Best Family Private Health Insurance in the UK in 2025

By Claudia Jackson

When it comes to your family’s health, choosing the right health insurance plan can offer you peace of mind, safeguard your family’s health and provide your loved ones with fast, expert medical care when they need it. In this article, we’ll look at what family health insurance is, what to look for in a policy and what is the best family health insurance in the UK in 2025.

What is Family Health Insurance?

Family health insurance is a single policy that provides private medical insurance for the whole family including you, your partner, your children, and sometimes other family members.

What are the Benefits of Family Health Insurance?

Family health insurance offers many benefits including:

• Cost-effective Cover: family health insurance is often cheaper than having individual policies for each family member.
• Faster Diagnosis and Treatment: private health insurance allows you to bypass NHS waiting times and access appointments sooner, leading to a faster diagnosis and treatment.
• Choice of Hospitals and Doctors: some private healthcare plans allow you to choose your doctor and the hospital where you are treated.
• Access to Different Treatments: private healthcare may allow you to access treatments and drugs not available on the NHS.

What Does Family Health Insurance Cover?

What is covered by your family health insurance depends on your provider and the type of policy you have. In the UK, family health insurance typically covers you and your immediate family (your partner and children) for acute (short-term) conditions and illnesses.

Family health insurance usually covers:

• Outpatient Treatment: including specialist consultations, diagnostic tests such as X-rays, CT and MRI scans and treatments that don’t require a hospital stay.
• Inpatient Treatment: includes treatment, procedures and surgeries that require a hospital stay.
• Choice of Private Hospitals, Specialists and Facilities: Some insurers offer access to a network of private hospitals, specialists and facilities, allowing you to choose your healthcare provider.
• Cancer Cover: Many private health insurance policies include comprehensive cancer cover, allowing you faster access to specialists and treatments. This may include treatments and drugs not available on the NHS.

In addition, private family health insurance may include the following, either as part of a comprehensive policy or as an optional extra.

• Private GP Services: some private health insurance policies offer access to private GP appointments either in-person or online.
• Dental Cover: some private health insurance policies include optional dental cover.
• Additional Therapies: Some private health insurance policies may include cover for additional treatments such as physiotherapy.
• Mental Health Cover: some private health insurance policies offer coverage for mental health conditions and access to mental health professionals.
• Home Nursing: Some comprehensive health insurance policies may include cover for home nursing services.

What Does Family Health Insurance Not Cover?

Family health insurance in the UK typically doesn't cover pre-existing conditions (a condition you were diagnosed with before your policy started), or chronic health conditions such as diabetes, asthma or arthritis.

In addition, your family health insurance may not cover:

• Normal pregnancy and childbirth (complications may be covered).
• Treatment for alcohol or substance abuse.
• Infertility treatment.
• Cosmetic surgery and aesthetic procedures.
• Emergency treatment.
• Self-inflicted injuries, or injuries resulting from extreme sports like skydiving or bungee jumping.

How to Choose A Family Health Insurance Plan in the UK

The right private health insurance for your family depends on several factors including the level of coverage you need, your individual circumstances and your budget.

Some important questions to ask when choosing the right health insurance policy for your family include:

What do I want my family health insurance to cover?

Depending on your budget and family’s needs, you may opt for a basic health insurance policy that only covers inpatient and cancer care, or a more comprehensive policy that includes outpatient treatment, dental care, physiotherapy, virtual GP services, and mental health support.

What coverage does the policy provide for children?

If you have children, you may want to choose a policy that includes their specific needs such as vaccinations and routine check-ups. It's also important to check the age criteria for any children covered. Some policies may offer coverage up to a certain age, and coverage may depend on whether or not the child lives with you. Some health insurance policies offer free coverage for children up to a certain age.

Can I add extra coverage?

Many health insurance policies allow you to customise the coverage to best suit your family's needs by adding extras such as mental health support, physiotherapy or dental care.

How much does the policy cost?

Private medical insurance can be expensive, and it’s important to get the most cost-effective policy for your family. Compare premiums from different providers with what you get for your money including wellness incentives and optional extras. It’s also important to look at the excess (the amount of money you pay when you make a claim).

How are the claims process and customer service?

