What is health insurance?
It’s a type of cover that pays your private healthcare costs if you need treatment for an acute condition.
Whether it’s overnight care, outpatient treatment, diagnostic tests, scans or aftercare, you get the specialist private treatment you need, in comfortable surroundings, when you need it.
Our cancer pledge
Extensive cover and support at every stage of cancer treatment
Expert Select
With this option, we'll use our know-how to guide you to the best hospital and specialist for you
Wellbeing services
Supporting you towards a fitter, happier and healthier lifestyle
How does health insurance work?
You choose the healthcare benefits you need and pay a premium. Then, if you get a short-term illness or injury, and are referred by your GP, we’ll help you choose from a wide range of high-quality private facilities and hospitals.
If you make a claim, we’ll make sure It’s quick and hassle-free, so you can focus on getting better.
Also, some of the terms we use in health insurance can sound like another language, so we’ve put together a glossary.
Do you need health insurance?
Even if you have access to free NHS care, health insurance can help you feel more in control of when, how and where you’re treated. That's faster access to the diagnosis, treatment and aftercare you need, and the comfort of an en-suite room. Think of it as the care you need, without the wait 1.
Can you add your children and partner?
Yes. Add two or more children aged 19 or under to your policy, and you'll only pay for the eldest, until they turn 20. You'll also pay less if you add your partner to your policy than if you both take out individual policies.
Already have health insurance?
Leaving an Aviva health insurance scheme?
Continuing your cover with us is easy 2.
Just call us on:
0800 015 2470
Monday to Friday, 9am to 6pm
Moving to us from another insurer
To talk about switching, call us on:
Monday to Friday, 9am to 6pm
Calls may be monitored or recorded. Calls to 0800 or 0808 numbers from UK landlines and mobiles are free.
Choosing where you're treated
Expert Select
With Expert Select, you don’t have to decide which hospital list is right for you when you take out your policy.
When you make a claim, our knowledgeable team, backed by clinical expertise, will offer you a choice of around four or five quality-assured medical facilities, including leading hospitals, that suit your needs best.
Hospital Options
With this option, you choose a hospital list when you take out your policy. Then, when you make a claim, you choose a specific hospital or medical facility from that list.
You can find independent information about the quality and cost of private treatment available from doctors and hospitals from the Private Healthcare Information Network
What does our health insurance cover?
Our policy offers wide-ranging cover against illness, cancer, accidents and curable diseases.
- Acute conditions
Our health insurance covers treatment for short-term illnesses or injuries that respond quickly to treatment
- Access to 100s of hospitals
Whether you choose Expert Select or a hospital list, you'll have access to a wide range of private UK hospitals and facilities. These include BMI, Nuffield, Spire and NHS private units
Expert Select (PDF 1.02 MB)
Hospital Options (PDF 505 KB)
- Cancer care cover
Cover for cancer diagnosis, treatment and aftercare as standard – read more about our cancer pledge - Hospital charges and specialist fees
Comprehensive cover, including diagnostic tests like X-rays and scans, specialist treatment and aftercare
- Outpatient consultations and treatment
Comprehensive outpatient cover, including diagnostic tests, consultations with specialists and specialist treatment – including radiotherapy and chemotherapy
- Chronic conditions
We don't cover incurable long-term illnesses such as diabetes, arthritis, epilepsy and asthma – please note that cancer care is covered as standard
- Pre-existing conditions
If we look at your full medical history when you apply (full medical underwriting), we’ll usually exclude any conditions you had previously. If we don’t look at your full medical history when you apply (moratorium underwriting), when you make a claim, we’ll ask about any pre-existing conditions you had in the five years before you took out the policy. These conditions won’t be covered unless you’ve been free from medication, treatment, diagnostic tests or advice for them for two continuous years after taking out this policy - Pregnancy and childbirth
We only cover treatment for complications during pregnancy and childbirth 3
The language of Health insurance can be confusing, so here’s a simple guide to some of the key terms.
Your total wellbeing
The tools you need to make positive changes. Here's how our wellbeing services can be there for you.
MyHealthCounts
An online health and wellbeing tool that helps you find out how healthy you are. It could also help save you money when it’s time to renew your policy
Aviva Digital GP
An app that gives you access around the clock to five GP video consultations per member, per policy year, and repeat NHS prescriptions – at no extra cost ‡
Get Active
We’ll help you get fit and stay healthy with savings on gym services, discounted lifestyle products and offers at over 3,000 nationwide health and fitness clubs ‡
24-hour helpline
If you’re stressed and want to talk to someone, our experienced counsellors are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week (for members aged 16 or over)
Mental health support
If you're struggling with stress, anxiety or poor mental health, it can be difficult to get back on track. We can help by providing easy access to information and articles, on a range of topics ‡
‡ These services are non-contractual and can be changed or withdrawn at any time.
Aviva Digital GP is powered by Square Health. It’s available if you’re a resident of Great Britain, Northern Ireland, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man, at home or abroad. Terms and conditions and the privacy policy can be viewed in the Aviva Digital GP app before you sign up, and mobile data charges may apply.
How much does health insurance cost?
It depends on things like your age and where you live and, if you’re switching to us, your claims history.
But you can control the features you have and don’t have, which can increase or decrease your premiums.
