Your Health Insurance Is Renewing — Don't Just Let It Roll Over
Every year, millions of people let their private health insurance renewal roll over automatically — accepting whatever premium increase their insurer has applied — without shopping around. Health insurance premiums rise an average of 5-15% per year at renewal. If you've been with the same insurer for five years without reviewing, you may be paying 40-60% more than a comparable policy would cost elsewhere.
Step 1: Check What You're Actually Being Charged for
Read the renewal document properly:
- Your new annual premium — compare it to last year. Anything over 8-10% increase deserves immediate attention.
- What's included and excluded — has anything changed in your cover?
- Your no-claims discount — if you haven't claimed, this should be building. Check it's being applied.
- Your voluntary excess — is it still set at a level that makes sense for you?
Step 2: Get Comparison Quotes Before You Do Anything
Don't call your insurer before getting competing quotes. Once you call them, you're in a retention conversation and your leverage is reduced.
Get quotes from at least 3 other insurers for equivalent cover. Match the same excess level, same broad cover, same add-ons and a hospital network of similar quality.
Step 3: Call Your Insurer's Retention Team
Armed with a competing quote, call your insurer and ask to speak to the retentions team. Tell them:
- You've received your renewal notice
- You've found equivalent cover from [Competitor] for £X/month less
- You'd like to stay if they can match it
Retention teams often have discretion to offer discounts, freeze the premium or add benefits at no extra cost. This call takes 10 minutes and frequently saves £200-500 per year.
Step 4: Consider Switching Underwriting Basis
If you switch insurer, you'll typically move to moratorium underwriting — conditions from the last 5 years are excluded but can become covered again after 2 claim-free years.
If you have an ongoing condition that's been claimed on recently, staying put and negotiating is usually better than switching. If you're healthy and haven't claimed, switching is lower risk and the savings can be significant.
Step 5: Time Your Switch Correctly
Switch before your renewal date, not after. Once you've renewed, you've committed to another year and may face cancellation charges if you leave mid-term.
How Much Can You Save?
- Individual, age 42, mid-range cover: Renewal £1,440/year → after negotiation: £1,200/year. Saving: £240.
- Couple, both 50, comprehensive cover: Switched insurer. Saving: £680/year for equivalent cover.
- Family of 4, basic cover: Switched + increased excess from £0 to £500. Saving: £900/year.
What Not to Do
Don't cancel before you have a new policy in place. Any gap in cover means any condition that develops during that gap will be a pre-existing condition on your next policy.
Don't compare only on price. Check hospital network, claims process reputation and customer service ratings.
Don't assume your broker got you the best deal. Get independent quotes.
Compare health insurance quotes →
Read our guide: How to switch health insurance →
Last updated: September 2026.