UK Private Medical Insurance Calculator
Estimate your UK private medical insurance premium by age, family size, excess, and hospital list — Bupa, AXA, Aviva, Vitality 2026 benchmarks.
Who to cover
PMI Household Premium
Monthly Premium
£88.67
£1,064/year · 1 member(s) covered
Annual Premium
£1,064
Members
1
Cover Tier
comprehensive
Excess
£250
What PMI actually buys you in the UK
Private Medical Insurance doesn't replace the NHS — it sits alongside it. It buys faster diagnosis (MRI in days not months), elective surgery with a consultant of your choice, and private hospital rooms. Emergency, maternity, GP, and most chronic conditions remain NHS. The core 2026 value prop is the elective backlog — NHS waits currently average 14+ weeks for planned care.
Cover tiers and what they exclude
Essentials: in-patient only (surgery, hospital stays). Comprehensive: adds outpatient (consultations, scans, physio). Premier: adds mental health, dental, optical, and Central London hospital list (Cromwell, Wellington, Harley Street).
2026 UK premium benchmarks
Single 30-year-old comprehensive with £250 excess: ~£55–£85/month. 55-year-old: ~£140–£220. Family of four: ~£180–£300. Premiums rise 6–10%/yr (medical inflation) and spike at age bands 50, 60, 70.
Tax and employer PMI
Individual PMI has no tax relief. Employer-paid PMI is a Benefit-in-Kind — you pay Income Tax on the premium at your marginal rate via P11D. A £1,500/yr employer PMI scheme costs a higher-rate taxpayer £600/yr in tax — still usually a bargain vs buying individually.
Common questions about PMI
What does UK PMI actually cover?+
Acute conditions: diagnostics (scans, biopsies), specialist consultations, elective surgery, cancer treatment (modular), outpatient mental health (modular). Chronic conditions (diabetes, asthma, long-term back pain), pregnancy (except complications), and emergency A&E care are handled by the NHS — PMI complements rather than replaces it. Good for getting treated fast (weeks, not months) and accessing named consultants, private rooms, and certain drugs/therapies outside NHS provision.
How much does PMI cost in 2026?+
Single adult benchmarks (moderate plan, £200 excess): age 30 ~£55/mo, age 40 ~£85/mo, age 50 ~£145/mo, age 60 ~£245/mo, age 70 ~£420/mo. Family of four with two kids: ~£225-£350/mo on a mid-tier plan. Smokers +20-30%. Adding full outpatient + mental health modules adds ~£15-£35/mo. Premiums rise 8-12% per year (medical inflation + age).
Does IPT (Insurance Premium Tax) apply to PMI?+
Yes — 12% standard IPT is added to PMI premiums. So a quoted £100/mo base becomes £112/mo on the invoice. Factor this into the headline cost when comparing providers. Employer-paid PMI is a taxable P11D benefit for the employee (taxed on the premium + IPT).
Individual PMI or employer scheme?+
Employer schemes (Bupa, Vitality, AXA Healthcare for Business) are typically cheaper per head due to group underwriting, often moratorium underwriting (no medical history forms), and include a taxable P11D benefit. When you leave, you can usually port to an individual policy under "continuation" — keeping pre-existing condition cover subject to the same terms. If you are healthy and young, moving to individual later is easy; if you have had claims, keep employer PMI.
Moratorium vs full medical underwriting?+
Moratorium: the insurer excludes any condition you had symptoms, treatment, or advice for in the preceding 5 years; if you go 2 years symptom-free during the policy, that condition becomes covered. Full Medical Underwriting (FMU): you disclose everything up front; the insurer writes specific exclusions. Moratorium is faster to buy; FMU gives certainty. Young, healthy applicants should prefer moratorium.
Hospital list (Guided vs Open) — what's the trade-off?+
Guided/Directional networks (e.g., Bupa Select, AXA Guided) restrict you to a preferred hospital list in exchange for 15-25% lower premium. Open networks let you choose any private hospital. If you live outside London, the Guided network usually includes your nearest decent hospital at considerable saving. For Zone 1 London addresses who want HCA hospitals (The Wellington, The Princess Grace), the Open network is worth the premium.
Can I claim on PMI for cancer treatment?+
Cancer modules vary hugely. Top-tier (Full Cover, Comprehensive) plans pay for drugs not available on NHS (PD-1 inhibitors, CAR-T), named consultants, and full radiotherapy. Basic plans cap cancer at NHS-equivalent care. Always check: does the plan include access to drugs licensed in the EU/US but not yet routinely available on NHS? This clause is worth more than almost any other, if you can afford the premium.