Bupa private health insurance review

Bupa is the UK's largest health insurer. Originating in the UK in 1947, Bupa now has more than 50 million customers worldwide. 

As well as offering health and dental insurance, it also runs a wide network of private hospitals. 

Please note that the information in this article is for information purposes only and does not constitute advice. Please refer to the particular terms and conditions of an insurer before committing to any financial products.

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• Find out more: Best private health insurance 

Does Bupa offer the best private health insurance?

Here's how Bupa scored in our latest survey:

• 61% customer score – 4th out of 6 providers 
• 70% claims score – joint 3rd out of 6 providers

See how this compares with the best private health insurance. 

How did customers rate Bupa?

Bupa received a customer score of 61% in our customer satisfaction survey, placing it fourth out of six providers. It was rated four out of five stars for most aspects of its cover, including its range of hospitals and choice of medical professionals, and three out of five stars for everything else. 

Customers also told us what they thought of their most recent claims experience. Bupa scored 70% overall, placing it joint third with Axa Health, with four-star ratings across the board. Customers gave it five stars for choice of consultants available during a claim, matched only by Which? Recommended Provider WPA. 

Select a table to see how customers rated Bupa in various areas of service.

What does Bupa offer?

Bupa offers two levels of private medical insurance cover: 

• Treatment and Care, which is cheaper, but excludes tests, scans and outpatient appointments before treatment
• Comprehensive, which is more expensive, but includes pre-treatment tests, scans and outpatient appointments. 

As standard, both levels of cover include hospital treatment, outpatient therapies such as physiotherapy, mental health cover, cancer cover, and post-treatment tests, scans and appointments. You'll also get a dental allowance, an NHS cash benefit (which pays money into your bank account if you choose to have treatment through the NHS rather than using your private cover), an 'Anytime Healthline', and access to GP services by phone or video call. 

When you get a quote, you'll need to make a few choices that can affect your premium, including:

• Your level of hospital access; a wider choice of hospitals will cost more
• How much excess you want to pay (from £0 to £500)
• How much outpatient cover you want (from £500 to unlimited) – this applies to Comprehensive cover only 

If you get a quote by phone, you can also choose to exclude cancer cover from your policy. Cancer cover is automatically included for policies purchased online. 

What doesn't Bupa cover?

Like all private medical insurance policies, Bupa's cover has some exclusions as standard. It usually won't cover pre-existing medical conditions. It also excludes conditions related to pregnancy, ageing, menopause and puberty, allergies and food intolerances, and most chronic conditions (with the exception of cancer and mental health conditions). 

• Find out more: critical illness protection explained

How much does Bupa private health cover cost?

The cost of private health insurance can vary dramatically based on factors such as your age, where you live, and your smoking status. Older people or those that smoke, for example, are likely to pay significantly more than younger, non-smokers.

To give you an idea of Bupa's pricing, we used its website to get quotes for annual cover for two couples (aged 35 and 55) living in south London. We assumed that they were in good health, didn't smoke, and had no pre-existing medical issues.

We also got equivalent quotes for five other leading private health insurance providers: Aviva, Axa Health, Saga, Vitality, and WPA. Premiums ranged from £1,129 to £2,698 for our 35-year-old couple, and £1,865 to £4,569 for our 55-year-old couple, putting Bupa's premiums in around the middle of these ranges. 

Bear in mind that these quotes are illustrative; Bupa may offer better or worse value for other scenarios.

How can you save money on Bupa private health insurance?

Compare quotes

There are several ways to buy Bupa private health insurance, including:

• Directly from Bupa
• Via general price comparison sites such as Compare the Market, Confused.com or Money Supermarket
• Through a specialist life and health insurance broker. 

Costs and cover levels can vary between providers, so – as with any insurance purchase – we recommend comparing quotes from other providers. If you know what cover you need, a price comparison site can be a quick and easy way to get a range of quotes – though not all comparison sites cover the whole market. 

However, if you're not quite sure what cover you and your family need, speaking to a specialist broker can help you understand your options and ensure you're getting the right cover. 

The British Insurance Brokers' Association (BIBA) and Association of Medical Insurers and Intermediaries (AMII) have searchable directories of brokers that specialise in health and life insurance. 

Adjust your cover levels

If, after comparing providers, you're confident that Bupa is right for your needs, you can tweak your cover to keep your premiums down. Ways to cut costs include:

• Choose Bupa's lower-level 'Treatment and Care' policy, which excludes pre-treatment appointments, tests and scans. 
• Opt for a higher excess. This the amount you'll need to contribute towards any claim. The higher the excess, the lower your premium is likely to be. 
• Choose a less extensive hospital list. This will help keep costs down, but could mean you can't get treatment at your preferred hospital. 
• Limit your outpatient cover to £500 or £1,000 rather than unlimited cover. 

If you buy your policy online, you can also choose to exclude private cancer cover. 

• Find out more: is private health insurance worth it?

How do I make a claim for Bupa private health insurance?

If you have cancer symptoms, mental health concerns, or problems with your muscles, bones or joints, call Bupa directly as you may be able to get treatment without a GP referral. 

For other symptoms, you'll need to follow these steps:

1. Book an appointment with your own GP or through Bupa's digital GP service. If they recommend you see a specialist, ask the GP for an open referral letter. This outlines the type of treatment you need, but without specifying a particular specialist or location for treatment. 
2. Contact Bupa. You'll need to provide your membership number, details of your symptoms and when you spoke to a GP, and details of the recommended treatment. Bupa will outline next steps and, if your treatment is covered, provide you with a pre-authorisation code. 
3. Bupa will refer you to a medical professional who can provide the tests or treatment you need next. You'll need to make an appointment and provide your pre-authorisation number so that Bupa can pay them directly for your treatment. 

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