AXA vs Aviva Best PMI Cover for UK Families in 2026
Choosing the right private medical insurance for your family is one of the most important financial decisions you'll make. With WeCovr, an FCA-authorised broker that has helped arrange over 900,000 policies, you get expert, impartial guidance. This guide cuts through the noise, comparing two of the UK's leading insurers, AXA and Aviva, to help you find the best private health cover for your family's needs in 2026.
We compare AXA and Aviva on underwriting style, policy flexibility, and long-term value
When selecting a Private Medical Insurance (PMI) plan, families are often faced with a choice between titans of the industry. AXA and Aviva are both formidable providers, each with a long history of protecting UK families. However, they have distinct approaches to cover, flexibility, and pricing that can make one a better fit for your specific circumstances.
This comprehensive comparison will examine:
- Underwriting: How they assess your family's medical history and what it means for your cover.
- Policy Customisation: The building blocks you can use to tailor your plan and control your budget.
- Long-Term Value: The features that provide genuine benefit beyond the core policy, such as cancer care, mental health support, and digital tools.
Here is a top-level summary of how AXA and Aviva stack up for a typical family policy.
| Feature | AXA Health | Aviva | WeCovr's Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Core Philosophy | Highly modular "build-your-own" approach. | Comprehensive, feature-rich core offering. | AXA suits those wanting granular control; Aviva is excellent for a robust, all-in-one start. |
| Cancer Cover | Comprehensive pathway with access to the latest treatments. | Award-winning, extensive cancer support promise. | Both are market-leading. Aviva often has a slight edge in its all-encompassing support network. |
| Mental Health | Strong focus, with options to extend cover significantly. | Integrated into core plans with good access pathways. | Both are excellent. AXA's modularity allows for higher levels of cover if mental health is a top priority. |
| Digital GP | Doctor at Hand (powered by Teladoc Health). | Aviva Digital GP (powered by Aviva). | Both offer 24/7 access and are highly rated. A near tie in functionality. |
| Underwriting | Standard Moratorium and Full Medical Underwriting. | Standard Moratorium and Full Medical Underwriting. | Both offer flexible switching options (CPME), but the process is best managed by a broker. |
Ultimately, the best provider depends entirely on your family's priorities, medical history, and budget. Let's delve into the details.
The Golden Rule of UK PMI: Understanding Acute vs. Chronic Conditions
Before comparing any providers, it's crucial to understand the fundamental principle of private medical insurance in the UK.
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. Examples include joint replacements, cataract surgery, hernia repairs, or diagnostic tests for new symptoms.
- A chronic condition is an illness that cannot be cured but can be managed with medication and monitoring. Examples include diabetes, asthma, high blood pressure, and arthritis.
Standard PMI policies do not cover the routine management of chronic conditions. They also do not cover pre-existing conditions, which are any health issues you had before your policy began. This is the single most common point of confusion for new buyers. Your PMI is there to get you diagnosed and treated quickly for new, eligible medical problems, getting you back on your feet and bypassing NHS waiting lists.
AXA vs. Aviva: At-a-Glance Comparison for 2026
To help you see the key differences quickly, here’s a more detailed breakdown of what each insurer offers.
| Aspect of Cover | AXA Health (Personal Health Plan) | Aviva (Healthier Solutions) |
|---|---|---|
| Core Cover (Standard) | In-patient & day-patient treatment, extensive cancer cover, post-op therapies. | In-patient & day-patient treatment, extensive cancer cover, some mental health cover. |
| Outpatient Options | Choose from £0, £500, £1,000, or unlimited outpatient cover. | Standard (£1,000) or Full outpatient cover options. Diagnostics are often separate. |
| Mental Health Pathway | Strong pathway included, with options to upgrade to comprehensive mental health cover. | Access to mental health support included as standard. |
| No Claims Discount (NCD) | Up to 80% NCD available on a 16-level scale. NCD protection is an option. | Up to 75% NCD available. A protected NCD is also an option. |
| Hospital Access | Tiered lists: 'Directory of Hospitals' or options to add London hospitals. | Tiered lists: 'Key', 'Signature', and 'Extended' hospital lists. |
| Family Benefits | Discounts for adding family members, strong child-focused health support lines. | Free cover for children under 1 if a parent has a policy. |
| Value-Added Services | Doctor at Hand, Health at Hand support line, gym discounts, wellness incentives. | Aviva Digital GP, Get Active programme, stress counselling helpline. |
This table shows a key philosophical difference: AXA unbundles many features, allowing you to build a policy from the ground up. Aviva provides a more inclusive core product and then asks you to choose your level of outpatient cover and hospital access.
Deep Dive: Underwriting Options Explained
Underwriting is how an insurer assesses the risk of insuring your family. It determines what will and won't be covered from the outset. Both AXA and Aviva offer the two standard types.
