Top 10 Insurance Companies in the UK for Expats
The top 10 insurance companies in the UK for expats are Allianz, April International, Aviva, AXA Health, Bupa, Cigna, IMG, Now Health International, William Russell, and Vitality. Each insurance company has relative advantages and coverage for expats who need all healthcare services in the UK.
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Are you seeking health insurance coverage in the UK as an expat? Are you on the fence about deciding which insurance company is a better fit for your healthcare needs and budget? Wondering what are the benefits of securing international health insurance?
This article by Pacific Prime has compiled a list of the top 10 insurance companies in the UK for expats. For each insurance company, we have also provided you with an overview of their benefits and coverage as well as the options for plan selection.
Best International Health Insurance in the UK for Expats
From telehealth services and prescription medicine coverage to vaccinations and emergency medical repatriation coverage, these top insurance companies will have the combination of benefits that is best fitted to your healthcare needs.
The top 10 insurance companies in the UK for expats are:
- Allianz
- April International
- Aviva
- AXA
- Bupa
- Cigna
- IMG
- NOW Health International
- William Russell
- Vitality
Note: The companies are ranked alphabetically. They are equal in their insurance service provision quality and the difference is in the plan coverage and benefits which could be based on personal needs and preferences.
Allianz Insurance in the UK for Expats
Allianz is a world-leading health insurance provider boasting an extensive network of over 1.9 million medical providers. The international health insurance plan has three tiers of coverage, namely Allianz Care, Care Plus, and Care Pro. The plan offers a maximum plan limit of US $5,000,000.
Here are some common examples of benefits and coverage provided by Allianz Care plans:
- Inpatient care
- Oncology
- Medical evacuation
- Nursing at home
- Rehabilitation treatment
- Emergency out-patient treatment
- Expat assistance program
- Travel Security services
- MyHealth Digital services
- Second medical opinion service
High-tier plans provide more coverage and benefits to policyholders, as a rule of thumb. Below is a brief comparison of international health insurance plans offered by Allianz so you know what you are getting through paying premiums.
|
Allianz Care Expat Health Insurance Plans Comparison |
|||
|
Benefits Coverage |
Care Plan | Care Plus Plan |
Care Pro Plan |
| Maximum Plan Limit | US $2,500,000 | US $4,000,000 | US $5,000,000 |
| Type of Room | Semi-Private | Private | Private |
| Inpatient / Day-Care |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
| Oncology |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
| Medical Evacuation |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
| Nursing at Home | US $2,025 | US $3,375 | US $5,740 |
| Rehabilitation Treatment | US $2,700 | US $3,375 | US $5,970 |
| Preventive Surgery |
✗ |
✗ |
US $40,500 |
| Laser Eye Treatment |
✗ |
✗ |
US $1,350 |
| Emergency Out-Patient Treatment | US $338 | US $1,015 | US $1,015 |
| Emergency Out-Patient Dental Treatment |
✗ |
US $400 | US $1,015 |
April International Insurance in the UK for Expats
April International has over 30 years of experience in providing expats from around the world with quality international health insurance. Compared to other insurers, April has fairly affordable plans with comprehensive coverage, making them the perfect choice for those who seek cost-efficiency.
April uniquely features a fully remote insurance documentation and claims experience with their Easy Claim App. Their MyHealth International plan offers expats and their families five tiers of coverage: Emergency Plan, Formule Basic, Essential Plan, Comfort, and Premium Plan.
The core benefits you can expect from each tier are listed in the table below:
|
April MyHealth International Comparison |
|||||
|
Benefits Coverage |
Emergency Plan | Formule Basic | Essential Plan | Comfort |
Premium Plan |
| Annual Benefit Limit | EURO € 250,000 | EURO € 500,000 | EURO € 1,000,000 | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Hospitalization | Accidents or emergencies only |
✓ |
✓ | ✓ |
✓ |
| Medical Repatriation |
✓ |
✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
✓ |
| Outpatient and Preventative Care |
✗ |
Low Coverage | Medium Coverage | High Coverage | Deluxe Coverage |
| Dental |
✗ |
EURO €500 per year | EURO €1,000 per year | EURO €2,000 per year | EURO €4,000 per year |
| Vision |
✗ |
EURO €150 every two years | EURO €250 every two years | EURO €500 every two years | EURO €700 every two years |
Note: You can freely add riders on top to get a more comprehensive coverage.
