Welcome to our expert review of Aviva's Healthier Solutions policy. As an FCA-authorised broker that has helped arrange over 750,000 policies, WeCovr provides impartial, in-depth analysis of the UK private medical insurance market to help you make a truly informed decision about your health and wellbeing.
Aviva is one of the giants of UK insurance, a household name with a history stretching back over 300 years. Their flagship private health cover, Healthier Solutions, is a popular choice for individuals, families, and businesses across the country. But does it live up to the name? Is it the right fit for your specific needs and budget?
In this comprehensive guide, we'll break down every aspect of the Healthier Solutions policy. We'll explore its core benefits, optional extras, cost-saving mechanisms, and unique features. Our goal is to give you the clarity you need to decide if Aviva is the best PMI provider for you, or if another option might be a better match.
Before diving into the policy, it's worth understanding the company behind it. Aviva is the UK's largest general insurer, providing everything from car and home insurance to pensions and investments. In the private medical insurance UK space, they are one of the "big four" providers, alongside Bupa, AXA Health, and Vitality.
Their scale and financial stability are significant trust signals. With millions of customers worldwide, Aviva has a deep understanding of risk and a vast network of private hospitals and specialists. Their Healthier Solutions policy is designed to be a flexible, modern PMI product that competes directly with the best on the market.
This is the most critical point to understand before considering any private medical insurance policy in the UK.
Private medical insurance is designed to cover acute conditions that arise after you take out your policy.
An acute condition is a disease, illness, or injury that is likely to respond quickly to treatment and lead to a full recovery. Think of things like cataracts, joint replacements, or hernias.
PMI does not cover:
Understanding this distinction is key to having the right expectations for what your private health cover can do for you. It's a partner to the NHS, not a replacement for it.
Every Healthier Solutions policy is built on a foundation of core cover. This is what you get as standard, providing a robust safety net for significant medical events.
Here’s a breakdown of the standard benefits:
Benefit | Details |
---|---|
In-patient & Day-patient Treatment | Full cover for hospital fees, specialist fees, diagnostic tests, and scans when you are admitted to a hospital bed (even for a day). |
Extensive Cancer Cover | This is a major strength. Aviva provides comprehensive cover for cancer treatment, including surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy. They also offer access to some advanced therapies and drugs not always available on the NHS. |
Digital GP (Aviva Digital GP) | 24/7 access to a GP via phone or video call. You can get medical advice, prescriptions, and onward referrals without waiting for an NHS appointment. |
Mental Health Support | Standard cover includes access to support lines and some limited cover for out-patient consultations with a specialist. |
NHS Cash Benefit | If you choose to use the NHS for treatment that would have been covered by your policy, Aviva pays you a cash amount (e.g., £100 per night) as a thank you for saving them money. |
Post-Treatment Therapies | Limited cover for therapies like physiotherapy to aid your recovery after eligible in-patient or day-patient treatment. |
This core package alone provides significant peace of mind, primarily focused on covering the costs of major surgery and cancer care, which are often the most expensive and have the longest NHS waiting lists.
The real flexibility of Healthier Solutions comes from its optional extras. These allow you to build a policy that matches your priorities and budget. Think of it like choosing the trim level and optional extras when buying a new car.
Here are the main options you can add:
This is arguably the most important optional extra. While core cover handles your treatment once you're admitted to hospital, out-patient cover pays for the steps that get you there: specialist consultations and diagnostic tests.
Recent NHS data from 2024 shows that the total waiting list for consultant-led elective care stands at around 7.54 million. This is where out-patient cover is invaluable, allowing you to bypass these queues for diagnosis.
Aviva typically offers several levels:
WeCovr Tip: Choosing a limited out-patient cover (e.g., £1,000) is a popular way to make a policy more affordable while still providing excellent cover for the most common diagnostic pathways.
This extends the basic post-treatment therapy benefit. If you add this option, you can access treatments like physiotherapy, osteopathy, and chiropractic care for new acute conditions, even without having surgery first. This is ideal for those with active lifestyles who might suffer from sports injuries or back pain.
While core cover provides some mental health support, this optional upgrade significantly enhances it. It offers more extensive cover for consultations with psychiatrists and psychologists and may include in-patient treatment for mental health conditions. Given the growing focus on mental wellbeing, this is an increasingly popular and valuable addition.
This add-on provides cashback for routine dental check-ups, hygiene visits, and optical expenses like eye tests and glasses. It operates on a reimbursement basis up to a set annual limit. While convenient, it's important to weigh the extra premium against your expected annual spend on dental and optical care.