1. Moratorium (Mori) Underwriting
This is the most common type for individuals and families as it's quick and doesn't require filling out lengthy medical forms.
- How it works: The insurer will not cover you for any pre-existing conditions you (or your family members) have had symptoms, treatment, or advice for in the five years before the policy starts. However, if you go for a continuous two-year period after your policy begins without needing any treatment, advice, or medication for that condition, it may become eligible for cover.
- Pros: Quick and easy to set up. You don't need to disclose your full medical history upfront.
- Cons: Lack of certainty. You may not know if a condition is covered until you try to make a claim. This can lead to disappointment if you misunderstand the rules.
Broker Insight: Moratorium underwriting is simple, but its "two-year rule" is often misconstrued. A broker can help clarify if a past condition is likely to be excluded permanently or could potentially be covered in the future, setting realistic expectations from day one.
2. Full Medical Underwriting (FMU)
This method provides complete clarity from the start but requires more initial administration.
- How it works: You will complete a detailed health questionnaire for every family member being added to the policy. The insurer's underwriting team will review this information and may write to your GP. They will then issue your policy documents with a list of specific, named exclusions.
- Pros: Total transparency. You know exactly what is and isn't covered before you start paying.
- Cons: The application process is longer. Conditions are often excluded permanently, with no chance of being covered later.
Which is better? For a young, healthy family with no significant medical history, a Moratorium policy is often the quickest and most straightforward choice. For a family where members have had various past health issues, FMU can provide valuable peace of mind by clearly defining the boundaries of the cover.
Both AXA and Aviva are highly proficient in both underwriting styles. An independent broker like WeCovr can advise on the best path for your family's unique history.
Policy Flexibility: Customising Your Family's Cover
Modern PMI is not a one-size-fits-all product. The premium you pay is directly influenced by the choices you make.
Core Cover
Both AXA and Aviva provide robust core cover that includes the most expensive treatments:
- In-patient and Day-patient care: This covers hospital stays, surgery fees, anaesthetist fees, and diagnostic tests while admitted to hospital.
- Comprehensive Cancer Cover: This is a cornerstone of both policies (more on this below).
Outpatient Cover
This is the most significant area of customisation and a key driver of your premium. It covers diagnostic tests and consultations that do not require a hospital bed.
| Provider | Outpatient Options & Structure |
|---|---|
| AXA | Highly flexible. You can choose a monetary limit (e.g., £500, £1,000) or unlimited cover. This limit applies to all outpatient services, including consultations, scans, and blood tests. |
| Aviva | More structured. Their 'Standard' outpatient option typically provides a limit (e.g., £1,000) but may have separate sub-limits for diagnostics and therapies. Their 'Full' option removes most of these limits. |
Adviser Tip: If you want to keep costs down, consider a policy with limited or no outpatient cover. This creates a "major-medical" style plan. You would use the NHS for initial consultations and diagnostics, but if a serious condition requiring surgery is found, you can switch to the private sector for prompt treatment.
Excess Levels
An excess is the amount you agree to pay towards a claim each year. A higher excess leads to a lower premium.
- AXA offers a wide range of excesses, from £100 up to £5,000.
- Aviva also provides a broad selection, typically from £100 to £3,000.
Choosing an excess of £250 or £500 is a popular way for families to make their premiums more affordable without exposing themselves to a huge initial cost.
Hospital Lists
Insurers negotiate rates with hospital groups, creating tiered networks to manage costs.
- AXA's 'Directory of Hospitals' is their standard, comprehensive UK-wide list. You can opt for a reduced list to lower premiums or pay more to add exclusive central London hospitals.
- Aviva's 'Key' list is their value option, excluding some premium hospital groups. Their 'Signature' and 'Extended' lists provide broader access, including more London options.
Unless you live in central London or have a strong preference for a specific hospital (like The London Clinic), most families find the standard hospital lists from both providers to be more than adequate.
Long-Term Value for Families: Beyond the Premium
A good family policy is more than just the sum of its parts. It's about the ongoing support and value-added services that help you stay healthy and provide peace of mind.
Cancer Care
This is arguably the most critical component of any PMI policy. Both AXA and Aviva offer exceptional, market-leading cancer cover.
- AXA: Their cancer care includes cover for surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy. A key strength is access to their 'Expert Help' service, providing second opinions and guidance. They cover licensed cancer drugs, and their advanced cancer cover option can include drugs not routinely available on the NHS.
- Aviva: Aviva's 'Cancer Care with Aviva' is renowned. It promises to cover all eligible cancer treatment costs in full, including advanced therapies and experimental drugs, provided there is a good clinical evidence base. Their support includes end-of-life care and donations to a charity of your choice.