Aviva Insurance in the UK for Expats
Aviva specializes in offering health insurance in the UK. The core coverage includes consultations and/or treatment with a specialist, diagnostic tests, hospital charges, full cancer coverage, and outpatient mental health treatment.
Expats are given two options to customize their policy– “enhance cover” or “reduce cover”. As a rule of thumb, “enhance cover” will increase the premium rates and “reduce cover” will decrease the premium rates.
If you wish to make your policy more comprehensive, there are optional riders including:
- Dental and optical
- Mental health upgrade
- Other treatments and therapies, such as osteopathy, physiotherapy, and chiropractic
- Protected no-claim discount
- Extended hospital list with Expert Select
On the other hand, if you wish to reduce the coverage of your policy, you can remove:
- Reduced out-patient options
- Member excess options
- Signature hospital list
- Trust hospital list
AXA Insurance in the UK for Expats
AXA has over 50 years of experience offering insurance solutions to more than 95 million clients in 50 countries which makes AXA a great choice for expats looking for wide coverage and flexibility in their insurance policies.
AXA’s international insurance plans are the Foundation, Standard, Comprehensive, Prestige, and Prestige Plus. The annual plan limits range from US $160,000 to $8,000,000. The key features of their international health insurance plans are:
- Experienced 24/7 personal support
- Evacuation and repatriation coverage
- Ambulance transport
- Telehealth service
- CT, PET, and MRI scans
- Rapid claims repay
- Second medical opinion
- Cancer Treatments
- Mind Health Support
- Inpatient hospital charges and surgeries
The following list compares the benefits of the five AXA plans to better illustrate the core differences between these plans:
- Foundation: The objective of the plan is to provide basic insurance coverage to cancer treatments and emergency care. Outpatient treatments such as tests and drugs are optional with top-up insurance. The annual benefit limit is US $160,000.
- Standard: The Standard plan is a step up from the Foundation plan, to provide extra dental care (with waiting period) and a higher annual benefit limit of US $1,600,000.
- Comprehensive: The plan includes out-patient coverage in its core (up to a sublimit), and also opens up the coverage for chronic conditions and eye tests. The annual benefit limit is US $2,400,000.
- Prestige: If you are looking to do annual checkups, this could be the plan for you. AXA’s Prestige plan also covers routine pregnancy care and routine health checks up to the annual benefit limit of US $3,200,000.
- Prestige Plus: The Prestige Plus plan provides the same extent of coverage as Prestige, but with a higher annual benefit limit of US $8,000,000.
It is important to note that all of AXA’s international health plans do NOT cover pre-existing conditions, so if it is a major consideration factor for you, you might opt for other insurance companies instead.
Bupa Insurance in the UK for Expats
Bupa is considered one of the best insurance companies in the UK because of its localized customer service and 24/7 medical help through Bupa’s Global Virtual Care, a leading telehealth platform capable of offering personalized treatment through technology.
Bupa is reputed for its excellent benefit provision across all plan tiers, including:
- Extensive network of providers
- Direct billing
- Customized insurance plans
- Second medical opinions
- Lifetime renewal
- Direct access to specialists without referral
- Coverage for two children under 10 at no additional cost
- Online and in-app access to support services through MembersWorld
The table below shows the annual plan limit and the coverage of Bupa’s international health insurance for expats:
|
Bupa International Health Insurance Comparison |
||||
|
Benefits Coverage |
Major Medical | Select | Premier |
Elite |
| Annual Plan Limit | GBP £2,500,000 | GBP £1,250,000 | GBP £1,875,000 | GBP £3,750,000 |
| Private Hospital Room Coverage |
✓ |
✓ | ✓ |
✓ |
| Medical Repatriation |
✓ |
✗ | ✗ |
✓ |
| Medical Evacuation |
✓ |
✓ | ✓ |
✓ |
| Outpatient Prescriptions |
✗ |
✓ | ✓ |
✓ |
| Health Checks |
✗ |
✓ | ✓ |
✓ |
| Maternity |
✗ |
✗ | ✗ |
✓ |
| Dental & Optical |
✗ |
✗ | ✓ |
✓ |
Cigna Insurance in the UK for Expats
Cigna offers international health insurance to expats from over 200 countries and jurisdictions. The convenience and professionalism given through their trusted network of hospitals and doctors and 24/7 customer support have won many expats’ favor.