In addition to the coverage and cost, a clear and efficient claims process is a must when choosing private health insurance for your family. Great customer service is also essential, should you need help, or if any problems arise. A good way to find information on this is to check the ratings and reviews of your insurer on independent review sites like Trustpilot.

Does the policy offer any additional incentives?

In addition to health coverage, some health insurers like Vitality offer incentives to encourage healthy behaviour by providing discounts on fitness membership, health checks and screening.

What exclusions apply to the policy?

Before deciding on a health insurance policy for your family, be sure you understand what exclusions apply, i.e. what isn’t covered under your policy. While standard exclusions are discussed above, different policies may vary and may depend on factors such as your medical history.

How Much Does Private Family Health Insurance Cost in the UK?

The monthly cost of private health insurance in the UK varies depending on factors like age, location, level of cover, and the number of family members insured. On average you can expect to pay between £130 and £220 per month for family health insurance in the UK.

What is the Best UK insurance for Family Cover in 2025?

The best medical insurance for your family varies depending on factors such as the level of coverage you require, the number of family members you want to include and your budget. At Morehealth, we’ve compared some of the best-rated family health insurance providers in the UK to see what they offer for your family.

Bupa Family Health Insurance

Bupa is one of the largest private health insurance companies in the UK and offers family plans that provide cover for a wide range of treatments and conditions. You can also customise your plan based on your family’s needs and add optional extras such as dental care and mental health services. Bupa currently has a Trustpilot score of 4.4/5.

Key Features

• Fast access to a large network of specialists and private hospitals
• Flexible add-ons like dental, optical and mental health services
• GP appointments and a 24-hour nurse helpline
• Parent accommodation if your child needs to stay in hospital
• 10% family discount when compared to taking out individual policies
• All children (under 20) covered for the price of one

Vitality Family Health Insurance

In addition to a range of family health insurance coverage, Vitality offers a rewards programme and provides incentives to families for making healthy choices. Your family can earn points for healthy activities like eating healthily, exercising, and having regular check-ups and use these points to obtain discounts on things like gym membership, health services, and spas. Vitality’s family plans cover inpatient and outpatient treatments, mental health services, and access to private specialists. Vitality has a current Trustpilot score of 4.4/5.

Key Features

• Flexible plans with optional extras like dental, optical and mental health cover that can be customised to your family’s needs.
• Access to GP video consultations and 24-hour helplines.
• Access to a network of specialists and private hospitals.
• Healthy lifestyle rewards programme.

AXA Family Health Insurance

One of the largest healthcare insurers in the UK, AXA offers a range of family health insurance with flexible policies that can be tailored to your family’s needs. AXA Health has a current Trustpilot score of 4.1/5.

Key Features

• Access to a range of private hospitals and specialists across the UK.
• Flexible policies that allow you to tailor coverage to your family’s needs.
• Virtual GP services with 24-hour advice and support.
• Family-friendly options with coverage for children at reduced rates.
• The option to add family members including your partner, children, parents, grandparents and grandchildren to your policy.

Aviva Family Health Insurance

Aviva offers a range of family health insurance options from budget-friendly to comprehensive coverage. In addition to a wide range of medical treatments, Aviva offers the option to add additional coverage for services like dental, mental health, and physiotherapy. There is also the option to add additional children’s coverage which includes vaccinations and routine check-ups. Aviva currently has a Trustpilot score of 4.5/5.

Key Features:

• Flexible, customizable family health plans to suit different budgets.
• Access to a range of private hospitals across the UK.
• Optional coverage for children’s healthcare needs.
• Online tools for managing your policy and submitting claims.

Finding the right private health insurance for your family is one of the most important decisions you can make to protect your family’s health. Family health insurance policies vary in terms of price, coverage and optional extras and one may be more suited than another when it comes to your family’s specific needs.

At Morehealth, we’re here to demystify the complex world of health insurance and offer free and impartial advice to ensure you get the best deal for your family. Our friendly team of advisors are experts in health insurance and are on hand to guide you through the process, ask any questions you may have, and find the right policy for you and your family.

Call us now on 0800 028 5540 or Get A Quote

References and further reading

Private Health Insurance Bupa

Fast access to private Healthcare with AXA Health AXA Health

Live longer with Vitality Insurance Vitality

Health Cover Aviva