Private Healthcare
Access expert medical care when you need it
Make sure illness or injury doesn’t impact your earning potential
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What is Private Heathcare Insurance?
Access to the Best Possible Treatment
- Quick access to consultants, scans, tests, and surgery—without waiting weeks or months
- Expert care often within days, not months
- Choice & comfort: Private hospital rooms, consultant selection, and treatments beyond NHS standard
Return to Work Faster
With private health insurance for freelancers and contractors, you sidestep NHS queues to essential treatments. That’s vital for professionals, business owners, and directors whose income depends on their health.
Earn While You Can’t Work
Even with PMI, treatment and recovery can affect income. Income Protection Insurance fills this gap, offering a regular wage during illness or injury.
Combine “income protection for self employed” or “income protection for contractors” policies with PMI to protect both health and earnings.
Most private health insurance self employed plans cover:
- Consultant fees, diagnostic tests, scans
- Essential surgeries (including cancer treatment)
- In- and outpatient care, plus private hospital stay
- Alternative therapies, mental health cover (optional)
- Custom diagnostics and comfort-level enhancements
Note: Some policies cap payouts or offer optional extras like dental, worldwide travel, or mental health coverage—each adds to premium cost.
Typical PMI exclusions:
- Pre-existing and chronic conditions
- Emergency (A&E) treatment
- Overseas treatment (unless worldwide cover added)
- Cosmetic, fertility, maternity, and substance-abuse treatments
Not normally—unless you include Worldwide PMI. Planning to live/work abroad for over a year? Consider an international health plan.
Why Go Private?
NHS Under Pressure…
- NHS waiting list remains high (~7.4 million in April 2025)
- Standard NHS cancer treatment target (62 days) hasn’t been met since before 2016; only 54% reach it
PMI vs NHS for contractors, professionals, and business owners offers:
- Shorter delays
- More hospital & consultant options
- Exclusive treatments and even alternative therapies not available via NHS
Why is PMI So Important for Contractors & Freelancers?
Long NHS waiting lists: Over 7.5 million people are currently waiting for hospital treatment in England with one-third of the working-age population considering private cover essential
Rapid diagnostics: Private scans and tests are often available within 48 hours, while NHS waits extend to months
Growing private demand: 16.4 million people now use private healthcare—up from 13.5 million pre-pandemic
How Much Does PMI Cost?
- Entry-level private health insurance (for a 30-year-old) averages £35–£48/month
- Comprehensive private medical insurance ranges from £60–£80/month for those in their 30s–50s .
- Costs vary based on:
- Age (ranges: 20 yr ~£36, 40 yr ~£60, 50 yr ~£78; 60 yr ~£113)
- Geography (London ~25% above national average; Edinburgh ~15% below)
- Excess level, optional extras, policy type (guided vs full choice)
- Lifestyle & medical history
Why Go Through Broadbench?
- Broadbench expert advisers help you navigate providers and policies—from “health insurance freelancers” to “PMI for contractors”
- Cost-saving strategies include higher excesses, consultant-selected hospitals, and basic inpatient cover
- Income protection can be arranged through your limited company or personally
Please note:
All statements concerning the tax treatment of products and their benefits are based on our understanding of current tax law and HM Revenue and Customs’ practice. Levels and bases of tax relief are subject to change.
FAQs
What does Private Healthcare cover?
Private Healthcare plans are typically designed to cover acute medical conditions. This includes short-term illnesses, treatable diseases and injuries which, through care, you are likely to make a full recovery from. If you have an existing chronic condition, it’s likely that this will be excluded from any cover you take.
Why do I need Private Healthcare?
Unlike other forms of insurance, Private Healthcare tends to be viewed as optional. This is because we are fortunate to live in a country that offers an extensive National Health Service that will cover most treatments for free. However, due to long waiting lists and lack of choice, it could also benefit contractors to have Private Healthcare in place.
As a business owner, professional or contractor, if you can’t work, you can’t earn. With a Private Healthcare policy, you can rest assured that if you do have an illness or injury, you’ll be able to get back on your feet and back to work faster than usual.
Are pre-existing conditions covered?
Private Healthcare is designed to cover conditions that you may develop after taking out the policy. However, depending on the insurer, you may be able to cover pre-existing medical conditions. Keep in mind that this will have an impact on the cost of your premiums.
What are the benefits of Private Healthcare?
Getting help faster – Being seen quickly is one of the many reasons contractors consider Private Healthcare. If you’re unable to earn due to an illness or injury, Private Healthcare will get you back on your feet faster than regular NHS services. You may have access to better care as well as medication and treatments that are not yet available on the NHS.
Privacy and choice – By purchasing Private Healthcare you often have more choice and greater privacy. You may be able to choose a hospital or doctor and even request your own private room – this wouldn’t be available to you if you used the NHS.
What factors affect the premium?
There are many factors that can influence the cost of your premiums. Typically, your age, current health and medical history, but your job may also have an impact if it is seen as a risky profession. If you’re a smoker you may have higher premiums than non-smokers.
What’s important to consider when looking for Private Healthcare?
When looking to get a Private Healthcare policy, it’s important for you to understand what type of cover you require. Do you want comprehensive coverage (which will cover you for everything) or a policy that simply covers you for outpatient visits?
You may also need to consider what could be affecting the price of your premium. Getting the best possible cover won’t be the cheapest but you can’t put a price on your well-being when you’re a contractor. Therefore, it is best to speak to an adviser to find out the level of cover you need to suit you and your circumstances.
How can I set up a Private Healthcare policy?
When it comes to things as important as protecting our health and finances, we believe that you should receive the best impartial advice. To set up a Private Healthcare policy, or if you have more questions and want to speak to an expert, get in touch.
Ready to unlock access to better care?
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