Bupa By You Comprehensive Review: Pros, Cons & What's Included

At a glance: From £58/month · Comprehensive tier · Best for: cancer cover, family cover, hospital choice · Excess options: £0–£1,000

What is Bupa By You Comprehensive?

Bupa By You is Bupa's flagship individual private medical insurance product, and the Comprehensive tier is the top of its range. Bupa itself is the UK's largest and most recognised PMI provider, and uniquely among major insurers, it owns and runs its own hospital network (including Bupa Cromwell Hospital) alongside access to independent private hospitals. This plan is built around an "inclusive by default" philosophy — rather than asking you to add cancer and mental health cover separately, both come built into the core policy.

Who this plan is actually for

• Families who want each member to build their own no-claims discount independently, so one person's claim doesn't raise everyone's renewal price
• Anyone prioritising the broadest possible choice of hospitals and consultants, especially in London
• People who want comprehensive cancer cover, including access to certain drugs and treatments ahead of NHS availability, without needing to configure add-ons
• Buyers who'd rather pay for an inclusive policy upfront than assemble cover piece by piece

Pros

• Comprehensive cancer cover built in as standard, including access to some cancer drugs and treatments before they're available on the NHS
• One of the strongest mental health propositions in the UK market, covering conditions including anxiety, addiction and depression, with no automatic stop on cover if a condition becomes long-term
• Per-family-member no-claims discount — each person on a family policy builds their own NCD, so one claim doesn't affect everyone else's renewal price
• Wide hospital network, including Bupa's own directly-owned facilities, giving more choice than most competitors, particularly in major cities
• Digital health access via the Blua Health app, covering GP consultations, referrals and prescriptions without needing to call anyone
• No annual cap on the core comprehensive plan's outpatient cover, unlike many mid-tier policies that impose a fixed yearly limit

Cons

• One of the higher-priced comprehensive policies in the UK market — independent reviews have consistently found Bupa more expensive than Aviva for like-for-like cover, especially for older applicants
• Dental and optical are optional add-ons, not included as standard, so the headline price doesn't reflect full health cover if you want these
• Like all standard UK PMI, pre-existing conditions are excluded — anything you've had symptoms, advice or treatment for in the five years before the policy starts won't be covered initially
• Premium increases are pool-based, meaning your renewal price can rise with industry-wide medical cost inflation regardless of your own claims history, unlike insurers with more individually-rated pricing

What's included as standard

Benefit	Coverage
Cancer cover	Full — including some pre-NHS-approval drugs and treatments
Mental health	Full — ongoing cover, not capped if condition becomes long-term
Outpatient cover	Full, no annual cap on this tier
Therapies (physio etc.)	Included
Dental & optical	Optional add-on
No-claims discount	Available, tracked per family member
Excess options	£0, £100, £250, £500, £1,000

What it costs

Indicative pricing starts from around £58/month for a healthy non-smoking adult, but your actual premium depends on age, postcode, and your chosen excess. The two biggest levers for reducing the price: increasing your excess from £0 toward £500 or £1,000 typically produces the largest single saving, and dropping down to Bupa's Treatment & Diagnosis tier (a narrower mid-level plan) cuts cost further if you don't need the fully comprehensive benefit set.

How it compares

Bupa's closest rival for this tier is AXA Health's Personal Health plan — AXA tends to price more competitively for younger applicants and offers more modular control over what you pay for, while Bupa's strength is the inclusive standard cover and wider hospital access. See our full Bupa vs AXA comparison for the detailed breakdown. For a comparison against another well-regarded but smaller insurer, see WPA vs Bupa.

Should you choose this plan?

This plan suits you if you want the broadest standard cover with the least configuration, particularly if cancer cover and mental health support are priorities and you're not trying to minimise cost at all costs. If price sensitivity is your main driver, it's worth comparing against AXA's Essentials tier or Aviva's Healthier Solutions before committing.

A whole-of-market broker can see this plan alongside every other option on the table, including ones that might suit you better once your full circumstances are taken into account — which is why speaking to one before you buy is usually worth the five minutes it takes.

Speak to an adviser

Prefer to go direct? Get a quote from Bupa's own site →

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Prices and features in this review are indicative and based on publicly available product information. Your actual premium will depend on your age, postcode, medical history and chosen cover options. This article is for general information only and is not financial or insurance advice — always confirm current terms with Bupa or a regulated broker before purchasing.