Verdict: You cannot go wrong with either. Both provide outstanding clinical care. Aviva's cancer promise is slightly more expansive in its marketing, which can provide extra reassurance, but in practice, both deliver top-tier treatment pathways.
Mental Health Pathways
With growing awareness of mental health challenges in both adults and children, this is a vital area.
- AXA: Provides good mental health support as standard, covering initial consultations and some treatment. Their standout feature is the ability to add an extensive upgraded mental health option, which significantly increases cover for psychiatric treatment, therapy sessions, and in-patient care.
- Aviva: Integrates mental health well into its core 'Healthier Solutions' policy, providing cover for diagnosis and initial treatment without needing a specific add-on.
Verdict: For families where mental wellbeing is a top priority, AXA's optional upgrade offers one of the most comprehensive mental health packages on the market. For good, integrated cover as standard, Aviva is very strong.
Digital GP Services & Wellness
24/7 access to a GP can be a lifeline for parents with sick children.
- AXA's Doctor at Hand: A well-regarded app giving you and your family 24/7 video consultations with a registered GP. They can issue private prescriptions and referral letters.
- Aviva's Digital GP: Aviva's own branded service offering the same core functionality: 24/7 GP access via phone or video, with prescriptions and referrals.
Both services are excellent and dramatically improve a family's access to primary care. Furthermore, both providers offer gym discounts and wellness incentives. As a WeCovr client, you also get complimentary access to CalorieHero, our AI-powered nutrition and calorie tracking app, to further support your family's health goals.
Common Scenarios: How Would AXA and Aviva Compare?
Let's bring this to life with some practical examples.
Scenario 1: Your 10-year-old son has recurring earaches and potential hearing loss.
- GP Visit: You use the Aviva Digital GP or AXA Doctor at Hand for an instant consultation. The GP agrees a specialist is needed and provides an open referral.
- Claim: You call your insurer to pre-authorise the consultation.
- Specialist & Tests: You see an ENT specialist privately within a week. They recommend a hearing test and a tympanometry test.
- Comparison: If you have an outpatient limit of £1,000 on either policy, the costs of the consultation and tests (approx. £250 + £350) would be covered. If your son then needs grommet surgery (a day-patient procedure), this would be covered under the core hospital part of either policy. The process is virtually identical and highly efficient with both.
Scenario 2: A parent needs a knee replacement.
- Diagnosis: You have knee pain, see your NHS GP, and are told the waiting list for an MRI is 12 weeks, and surgery could be over a year away.
- Using PMI: You call your insurer, who authorises a private consultation with an orthopaedic surgeon. The surgeon confirms the need for an MRI, which you have done privately the same week.
- Treatment: The results confirm a knee replacement is required.
- Comparison: Both AXA and Aviva would fully cover the surgery, hospital stay, and a set number of post-operative physiotherapy sessions as part of their core in-patient cover. The key difference might be your choice of hospital, depending on the hospital list you selected.
Switching to AXA or Aviva with Existing Medical History
If you already have a family PMI policy with another insurer, you don't have to start from scratch. You can switch to AXA or Aviva on a Continued Personal Medical Exclusions (CPME) basis.
This special type of underwriting allows you to carry over the terms of your existing policy without new medical exclusions being added. Any conditions you are already covered for will remain covered, and any existing exclusions will also carry over.
This is the single most important reason to use an expert broker when switching. Managing a CPME switch is a complex administrative process. A mistake could lead to a loss of cover for a pre-existing condition. WeCovr manages this entire process for you, ensuring a seamless transition with no loss of protection.
Why Use a Broker like WeCovr?
Navigating the complexities of AXA and Aviva's offerings can be overwhelming. As an independent, FCA-authorised broker, WeCovr provides a vital service at no cost to you.
- Whole-of-Market Advice: We aren't tied to any single insurer. We compare policies from across the market to find the optimal solution for your family's needs and budget.
- Expert Guidance: We translate the jargon and explain the fine print, so you understand exactly what you're buying. We help you choose the right underwriting, excess, and policy options.
- Hassle-Free Process: We handle all the paperwork, from application to switching, saving you time and stress.
- Long-Term Support: We are here to help you at renewal or if you need to make a claim.
- Extra Value: On top of finding you the best price, we offer our clients discounts on other insurance products like life or income protection, plus complimentary access to our CalorieHero app.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Does UK private medical insurance cover pre-existing conditions?
Is AXA or Aviva cheaper for families?
How does the NHS and private healthcare work together?
Can I add a newborn baby to my family policy?
The Final Verdict: AXA or Aviva for Your Family?
Both AXA and Aviva are outstanding A-list insurers that you can trust to protect your family. The "best" choice is not about which company is better overall, but which is the better fit for you.
- Choose AXA Health if you value granular control and want to build a bespoke policy, potentially adding enhanced mental health cover or carefully managing your budget by tweaking different modules.
