As an FCA-authorised broker that has helped arrange over 750,000 policies, WeCovr provides expert reviews on private medical insurance in the UK. This guide explores AXA Health’s comprehensive family cover, offering you the clarity needed to protect the people who matter most.
WeCovr reviews AXA's PMI plans and compares them with other leading providers
Choosing the right private medical insurance (PMI) for your family is one of the most important financial decisions you can make. It’s a commitment to their health and wellbeing, providing peace of mind and fast access to high-quality medical care when you need it most.
AXA Health is one of the UK’s most established and respected health insurers. Their comprehensive plans are a popular choice for families seeking extensive cover and excellent service. In this definitive guide, we will break down everything AXA Health offers, compare it with other market leaders like Bupa and Vitality, and explain how to find the best value for your specific needs.
What is Private Medical Insurance and Why Consider It in the UK?
First, let's cover the basics. Private medical insurance is a policy you pay for that covers the cost of private healthcare for specific medical conditions. It works alongside the NHS, not as a replacement for it.
The NHS provides exceptional care to millions, but it is facing unprecedented pressure. According to the latest NHS England data for early 2025, the elective care waiting list continues to hover around 7.5 million treatment pathways. For families, this can mean long, anxious waits for consultations, scans, and non-urgent operations.
This is where PMI steps in. Its primary benefit is to bypass these waiting lists for eligible conditions, giving you:
- Speedy Access: Quicker appointments with specialists and consultants.
- Choice and Control: More choice over the hospital you're treated in and the specialist who treats you.
- Comfort and Privacy: Often includes a private room with an en-suite bathroom during hospital stays.
- Access to Specialist Drugs: Potential access to drugs and treatments not yet available on the NHS due to funding or approval delays.
The Golden Rule of UK PMI: Acute vs. Chronic Conditions
It's absolutely vital to understand this distinction. Standard UK private medical insurance is designed to cover acute conditions that arise after your policy begins.
- 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 joint replacements, cataract surgery, or hernia repairs.
- A chronic condition is a long-term illness that cannot be cured but can be managed. Examples include diabetes, asthma, arthritis, and high blood pressure.
PMI does not cover chronic or pre-existing conditions. If you have a medical issue before you take out a policy, it will be excluded from your cover. Always be transparent about your medical history when applying.
A Deep Dive into AXA Health's Comprehensive Cover
AXA Health’s main policy is called Personal Health. It's designed to be flexible, allowing you to build a plan that fits your family's needs and budget. It starts with a core foundation and allows you to add optional extras.
Core Cover: The Foundation of Your Policy
Every AXA Personal Health plan includes comprehensive core cover as standard. This is the bedrock of your protection.
- In-patient and Day-patient Treatment: This covers tests and surgery when you are admitted to a hospital, either overnight (in-patient) or for the day (day-patient). This is paid in full, including hospital fees, specialist fees, and anaesthetist fees, as long as the treatment is eligible and you use a hospital from your chosen list.
- Extensive Cancer Cover: This is a major strength of AXA's plan. It covers diagnosis and treatment for cancer, including surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy. It also includes ongoing monitoring and support.
- NHS Cash Benefit: If you choose to have eligible in-patient treatment on the NHS instead of using your private cover, AXA will pay you a cash amount (e.g., £100 per night) up to a certain limit.
- AXA Doctor at Hand: This provides 24/7 access to a private GP by phone or video call, often with an appointment available within hours. This is incredibly useful for busy families, saving you a trip to your local surgery for advice, prescriptions, or referrals.
Optional Add-ons: Tailoring Your Cover
This is where you can customise your plan. The main options to consider are:
- Out-patient Cover: This is one of the most important and popular add-ons. It covers consultations with specialists and diagnostic tests (like MRI or CT scans) that don't require a hospital admission. AXA offers different levels, from a full-cover option to capped amounts (e.g., £500 or £1,000 per year) to help manage premiums.
- Therapies Cover: This option covers treatment from physiotherapists, osteopaths, and chiropractors. For active families or those with children involved in sports, this can be invaluable for treating sprains and injuries quickly.
- Mental Health Cover: While core cover includes some initial support, this add-on provides more extensive access to psychiatrists and psychologists for in-patient and out-patient treatment. Given the growing focus on mental wellbeing, this is a vital consideration for many families.
- Dental and Optical Cover: This helps with routine costs like check-ups, fillings, new glasses, and contact lenses. It operates more like a cashback plan and is separate from the core medical insurance.
