Saga private health insurance review

Saga provides a range of services aimed at customers aged over 50, including private health insurance. Saga Health Insurance is underwritten by BUPA Insurance Limited.

As well as health cover, Saga also offers a range of general insurance – including car insurance, home insurance, travel insurance, and pet insurance – plus holidays, cruises and a few other financial products.

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 Saga offer the best private health insurance?

Here's how Saga scored in our latest survey:

• 60% customer score – 5th out of 6 providers 
• 66% claims score – 5th out of 6 providers

See how this compares with the best private health insurance. 

How did customers rate Saga?

In our latest customer satisfaction survey, Saga got a customer score of 60%. This puts Saga in fifth place out of the six providers in our survey, and a fair way behind the top scorer – WPA – which achieved a score of 74%. 

As well as assessing overall satisfaction, we asked Saga customers who had recently made a claim how they felt about their experience. It scored 66% – again, fifth out of the six providers in our analysis.

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

What does Saga offer?

Saga offers four core private health insurance plans:

• Support – the least comprehensive plan. It includes inpatient and day-patient cover, with the exception of mental health conditions. But, other than surgical procedures, it excludes outpatient treatment (such as consultations and diagnostic tests and scans, physiotherapy, and cancer treatment).
• Saver Plus – this includes everything that you get with Support, plus treatment of mental health conditions, outpatient treatment, and nursing at home following eligible inpatient treatment. There is a limit on how much it will pay towards consultations, diagnostic tests, complementary therapies, and scans. 
• Secure – this additionally gets you recuperative care following eligible inpatient treatment, and ambulance transport if it's recommended by a specialist. There is a limit on how much it will pay towards consultations, diagnostic tests and complementary therapies, but there's no restriction on scans. 
• Super – the most comprehensive plan. As well as everything you get with Secure, this plan also offers dental cover. There are no restrictions on consultations, diagnostic tests and complementary therapies.

All four plans also get you an NHS cash benefit for up to 20 nights per year, access to Saga's online and telephone GP Service, and a 24/7 health line. 

No matter which plan you select, you can tailor it to adjust the hospital lists you have access to, adjust your excess, add cash benefits for everyday health costs, and add Extended Cancer cover. 

What doesn't Saga cover?

In line with most health insurers, there are a few things that Saga excludes as standard from all its policies. These include anything related to pregnancy and childbirth, fees for outpatient drugs or dressings, and treatment for chronic conditions such as diabetes or asthma. It also excludes treatment for any pre-existing conditions anyone on your policy has experienced in the last three years. 

• Find out more: is it worth getting over-50s life insurance?

How much does Saga private health cover cost?

Your age, where you live, your lifestyle (such as whether you smoke) and various other factors can all affect the cost of private health insurance. Those in their early 50s are likely to pay less than those in their 70s, for example. 

To give you an idea of possible costs, we used Saga's website to get quotes for annual cover for a couple (aged 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 quotes for the same scenario from other leading private health insurance providers: Aviva, Axa Health, Bupa, Vitality, and WPA. Of the six providers we checked, Saga was the second cheapest for this scenario. 

It's always worth shopping around for private medical cover though, as insurance underwriting is a complex system, and the best-value provider for one customer may not be the best value for another. 

How can you save money on Saga private health insurance?

Compare with competitors

You can buy Saga private health insurance directly from Saga, via general price comparison sites such as Compare the Market, or through specialist life and health insurance brokers. 

Even if you've got a quote from Saga that seems reasonable, we recommend doing a comparison with other providers, to make sure you're getting the right policy for your needs, at the best price. If you're confident about the features of cover that you need, a price comparison site can be a good way to compare prices. But bear in mind that it can be hard to get exactly like-for-like cover, as features and cover limits can vary between providers. 

If in doubt, speaking to a specialist broker can help you understand your options better and ensure you're getting the right cover, especially if you have more complex needs. 

The British Insurance Brokers' Association (BIBA) and Association of Medical Insurers and Intermediaries (AMII) have searchable directories of brokers that specialise in this kind of cover. 

Reduce your cover

If you're confident that Saga is the right provider for you, there are several ways to keep costs down, including:

• Opt for a cheaper plan. Going for its 'Saver Plus' rather than its 'Super' plan, for example, could cut hundreds of pounds a year off your premium. 
• Choose a restricted hospital list. Letting Saga source a specialist for you is cheaper than having free rein to source your own, but may mean you can't be treated at your preferred hospital. 
• Increase your excess. You can set it at anything from £0 to £1,000 – the higher you set it, the lower your premium will be. 
• Add Saga's '4 Week Wait' option. This means that you will be treated under the NHS if its waiting time is less than four weeks. If it's longer, you can be seen in a private hospital for eligible treatment.

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

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

To make a private health insurance claim with Saga, you'll need to follow these steps:

1. Get a referral from a GP (your own GP or through Saga's digital GP service). 
2. Get in touch with Saga by phone, or online via Bupa's website or the Bupa Touch App (as Saga's policies are underwritten by Bupa). You'll need to provide your policy number, details of your condition and symptoms, and details about the treatment that the GP has recommended. 
3. You'll be told if your condition is covered, and the options available under your plan. You'll also receive a pre-authorisation number so that your healthcare provider can bill Saga directly. If the first specialist recommends further tests or treatment, you'll need to let Saga know. 
4. Following treatment, Saga will pay the treatment providers directly. 

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