- Choose Aviva if you prefer a strong, comprehensive core product from the start and value an all-encompassing cancer care promise and integrated benefits.
The most effective way to make this decision is to see personalised quotes for both. Let an expert do the hard work for you.
Contact WeCovr today for a free, no-obligation comparison. Our specialist advisers will compare AXA, Aviva, and other leading providers to find the perfect private medical insurance for your family's protection and peace of mind.
Related guides
Why private medical insurance and how does it work?
What is Private Medical Insurance?
Private medical insurance (PMI) is a type of health insurance that provides access to private healthcare services in the UK. It covers the cost of private medical treatment, allowing you to bypass NHS waiting lists and receive faster, more convenient care.How does it work?
Private medical insurance works by paying for your private healthcare costs. When you need treatment, you can choose to go private and your insurance will cover the costs, subject to your policy terms and conditions. This can include:• Private consultations with specialists
• Private hospital treatment and surgery
• Diagnostic tests and scans
• Physiotherapy and rehabilitation
• Mental health treatment
Your premium depends on factors like your age, health, occupation, and the level of cover you choose. Most policies offer different levels of cover, from basic to comprehensive, allowing you to tailor the policy to your needs and budget.
Questions to ask yourself regarding private medical insurance
Just ask yourself:👉 Are you concerned about NHS waiting times for treatment?
👉 Would you prefer to choose your own consultant and hospital?
👉 Do you want faster access to diagnostic tests and scans?
👉 Would you like private hospital accommodation and better food?
👉 Do you want to avoid the stress of NHS waiting lists?
Many people don't realise that private medical insurance is more affordable than they think, especially when you consider the value of faster treatment and better facilities. A great insurance policy can provide peace of mind and ensure you receive the care you need when you need it.
Benefits offered by private medical insurance
Private medical insurance provides numerous benefits that can significantly improve your healthcare experience and outcomes:Faster Access to Treatment
One of the biggest advantages is avoiding NHS waiting lists. While the NHS provides excellent care, waiting times can be lengthy. With private medical insurance, you can often receive treatment within days or weeks rather than months.
Choice of Consultant and Hospital
You can choose your preferred consultant and hospital, giving you more control over your healthcare journey. This is particularly important for complex treatments where you want a specific specialist.
Better Facilities and Accommodation
Private hospitals typically offer superior facilities, including private rooms, better food, and more comfortable surroundings. This can make your recovery more pleasant and potentially faster.
Advanced Treatments
Private medical insurance often covers treatments and medications not available on the NHS, giving you access to the latest medical advances and technologies.
Mental Health Support
Many policies include comprehensive mental health coverage, providing faster access to therapy and psychiatric care when needed.
Tax Benefits for Business Owners
If you're self-employed or a business owner, private medical insurance premiums can be tax-deductible, making it a cost-effective way to protect your health and your business.
Peace of Mind
Knowing you have access to private healthcare when you need it provides invaluable peace of mind, especially for those with ongoing health conditions or concerns about NHS capacity.
Private medical insurance is particularly valuable for those who want to take control of their healthcare journey and ensure they receive the best possible treatment when they need it most.
Important Fact!
We can look at a more suitable option mid-term!
Why is it important to get private medical insurance early?
👉 Many people are very thankful that they had their private medical insurance cover in place before running into some serious health issues. Private medical insurance is as important as life insurance for protecting your family's finances.👉 We insure our cars, houses, and even our phones! Yet our health is the most precious thing we have.
Easily one of the most important insurance purchases an individual or family can make in their lifetime, the decision to buy private medical insurance can be made much simpler with the help of FCA-authorised advisers. They are the specialists who do the searching and analysis helping people choose between various types of private medical insurance policies available in the market, including different levels of cover and policy types most suitable to the client's individual circumstances.
It certainly won't do any harm if you speak with one of our experienced insurance experts who are passionate about advising people on financial matters related to private medical insurance and are keen to provide you with a free consultation.
You can discuss with them in detail what affordable private medical insurance plan for the necessary peace of mind they would recommend! WeCovr works with some of the best advisers in the market.
By tapping the button below, you can book a free call with them in less than 30 seconds right now:
Our Group Is Proud To Have Issued 900,000+ Policies!
We've established collaboration agreements with leading insurance groups to create tailored coverage
How It Works
1. Complete a brief form
2. Our experts analyse your information and find you best quotes
3. Enjoy your protection!
Any questions?
Learn more
Who Are WeCovr?
WeCovr is an insurance specialist for people valuing their peace of mind and a great service.👍 WeCovr will help you get your private medical insurance, life insurance, critical illness insurance and others in no time thanks to our wonderful super-friendly experts ready to assist you every step of the way.
Just a quick and simple form and an easy conversation with one of our experts and your valuable insurance policy is in place for that needed peace of mind!