Cigna’s international health insurance plan is separated into three plan tiers: Silver, Gold, and Platinum. Here, Pacific Prime presents you with a table of benefits covered in all tiers (but to different extents).
|
Cigna Health Insurance Plans: Standard Medical Benefits |
|||
|
Benefits Coverage |
Silver | Gold |
Platinum |
| Annual Limit Amount | US $1,000,000 | US $2,000,000 | Unlimited |
| Inpatient and Daypatient Treatment |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
| Accident and ER Treatment | US $500 | US $1,000 | US $1,200 |
| Advanced Medical Imaging | US $10,000 | US $15,000 |
✓ |
| Rehabilitation | US $5,000 | US $10,000 |
✓ |
| Ambulance Services |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
| Out-of-Area Emergency Hospitalization | US $100,000 | US $250,000 |
✓ |
Cigna offers expats many deductible and cost-share options to manage the premiums of their international health insurance plans. The following shows all selectable deductibles, cost-share percentages, and out-of-pocket maximums:
- Deductible: US $0, $375, $750, $1,500, $3,000, $7,500, $10,000
- Cost-share after deductibles: 0%, 10%, 20%, 30%
- Out-of-pocket maximum: US $2,000 or $5,000
IMG Insurance in the UK for Expats
IMG Health’s international health insurance plan is available in four different categories of coverage: Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum. Lifetime limits vary across these plans, with a maximum limit of up to US $8,000,000 per individual.
Their international health insurance is intended to support expats individuals and families looking to travel long-term. Due to the non-renewable lifetime limit, the premium is more affordable than other insurance companies; those looking to relocate should consider a more sustainable plan.
That said, the benefits provided by IMG are comprehensive– inpatient, prescription coverage, cancer treatment, and medical emergency coverage. You can also add riders such as dental, vision, maternity, and even sports coverage depending on your plan level.
Here’s a comparison of the core benefits provided by IMG’s international health insurance of different tiers:
|
IMG Health Insurance Plans Benefits Comparison |
||||
|
Benefits Coverage |
Bronze | Silver | Gold |
Platinum |
| Physician Visits |
✓ |
✓ | ✓ |
✓ |
| Hospitalization room/board |
✓ |
US $600 per day; 240 days max | ✓ |
✓ |
| Surgery |
✓ |
✓ | ✓ |
✓ |
| Labs & X-rays |
✓ |
✓ | ✓ |
✓ |
| Specialist/ Physician visits | Maximum Limit: US $500 (Before Inpatient Treatment) Maximum Limit: US $500 (90 days following Inpatient Treatment or Outpatient Surgery) | Maximum per visit: US $70 Chiro max per visit: US $50 (with a referral from physician) Surgical Intervention Consultation max: US $500 |
✓ |
✓ |
| Outpatient Surgery |
✓ |
✓ | ✓ |
✓ |
NOW Health International Insurance in the UK for Expats
NOW Health International offers expats customizable international health insurance plans to fit their medical needs and budgets. They provide customer-focused services and an extensive worldwide provider network to allow hassle-free claims filing and multilingual customer support.
NOW has a SimpleCare plan which provides no US coverage and a WorldCare Plan which provides US coverage. Each plan is further divided into several plan tiers offering different levels of coverage and limits. Here is the table of SimpleCare and Worldcare Plan comparison:
|
Now Health International’s SimpleCare and WorldCare Plan Comparisons |
||
| Annual Benefit Limit | US $1,000,000 to $1,500,000 | US $3,000,000 to $4,500,000 |
| In-patient and Day-patient Care |
Limits Apply |
✓ |
| Organ Transplant |
Limits Apply |
✓ |
| Evacuation and Repatriation |
Limits Apply |
✓ |
| Mortal Remains |
Limits Apply |
Limits Apply |
| Pregnancy Medical Conditions |
✗ |
✓ |
| Congenital Disorders |
Limits Apply |
Limits Apply |
| USA Elective Treatment |
✗ |
Optional |
| Cancer Treatment |
✓ |
✓ |
| Day-patient or Out-patient Surgery |
✓ |
✓ |
Whether you are seeking minimal coverage with SimpleCare or obtaining comprehensive benefits with Worldcare, NOW Health International has plans for expats of all needs. On top of that, you can further modify your policy with deductibles and top-up coverage to manage the premium and coverage.