Underwriting Options Explained
When you apply for PMI, the insurer needs to know about your medical history to decide what they can cover. AXA offers two main ways of doing this:
Underwriting Type | How It Works | Best For |
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Moratorium (Mori) | You don't declare your full medical history upfront. Instead, the insurer automatically excludes any condition you've had symptoms, treatment, or advice for in the last 5 years. This exclusion can be lifted if you go 2 full years on the policy without any issues relating to that condition. | People who want a quicker application process and have had a relatively clean bill of health for the past few years. |
Full Medical Underwriting (FMU) | You complete a detailed health questionnaire, listing all your past medical conditions. The insurer then reviews this and tells you exactly what is excluded from day one. | People who want absolute certainty about what is and isn't covered from the start, or who have a more complex medical history. |
The AXA Health Hospital List
AXA, like all major insurers, has a directory of approved hospitals. Your choice of hospital list directly impacts your premium.
- Directory of Hospitals: AXA's standard list provides access to a wide network of private hospitals across the UK.
- Guided Option (e.g., Guided Fast Track): By agreeing to use a smaller, pre-selected list of high-quality hospitals for certain procedures, you can significantly reduce your premium. This offers less choice but better value.
How Does AXA Health Compare to Other Leading UK Providers?
No single provider is the "best" for everyone. The right choice depends on your family's priorities—be it comprehensive mental health support, rewards for a healthy lifestyle, or simply the most competitive price.
An independent broker like WeCovr can provide a whole-of-market comparison at no cost to you, but here’s a high-level overview of how AXA Health stacks up against its main competitors, Bupa and Vitality.
Feature | AXA Health (Personal Health) | Bupa (Bupa By You) | Vitality (Personal Healthcare) |
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Core Philosophy | Flexible, traditional cover with a strong focus on service and cancer care. | A trusted, established brand known for comprehensive cover and a vast network. | Focus on wellness and rewarding healthy living with discounts and perks. |
GP Access | AXA Doctor at Hand: 24/7 digital GP service included as standard. | Digital GP: 24/7 digital GP service included as standard. | Vitality GP: 24/7 digital GP service included as standard. |
Mental Health | Strong optional add-on for comprehensive mental health treatment. | Comprehensive mental health cover included as standard on their comprehensive plan. | Integrated mental health support, with cover limits often tied to your Vitality Status. |
Wellness Programme | Less focus on a formal rewards programme compared to Vitality. | Bupa Touch app offers health information but fewer tangible rewards. | The Vitality Programme: A major feature. Earn points for activity to get rewards like cinema tickets, coffee, and lower premiums. |
Out-patient Options | Flexible, with full cover or capped options (£500, £1,000 etc.) | Flexible, with full cover or capped options. | Full cover is standard, but you can add an excess to reduce cost. |
Unique Selling Point | Excellent cancer care proposition and strong customer service reputation. | Very strong brand recognition and direct access to their own network of clinics and centres. | The active rewards programme is a powerful incentive for engaged members. |
AXA Health vs. Bupa
- Similarities: Both are titans of the UK health insurance industry. They offer very similar, high-quality comprehensive plans with flexible options for out-patient cover and hospital lists.
- Differences: Bupa often includes slightly more mental health cover as standard on its higher-tier plans. AXA is frequently praised for its straightforward claims process and customer service. Pricing can be very competitive between the two, often depending on your age and location.
AXA Health vs. Vitality
- Similarities: Both offer excellent core medical insurance with fast access to diagnosis and treatment.
- Differences: This is a clash of philosophies. AXA provides a more traditional, straightforward insurance product. Vitality integrates insurance with a lifestyle programme. If your family is highly active and you're confident you'll engage with the Vitality app to track activity and earn points, you could benefit from significant rewards and potentially lower long-term premiums. If you prefer a simpler "set and forget" policy without the need to track your behaviour, AXA is a more direct and less complicated choice.
Understanding the Costs of Family PMI with AXA
The cost of private medical insurance UK varies widely. Your premium is a personalised calculation based on several key factors.
Factors That Influence Your Premium
- Age: The older you are, the higher the statistical likelihood of claiming, so premiums increase with age.
- Location: Healthcare costs vary across the country. Living in London and the South East, where hospital costs are higher, typically results in higher premiums.
- Level of Cover: The more options you add (like full out-patient, therapies, and dental), the more your policy will cost.
- Excess Level: An excess is the amount you agree to pay towards a claim. Choosing a higher excess (e.g., £250 or £500) will lower your monthly premium.
- Hospital List: Choosing a more restricted hospital list will reduce your premium.
- Underwriting: Moratorium underwriting is often slightly more expensive than Full Medical Underwriting due to the insurer taking on more unknown risk.
Example Monthly Premiums (Illustrative)
To give you an idea, here are some illustrative monthly premiums for an AXA Health Personal Health plan. These are for guidance only and are not a quote. Your actual price will depend on the factors above.
