100.36 | £250 | £2,000 | Compare |
| Aviva | £58.95 | £200 | £500 | Compare |
| General Medical | £70.30 | £0 | £1,000 | Compare |
| Vitality | £68.27 | £250 | £500 | Compare |
| AXA | £78.90 | £250 | Unlimited | Compare |
| Freedom | £97.30 | £250 | £1,500 | Compare |
| Bupa | £70.82 | £250 | £500 | Compare |
| The Exeter | £64.21 | £250 | £500 | Compare |
Based on male non smoker aged 50 yrs of age - no health questions answered. This is for comparison purposes only & you should obtain a personal health quotation as policies do vary. Correct as at 6th January 2026
If you would also like to add your family to the cover, it would be worth taking time to compare family health insurance too as it may work out cheaper than individual health insurance plans.
Guide to private health insurance
What is health insurance and how does it work?
Private health insurance is designed to work alongside the services of the NHS, covering the medical diagnosis and treatment of shorter term illnesses or injuries that can be cured.
Instead of the stress of lengthy NHS queues for scans, diagnosis and treatment; private medical insurance speeds up the whole process from the initial referral right through to any surgery or procedure required, getting you back on your feet sooner. Some private medical plans even include aftercare therapy such as a course of physiotherapy too.
Your private health plan can be tailored to suit your needs but typically will include:
- Speedy referral and treatment, avoiding lengthy NHS queues
- Access to top consultants and leading specialists
- Your choice of consultant and hospital (depending on the insurer)
- Appointment times arranged to suit you
- The use of private hospitals usually with en-suite rooms, phones, TVs and good quality food
- Unrestricted visiting hours for family and friends
- Access to new treatments and drugs not available on the NHS
Here’s how it works:
Once you have a plan in place, if you have health issues, an illness or injury that requires investigation or treatment, first see your doctor who will refer you to a specialist.
Once you have been referred, call your health insurance provider to check that the condition is covered under the healthcare plan you have chosen. It is important to ensure your condition is covered before you see the specialist.
You can then make an appointment or wait to receive confirmation from the specialist.
Types of Private Medical Insurance
There are two main types of health insurance: a ‘moratorium’ and a ‘fully underwritten plan’.
The difference between these two types of health cover is how pre-existing medical conditions are treated.
Fully Underwritten health care plans - You are required to provide a full medical history when applying for this type of plan. Based on your information, the insurer will decide what will and won’t be covered. Therefore, it is highly unlikely any pre-existing medical conditions you have had would be covered.
Moratorium health care plans – This option is usually cheaper and will not cover you for a set period (usually 2 years) for any medical conditions you may have suffered over the last 5 years. This period is called a moratorium. Once the set period is over, you will be covered for the condition, as long as any examination shows it hasn’t arisen during the moratorium.
Depending on your requirements, you can choose between a range of basic, standard and comprehensive health insurance policies.
Most plans cover the cost of staying in a private hospital but the more comprehensive private health insurance policies also include consultation fees, tests, medical diagnosis and treatment as well as aftercare therapy.
The following table explains this in more detail:
| What is it? | Is it Covered? | |
|---|---|---|
| Outpatient Treatment | This is where you visit a specialist, hospital or outpatient clinic for consultation, tests or treatment but are not admitted as a day patient or inpatient. |
Full outpatient care is usually only covered in more comprehensive plans. Some standard plans may include an element of outpatient cover but will either restrict the number of treatments allowed or will have a monetary limit |
| Day Patient Treatment | This is where you are admitted to a hospital for the day, usually for a procedure that required a period of recovery under medical supervision. | Day patient care (normally surgery) where you are admitted to a hospital is usually included in most plans. |
| Inpatient Treatment | This is where you are admitted to a hospital for one or more nights due to a medical condition. | Inpatient care where you are admitted to a hospital is usually included in most plans. |
In addition, many UK providers also offer the following options:
Cancer insurance cover
Designed to enhance the services already available through the NHS, providing faster access to tests, diagnosis and treatment, private hospital care, ground breaking or more expensive treatments and post-surgery care.
International health insurance
Gives you access to private health care when you are abroad, providing cover for both routine and emergency treatment when you need it.
Dental Insurance
Whilst you can buy standalone dental insurance to cover your dental requirements, some private health insurance plans offer dental cover as an optional extra.
Who will my plan cover?
Depending on your requirements, private health insurance can provide cover for individuals, couples or families alike. Here are your cover options:
Individual health insurance
Provides cover for individual medical care.
Joint health insurance
Provides cover for you and your partner. A joint plan may be cheaper than two individual plans but it is worth comparing both options.
Family health insurance
Provides cover for you, your spouse or partner and your children and can be a cheaper health insurance option than choosing individual plans.
How to reduce the cost of your health insurance policy
Whether you are looking for cheap medical insurance or a comprehensive health insurance plan, there are a number of ways you can lower the cost and save money.
- Agree to be treated by a selected number of private hospitals. This may mean you travel further for treatment but could reduce the amount you pay overall
- Compare the market using a comparison website for quotes
- Agree to pay an excess meaning that you pay part of every claim. The more excess you pay, the lower your premium
- Agree to be treated by the NHS if the treatment can take place within a specified amount of time (e.g. 6 weeks)
- Agree to pay a proportion of the full treatment costs, e.g. 25%. The higher the percentage you agree to pay, the lower your premium
Some health cover providers also reduce payments through your ‘no claims bonus’ whilst others provide additional discounts for people with healthier lifestyles. For more information on how you can cut your healthcare costs with a few lifestyle changes.
Watch our health Insurance video
In addition to comparing costs, reading reviews will help you understand more about the company and the healthcare services it provides. Here are our reviews of 10 of the UK’s leading health insurance companies.
How do I buy health insurance?
When choosing the best health insurance plan for you it’s important to compare the market to see what is on offer. Remember it’s not just about price though; cheap health insurance may be appealing but always check to see what services are included.
Through our partnership with First Choice Health & Protection who are regulated by the Financial Conduct Autority, you can compare health insurance quotes online with the UK’s leading private health insurers such as AXA PPP, Pru Health, Bupa, Simplyhealth and Aviva, all in just a few minutes.
And don't forget if you are leaving your company health insurance scheme we can also help with that too.
Our advice
Our advice is to always compare the market and speak to an adviser who will find the best deal to suit you.
Our service is free to use
Frequently asked questions
Yes you can get medical insurance for children as part of a family health insurance plan, usually available until their 18th birthday, but this can vary by provider.
We work with
Our aim is to provide you with clear and accurate information to help you research your chosen financial products and services. The material on this site is for general information only and does not constitute any form of advice or recommendation.
If a link has an * by it, it means it is an affiliated link to an insurance company or broker that may result in a payment to the site. Should you use the equity release calculator, speak to an Age Partnership adviser and take out a plan out using their services, we receive a commission, however this will not affect the price you pay.
Also, from time to time you may see advertisements from third party companies who pay us a fee to advertise their services on our site.
None of the above arrangements constitute advice or recommendations, as other products and companies are available. You should always obtain independent, professional advice for your own situation.
The information provided on this site is accurate at the date of publication, occasionally however, things will change before we have had the opportunity to update them, so please do check. Always do your own research and take independent advice.
We do not investigate the solvency of any company mentioned on our website and are not responsible for the content on websites we link to.
Over50choices is an independent company and regulated by the FCA (No.594280) for insurance products only and a member of the Equity Release Council.