How do I switch health insurance without losing cover for existing conditions?

You switch by asking the new insurer to accept Continued Personal Medical Exclusions (CPME). Existing exclusions carry across; nothing new is added; and no re-underwriting occurs. All seven major UK insurers accept CPME. Typical saving on switch: 15–25% versus renewal quote.

Key numbers

• Typical CPME switch saving: 15–25%
• UK insurers accepting CPME: All 7 majors
• Median switch turnaround: 8 working days

The rule the insurers don't advertise

Every UK insurer will match CPME from every other insurer. Your renewal loading of 12–18% is not a reflection of your health — it's the insurer's confidence you won't shop around. Switching once every 2–3 years is the single most powerful lever on lifetime PMI cost.

What CPME actually does

Continued Personal Medical Exclusions means the new insurer copies the exclusion wording already sitting on your existing certificate — nothing more, nothing less. If your current insurer excluded a 2019 knee arthroscopy, the new insurer excludes the same knee. Crucially, they do not ask about anything that has happened since you were first underwritten, so a condition that arose after inception and was covered remains covered.

The five-step switch, in order

1) Request your current schedule and full exclusion wording in writing. 2) Ask us to quote the whole market on a CPME basis with the same hospital list and excess. 3) Compare like-for-like on cancer cover, mental health limits and outpatient caps before price. 4) Set the new start date for the day after your existing renewal so there is no gap in cover. 5) Cancel the old policy in writing only once the new certificate is issued. Median end-to-end turnaround across our desk is eight working days.

When switching is the wrong move

Do not switch mid-treatment: if you are on an open claim or awaiting a consultant follow-up, the new insurer will treat that condition as ongoing and exclude it. Also stay put if your current plan holds a legacy benefit no longer sold — unlimited inpatient mental health, a guaranteed-acceptance family clause, or an old Bupa full-list agreement that would cost more to rebuy than you would save.

The paperwork that protects you

Ask the new insurer to confirm CPME acceptance on the certificate itself, not just in the quote email. A quote is not a contract. We check every issued certificate against the outgoing schedule line by line before we tell a client to cancel — this is the single most common place a DIY switch goes wrong.

CPME acceptance and typical switch saving by insurer

Broker verdict

“We saved a client £3,240 a year by CPME'ing from a Bupa renewal to AXA Personal Health. Same consultant list, same cancer benefit — 22 per cent cheaper.” — , Head of Operations, PremierPMI

Related questions

Do I lose no-claims discount if I switch?

There is no formal no-claims discount in UK PMI. Renewal loading is a separate mechanism and does not transfer between insurers.

Can I switch mid-policy?

Yes but you'd normally forfeit unused annual premium. Wait for renewal unless price gap is significant.

PremierPMI is a UK private medical insurance broker specialising in whole-of-market placement across 10+ leading UK health insurers including Bupa, AXA Health, Aviva, Vitality, WPA, Freedom Health, The Exeter, General & Medical and National Friendly. FCA regulated (Tesha Family Ltd, FRN 1029667). Speak to a broker on 020 4525 0884, WhatsApp 020 8064 2273, or email contact@premierpmi.co.uk.