Option | What It Adds | Who It's For |
---|---|---|
Out-patient Cover | Pays for specialist consultations and diagnostic tests before hospital admission. | Almost everyone. It's essential for fast diagnosis. |
Therapies Cover | Covers physiotherapy, osteopathy, etc., for acute conditions. | Active individuals, or those prone to musculoskeletal issues. |
Mental Health Pathway | Enhanced cover for psychiatric and psychological treatment. | Anyone wanting comprehensive support for mental wellbeing. |
Dental & Optical | Cashback for routine dental and eye care. | Those who want a single policy for all their routine health expenses. |
An expert PMI broker like WeCovr can help you model the costs of these different options to find the sweet spot between comprehensive cover and an affordable premium.
Besides customising your cover level, there are two main levers you can pull to adjust the price of your Healthier Solutions policy.
An excess is the amount you agree to pay towards a claim each year. It works just like the excess on your car or home insurance. For example, if you have a £250 excess and make a claim for a £3,000 procedure, you would pay the first £250, and Aviva would pay the remaining £2,750.
Choosing an excess of £250 or £500 can significantly reduce your premium without exposing you to unmanageable costs in the event of a claim.
Aviva has a network of several hundred private hospitals across the UK. To manage costs, they group these into different lists. The hospital list you choose directly impacts your premium.
Unless you have a specific reason to require a hospital only found on the Extended list, choosing the Key list is a smart way to get great value.
All major PMI providers offer good core cover. The differences often lie in the details and the value-added benefits. Here’s where Aviva shines.
This is a cornerstone of the modern PMI experience. The ability to speak to a GP 24/7 from anywhere is incredibly convenient. You can get quick advice, a diagnosis for minor ailments, and crucially, an open referral to a specialist if needed, which kickstarts your private treatment journey.
Aviva's "Cancer Care Promise" is a key feature. They promise to cover your cancer treatment, including radiotherapy and chemotherapy, for as long as you have the policy. They also provide access to a dedicated oncology claims team and cover for many of the latest-generation drugs and treatments, some of which may not yet be routinely funded by the NHS due to cost.
Aviva encourages a proactive approach to health. Policyholders often get access to discounts on gym memberships, fitness trackers, and other health-related products and services. While perhaps not as comprehensive as Vitality's points-based programme, it's a valuable perk that supports a healthier lifestyle.
When you arrange your private medical insurance through WeCovr, you not only get our expert, impartial market comparison at no cost to you, but you also unlock exclusive benefits. All our health and life insurance clients receive:
How does Aviva stack up against other big names in the private medical insurance UK market?
Provider | Key Strength | Wellness Programme | Main Differentiator |
---|---|---|---|
Aviva | Comprehensive cancer cover and brand trust. | 'Get Active' discounts on gyms and tech. | A solid, dependable, all-rounder with flexible options. |
Bupa | Huge global network and direct treatment pathways (no GP referral needed for some conditions). | Focus on mental health support and digital tools. | Brand recognition and integrated healthcare services. |
AXA Health | Strong focus on mental health and advanced digital GP service (Doctor@Hand). | 'ActivePlus' gym discounts and health information hub. | Excellent digital integration and member support. |
Vitality | Fully integrated wellness programme rewarding healthy living. | The 'Vitality Programme' is central to the policy, offering extensive rewards. | The "shared value" model: lower your premium by staying active. |
This table shows that while all providers offer excellent clinical cover, they have different philosophies. Aviva is the reliable, flexible choice. Bupa and AXA are strong on digital health and direct access. Vitality is for those who want to be actively rewarded for their healthy lifestyle.
The best PMI provider is entirely personal. A WeCovr advisor can walk you through a detailed comparison based on your unique circumstances.
When you apply for PMI, the insurer needs to know about your medical history. This process is called underwriting. Aviva offers two main types for new customers:
Moratorium (MORI) Underwriting: This is the most common type. You don't declare your full medical history upfront. Instead, the insurer applies a blanket exclusion for any condition you've had in the last 5 years. However, if you go 2 full years on the policy without any symptoms, treatment, or advice for that condition, it may become eligible for cover. It's simple and quick but can create uncertainty at the point of claim.
Full Medical Underwriting (FMU): You complete a detailed health questionnaire, declaring your entire medical history. The insurer then gives you a definitive list of what is and isn't covered from day one. It takes longer to set up, but you have complete clarity.
There is a third option, Continued Personal Medical Exclusions (CPME), for those switching from another PMI provider, which allows you to carry over your existing underwriting terms.
Aviva Healthier Solutions is a top-tier private medical insurance policy from a trusted, financially robust provider.
It's a great choice for:
It may be less suitable for:
Ultimately, the UK private medical insurance market is complex. While Aviva offers a fantastic product, it's just one of many options. The only way to be certain you're getting the best cover at the best price is to compare the market with the help of an independent expert.
Ready to find out more?
Contact WeCovr today for a free, no-obligation quote. Our expert advisors will compare Aviva with other leading UK providers to find the perfect private health cover for your needs and budget.