Family Profile | Location | Assumed Cover | Estimated Monthly Premium |
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Young Family (Ages 32, 30, child 2) | Manchester | Core cover, £1,000 out-patient, £250 excess | £120 - £160 |
Established Family (Ages 45, 43, teens 14, 16) | Bristol | Core cover, full out-patient, therapies, £100 excess | £250 - £320 |
Single Parent Family (Age 38, child 8) | Edinburgh | Core cover, £500 out-patient, £500 excess, guided hospital list | £80 - £110 |
How to Manage Costs and Get the Best Value
- Increase Your Excess: This is the quickest way to reduce your premium. Just be sure you can comfortably afford to pay it if you need to claim.
- Review Your Out-patient Cover: Do you need unlimited out-patient cover, or would a £1,000 cap suffice? The NHS is often efficient for initial GP referrals and diagnostics.
- Use a Guided Hospital List: If you're happy to have a slightly more limited choice of hospitals, AXA's guided options offer excellent value.
- Speak to a Broker: This is the single most effective step. An independent PMI broker like WeCovr analyses the whole market to find the policy that gives you the right cover at the best possible price. We do the shopping around for you, saving you time and money.
Beyond Insurance: AXA's Commitment to Family Wellness
Modern health insurance isn't just about being there when you're ill; it's also about helping you stay healthy. While AXA may not have a formal points-based system like Vitality, they provide a wealth of resources aimed at improving family wellbeing.
- Health and Wellbeing Hub: Policyholders get access to an online portal filled with articles, videos, and advice on everything from nutrition and fitness to managing stress and improving sleep.
- Proactive Health Support: For certain conditions, AXA provides support from dedicated nurses to help you manage your health and recovery.
- Focus on Young People's Mental Health: Recognising the growing pressures on children and teens, AXA's enhanced mental health options and online resources provide valuable support for the whole family.
A healthy family lifestyle is the best insurance of all. Simple habits can make a huge difference:
- Diet: Aim for balanced meals rich in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Cooking together can be a great family activity.
- Activity: The NHS recommends children aged 5 to 18 do at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity each day. Family walks, bike rides, or just a kickabout in the park all count.
- Sleep: Consistent sleep schedules are vital for physical and mental health, for both children and adults. Aim for 7-9 hours for adults and 9-11 hours for school-age children.
How WeCovr Makes Choosing the Right PMI Simple
The UK private health cover market is complex. With dozens of providers, policies, and options, trying to figure it all out on your own can be overwhelming. That’s where we come in.
WeCovr is an independent, FCA-authorised insurance broker. Our mission is to provide clear, impartial advice to help you make an informed decision. Here’s how we help:
- We Listen: We start by understanding your family's unique needs, health concerns, and budget.
- We Compare: We use our expertise and technology to compare policies from AXA and all other leading UK insurers. We explain the subtle but important differences in policy wording.
- We Advise: We present you with the best options, explaining the pros and cons of each, so you can choose with confidence.
- We Save You Money: Our advice is completely free to you. Because we deal in volume, we can often access preferential rates.
- We Add Value: When you arrange a PMI or Life Insurance policy through WeCovr, you get complimentary access to our AI-powered nutrition app, CalorieHero, to support your family's health goals. You also receive exclusive discounts on other types of insurance you might need, such as home or travel cover.
Our high customer satisfaction ratings are a testament to our commitment to putting our clients first.
Frequently Asked Questions about Family PMI
Will my family's AXA Health policy cover pre-existing medical conditions?
No. This is a fundamental principle of all standard UK private medical insurance. PMI is designed to cover new, acute medical conditions that arise *after* your policy has started. Any conditions for which you or your family members have experienced symptoms, received advice, or had treatment for in the years before taking out the policy will be excluded. Chronic conditions like diabetes or asthma are also not covered.
How do I make a claim on my family's private health insurance?
The process is straightforward. First, you visit your NHS GP for an initial diagnosis. If they recommend you see a specialist, you call your insurer (e.g., AXA Health) to open a claim. They will check your cover, authorise the treatment, and explain the next steps, including which specialists and hospitals you can use from your chosen list. Many insurers, including AXA, also offer digital GP services that can provide an open referral, speeding up the process.
Can I switch my family's health insurance from another provider to AXA Health?
Yes, you can switch providers, and it's often a good way to ensure you're getting the best value. It's important to do this on a 'Continued Medical Exclusions' (CME) basis. This means the new insurer agrees to carry over the same exclusions you had on your old policy, without adding new ones for conditions that have developed while you were covered. An expert PMI broker can manage this process for you to ensure your continuity of cover is protected.
Get Your Personalised Family Health Insurance Quote
Protecting your family’s health is a priority. An AXA Health policy offers a comprehensive and reliable way to ensure they get the best care, fast. But finding the perfect balance of cover and cost requires expert guidance.
Let WeCovr do the hard work for you. Our specialist advisors will compare AXA Health with all the other leading providers to find the ideal solution for your family. The advice is free, impartial, and could save you hundreds of pounds.
Contact WeCovr today for your free, no-obligation quote and discover the peace of mind that comes with the right private medical insurance.