William Russell Insurance in the UK for Expats
William Russell excels at providing comprehensive and customizable international health insurance to expats in the UK. They emphasize service excellence, featuring good post-sales services, and support you throughout to ensure that you walk away satisfied.
From inpatient and outpatient treatments to advanced diagnostic tests and mental health treatment, William Russell’s international health insurance will have coverage for all these expenses up to the policy limit or certain sublimit. It has a total of four tiers: Bronze, Silver Lite, Silver, and Gold.
Below are the core insurance coverage for the four tiers:
|
Benefits Coverage |
Bronze | Silver Lite | Silver |
Gold |
| Annual Benefit Limit | USD $1.5 million | USD $1.5 million | USD $2.5 million | USD $5 million |
| Hospital Treatments |
✓ |
✓ | ✓ |
✓ |
| Advanced Diagnostic Tests |
✓ |
✓ | ✓ |
✓ |
| Emergency Medical Evacuation |
✓ |
✓ | ✓ |
✓ |
| Cancer Treatment |
✓ |
✓ | ✓ |
✓ |
| Lifetime Limit for Mental Health Treatment | USD $50,000 |
✗ |
USD $75,000 | USD $100,000 |
Vitality Insurance in the UK for Expats
Vitality is a UK health and life insurance company offering health insurance plans to over 1.7 million UK expats and locals. It is also one of the first insurance companies to reward the insured for making positive lifestyle choices.
The benefits of getting insured with Vitality health insurance are:
- Get a GP appointment within 48 hours
- Direct access to specialist treatments such as mental health support, cancer care, and physiotherapy
- Freedom to choose which hospitals expats would like to be treated at
- Earn rewards for being active (steps calculation) and enjoy benefits and discounts on top brands
- Telehealth services and GP consultation
You can also boost your health insurance plan with the add-ons:
- Optical, hearing, dental
- Mental health cover
- Complementary therapies (chiropractic, osteopathy, dietician)
- Worldwide travel insurance
- Outpatient physiotherapy, specialist consultations, and medical diagnostic tests
Secure Health Insurance Coverage as Expats in the UK
By understanding what the top 10 insurance companies have to offer you in the UK, you can make informed decisions on your purchase of health insurance so that it is adequate in coverage while keeping the premium rates within your budget.
With so many options in the market, searching for an ideal health insurance could be daunting. Not to mention it could be difficult for you to assess personal healthcare needs, as the needs change according to different stages of life.
That’s why you should consider working with a reputed insurance broker like Pacific Prime. We have over 20 years of experience in:
- Finding and securing best-fitting health insurance policies for clients from big insurers
- Assisting clients with insurance documentation
- Negotiating with insurance companies for clients
- Supporting clients with claims and renewals
- Giving impartial advice on insurance-related queries
- Assessing and discussing clients’ healthcare needs
Contact our team of expert advisors today, or start by getting an obligation-free quote with our advanced online quote generator!
Do you find this article useful? Check out our list of the top 10 insurance companies in Australia and France as well.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best health insurance for expats in the UK?
Expats are recommended to get international health insurance as it allows access to quality healthcare worldwide. The best health insurance companies in the UK are Allianz, April International, Aviva, AXA Health, Bupa, Cigna, IMG, Now Health International, William Russell, and Vitality.
Can foreigners get health insurance in the UK?
Foreigners in the UK can get health insurance through local or international providers. If you are globally mobile, international health insurance would be the go-to option for coverage in your location and home country. Otherwise, local private health insurance would be adequate.
Since joining Pacific Prime, Eric was exposed to a new world of insurance. Having learned about insurance products extensively, he has taken joy and satisfaction in helping individuals and businesses manage risks and protect themselves against financial loss through the power of words.
Although born and raised in Hong Kong, he spent a quarter of his life living and studying in the UK. He believes his multicultural experience is a great asset in understanding the needs and wants of expats and globe-trotters.
Eric’s strengths lie in his strong research, analytical, and communication skills, obtained through his BA in Linguistics from the University of York and MSc in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) from the University of Bristol.
Outside of work, he enjoys some me-time gaming and reading on his own, occasionally going absolutely mental on a night out with friends.
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