Enhance your cover
- Dental and optical cover: for routine dental treatment and optical expenses
- Mental health treatment: to add day patient and inpatient care to your core outpatient cover for acute psychiatric conditions
- Extended hospital list: increase the number of hospitals you can use, mostly in the Greater London area. This is instead of Expert Select, our core route to treatment or the standard Key hospital list
- Other treatment and therapies: such as a physiotherapist, osteopath, chiropractor or acupuncturist referral if you have a sports injury or whiplash after an accident
- No claim discount protection: a small sum to help keep future premiums down
Reduce your cover
- Use the NHS for some services: you'll still be covered for private inpatient and day patient care if NHS treatment isn't available within six weeks
- Policy excess: pay towards the cost of a claim – choose from £100, £200, £500, £1,000, £3,000 or £5,000 – no more than once per person, per policy year
- Reduced hospital lists: you can choose the Signature hospital list, which includes hospitals in Scotland and Northern Ireland only, or the Trust hospital list of NHS Trust and Partnership private hospital units, if you live within the catchment area
- Reduced outpatient cover: you can choose to reduce your outpatient cover to a limit of £0, £500 or £1,000. These reduced limits don't apply to cancer treatment
Types of health insurance
We offer two types of health insurance – full, private health insurance cover and diagnostics only cover. Both can help avoid NHS wait times, however because our diagnostics cover doesn’t pay for any treatment, it’s cheaper than traditional private health insurance.
This table shows the main differences between these two types of cover:
| Diagnostics Insurance | Private Health Insurance | |
|---|---|---|
| Summary of cover | Speedy Diagnostics covers the costs of tests to find out what’s wrong, and helps you avoid waiting lists, but doesn’t pay for treatment. | With Healthier Solutions, you get access to prompt, private medical treatment, with many benefits as part of your core cover. |
| Cover for diagnostic tests with a specialist, including MRI scans, X-rays, blood tests and ECGs | until point of diagnosis | Yes |
| Hospital and specialist charges for inpatient and day patient diagnostic tests | until point of diagnosis | Yes |
| No claim discount (NCD) | Yes | Yes |
| Prompt access to treatment in quality private facilities | No | Yes |
| Cancer treatment and aftercare | No | Yes |
| Cover towards outpatient mental health treatment and specialist referred physiotherapy | No | Yes |
| Options to enhance or reduce your cover | No | Yes |
| Access to the Aviva Digital GP app with 5 GP video consultations per member, per policy year* | Yes | Yes |
| 24/7 access to the Stress Counselling helpline. This service is available to members aged 16 and over | Yes | Yes |
| Get Active – savings on gym services, discounted lifestyle products and offers at over 3,000 nationwide health and fitness clubs* | Yes | Yes |
| Mental health support – we provide easy access to information and articles on a range of topics* | Yes | Yes |
| MyHealthCounts – an online health and wellbeing tool that provides members over the age of 18 the chance to qualify for up to 15% off their renewal premiums | No | Yes |
*These services are non-contractual and can be changed and withdrawn by Aviva at any time.
Find out more about our Diagnostics Insurance cover.
Health insurance overseas
Can I get health cover if I live outside the UK?
No, you need to be a permanent UK resident to take out our health insurance.
Will health insurance cover me for travel outside the UK?
No, we don't offer international health insurance.
Renewal price guarantee
Take out a new health insurance policy with us, and we'll guarantee your premiums won't increase at first renewal if you haven't made a claim that's reduced your no claim discount level.
Ready to get cover?
If you already have a health insurance policy with us and need to speak to someone, head to Already with us?
Call us for a private health insurance quote
Monday to Friday: 9:00am - 6:00pm
Saturday, Sunday and bank holidays: Closed
Calls may be monitored and/or recorded. Calls to 0800 or 0808 numbers from UK landlines and mobiles are free.
Already with us?
Make a claim online
You can make a claim quickly online using MyAviva or over the phone. We'll just need to know your symptoms, when they started, and what you've been referred for. If we approve your claim, you'll get the private treatment you need.
Need to contact us?
If you have a question about your policy, you can contact us by email and we'll get back to you.
Make a private health insurance claim
Monday to Friday: 9:00am - 6:00pm
Speak to our health insurance customer services team
Monday to Friday: 9:00am - 6:00pm
Calls may be monitored or recorded. Calls to 0800 or 0808 numbers from UK landlines and mobiles are free.
Manage your cover with MyAviva
- Update your details
- Start a claim
- View your policies
- View your discounts
Please note the MyAviva app is not currently available in the Isle of Man.
Other health cover options
From diagnostics insurance to cover for specific conditions, here's how else you can help protect yourself.
Making a claim
If you’re already covered by our health insurance and you need to make a claim, we’ll make sure it’s as smooth as it can be.
Health articles
Keep on top of your health and wellbeing with our guides and articles.
Heart disease and health insurance
Heart disease may be more common than you think.
Read more
The benefits of acupuncture
Could acupuncture help with your headaches, migraines, joint pain or neck pain?
See acupuncture facts
Virtual physiotherapy
What is 'virtual physiotherapy' and could it help ease your back pain?
See treatment details
Long COVID: is it really the right diagnosis?
The symptoms of long COVID are wide-ranging, how do you know when it isn’t long COVID and when you might need support for something else? Find out more here.
Find out more
Adjusting to life after lockdown
As we move past the peak of the pandemic, life is beginning to resemble what it used to be. Can we simply pick up where we left off? Find out more here.
Read more
All about the menopause
The menopause is when a person stops having periods and can’t get pregnant naturally anymore. Find out more about the causes and when it starts here.
Find out more
Why do my health insurance premiums go up?
When we’re figuring out the price of your health insurance, there are a few different factors we need to think about. Some of them are about you and your lifestyle, and others are about the world around us and what’s happening in the insurance market.
Find out more
Health insurance: the different types and how affordable they are
Before you buy health insurance, consider your needs and your budget
What's the different types?