Freedom Comprehensive Health Plan Review: Pros, Cons & What's Included

At a glance: From £39/month · Comprehensive tier · Best for: larger families, postcode-flat pricing, simple policy design · Excess options: £0–£500

What is the Freedom Comprehensive Health Plan?

Freedom Health Insurance is a smaller, specialist UK insurer founded in 2003, distinct from the "big four" of Bupa, AXA, Aviva and Vitality. Its flagship plan has two genuinely distinctive features: it's one of the only UK PMI policies that doesn't load your premium based on postcode, and it offers an unusually generous inpatient mental health allowance.

Who this plan is actually for

• Buyers in higher-cost postcodes (Central London, South East England) where most insurers charge a premium for location — Freedom's flat pricing can make it materially cheaper here than Bupa or AXA for equivalent cover
• Families, particularly larger families, thanks to eldest-child-only pricing up to a cap of three children
• Anyone prioritising a strong inpatient mental health benefit specifically — Freedom's allowance is among the most generous of any UK insurer assessed in independent reviews

Pros

• No postcode loading on premiums — genuinely unusual in the UK market, and a real saving if you live somewhere expensive for private treatment
• Up to 45 days of inpatient mental health cover, the highest of any insurer in recent independent comparisons
• Complex diagnostic scans (MRI, CT, PET) covered in full as standard, not capped under a general outpatient limit
• Eldest-child-only pricing up to three children, meaningful savings for larger families specifically
• NHS cash benefits of a stated amount per night for inpatient and per day for outpatient if you choose NHS treatment instead of claiming privately
• Specialist cancer drug cover, including some drugs awaiting NICE approval, comparable in scope to larger insurers like Bupa

Cons

• Genuine renewal pricing concerns following a 2024 ownership change — independently documented customer reports describe renewal increases in a wide range, and this is a real factor to weigh, not just isolated complaints
• No traditional no-claims discount, and no clearly published information on exactly how claims affect your renewal price — less transparent than insurers with a stated NCD scale
• No consultant fee agreements, which increases the risk of a shortfall between what Freedom pays and what a specialist actually charges — worth checking before booking treatment
• Small customer review base compared to major insurers (around 120 Trustpilot reviews versus Bupa's 30,000+), which makes the overall rating less statistically reliable — a handful of negative experiences can swing the average noticeably
• Smaller hospital network than Bupa, AXA, or Aviva, though it does include major groups like Nuffield Health, Spire Healthcare and Ramsay Health Care

What's included as standard

Benefit	Coverage
Cancer cover	Full — including specialist cancer drug cover
Mental health	Included — up to 45 days inpatient
Outpatient cover	£1,000/year, with MRI/CT/PET scans included in full
Therapies (physio etc.)	Optional add-on
Dental & optical	Optional add-on
No-claims discount	Available, though renewal-impact details are less transparently published than some competitors
Excess options	£0, £100, £250, £500

What it costs

Indicative pricing starts from around £39/month, and the postcode-flat structure means this can be especially competitive if you live in London or the South East, where other insurers load premiums significantly. The genuine caution here is renewal pricing — get quotes from Freedom alongside Bupa and AXA at minimum, and don't assume next year's renewal will track this year's competitive entry price.

How it compares

For families specifically, see our best health insurance for families guide, which compares Freedom's eldest-child-only structure against Aviva's similar approach and Bupa's flat family discount.

Should you choose this plan?

This plan suits you if you're in an expensive postcode where the flat-pricing advantage is significant, or if Freedom's strong inpatient mental health allowance specifically matches a need you have. Given the documented renewal pricing pattern, plan to actively compare quotes at each renewal rather than letting the policy auto-renew — treat the attractive entry price as a multi-year decision, not a one-time saving.

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 Freedom Health Insurance's own site →

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Prices and features in this review are indicative and based on publicly available product information and independent market research, including documented customer reports on renewal pricing. 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 Freedom Health Insurance or a regulated broker before purchasing.