The short answer is yes, you can get health insurance if you currently have or have previously suffered from depression, anxiety or mental illness. Having a medical condition such as depression will not affect your ability to buy health insurance, nor will it increase the premiums you pay, however it may impact what you can claim for.
In this article, we explain how to apply for health insurance and how conditions like depression, stress, anxiety and other mental health ailments affect how health insurance works.
If you already know how health insurance is underwritten you can get an instant health insurance quote online* - for a limited time, you will receive £100 cashback if you buy your health insurance this way (offer ends 31st January 2025).
1 minute summary - Health insurance and mental health conditions
- Health insurance can cover mental health conditions such as depression, stress, anxiety, PTSD and more
- Some health insurance policies may exclude any pre-existing mental health conditions unless you complete 2 years of no symptoms, treatment or referrals
- Insurers vary in how they assess your mental health
- Health insurance usually provides access to mental health helplines and counselling for the policyholders and family members
- The level health insurance cover you choose will determine which benefits you can access
- Basic cover may offer mental health therapies while comprehensive cover may extend to in-patient and psychiatric treatment
- Speak to a health insurance expert* to discuss your circumstances to find the most suitable and comprehensive health insurance within your budget
- £100 cashback when you buy a health insurance policy – offer ends 31st January 2025
Does health insurance cover depression, anxiety or mental illness?
With a moratorium policy, a health insurance provider would exclude any conditions for which you have sought medical advice or treatment within the previous 5 years. So, if you suffer from depression, anxiety or mental illness and have sought advice or treatment within the last 5 years, you would not be able to make a claim on your health insurance policy for anything relating to that specific condition. You are of course free to make a claim on anything that is not specifically related to depression, anxiety or mental illness.
The good news however is that with a moratorium policy, a health insurance provider will cover you for depression, anxiety or mental illness if you remain symptom, advice and medication-free for 2 years (from the date that you take out a policy with them). So, if your condition is mild and well-controlled, a moratorium policy is often a good solution as it provides more flexibility when compared to a fully underwritten health insurance plan.
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Can I get health insurance cover for depression on a fully medically underwritten health insurance policy?
There are rare occasions when a fully medically underwritten policy may be the better solution. Most health insurance providers will review exclusions applied for depression, anxiety or other mental health conditions; the period in which they review the exclusion varies by insurer, see our table below for clarification. If you have a fairly uncomplicated medical history, then you could opt to be fully medically underwritten, because even if an exclusion is applied, it could be reviewed in the future and removed.
Think carefully before selecting this option however as there may be information in your medical past that you had forgotten about that will lead to further exclusions. With Bupa, they will review exclusions applied for depression, anxiety or mental illness every 12 months, so you could effectively be covered for depression within 1 year of taking a policy out, compared to 2 years if you took out a policy on a moratorium basis.
Can I pay extra to ensure my health insurance covers depression, anxiety or mental illness?
Yes, some insurance companies offer additional cover, sometimes referred to as ‘enhancements' or ‘bolt-ons'. These additional policies are underwritten separately and so could still be declined, however, if accepted they can offer additional insurance including both in-patient and day-patient treatment if you’re diagnosed with acute psychiatric conditions such as schizophrenia or clinical depression. The Exeter, Axa PPP and Aviva all have mental health enhancement options.
Which health insurance provider covers depression, anxiety or mental illness?
In our tables below, we look at 5 of the biggest health insurance providers and summarise their underwriting process when it comes to depression, anxiety or other mental health conditions.
| Aviva | Axa Health | Bupa | The Exeter | Vitality | |
| Moratorium | Standard moratorium definition | Standard moratorium definition | Standard moratorium definition | Standard moratorium definition | Standard moratorium definition |
| Full Medical Underwriting | Reviewable – not specified (case by case basis) | Reviewable every 2 years | Reviewable every 12 months | Reviewable – not specified (case by case basis) | Reviewable every 5 years |
| Mental Health Option | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
Standard moratorium definition: Conditions in which you have sought medical advice or treatment within the last 5 years will be excluded, however, those exclusions are removed if you have not had any treatment or exhibited any further symptoms for 2 years.
Health Insurance underwriting explained
Underwriting is the application assessment process that insurers use to determine if you can be offered health insurance, how much it will cost and whether any limitations will apply to it. When applying for health insurance, there are two types of underwriting and they are:
- Moratorium
- Full medical underwriting
There is technically another type of underwriting titled ‘continued health' which means that your new health insurance policy is taking over from an existing one. If you have held your existing health insurance for long enough or completed full underwriting when it was commenced, your new insurance will do the same and cover you on a similar basis.
Moratorium underwriting explained
With a moratorium policy, you only need to provide limited medical information, usually answering just four or five yes or no questions. A moratorium policy will usually commence far quicker in comparison to a fully underwritten policy. Applying for a moratorium policy is more convenient, but you will not have full clarity on what you are covered for as you will not have been fully medically underwritten at the time of the application.
Conditions which you have sought medical advice or treatment for within the last 5 years will usually be excluded. However, those exclusions are removed so long as you have not received any treatment, advice or medication for a period of 2 years or more (from the date that you take out a policy).
Full medical underwriting explained
A fully underwritten health insurance policy is where you complete a full application, providing all of your medical information to the insurance company for them to fully assess you. It may take longer for the cover to commence and you may have exclusions applied, but you will know exactly what you are covered for from the inception of the policy.
What is the best way to buy health insurance if I currently have or have previously suffered from depression?
You have no doubt heard of well-known health insurance providers such as Axa Health, Bupa and Vitality, but there are other lesser-known companies – such as The Exeter – that provide excellent private health insurance and so you should always do a comprehensive comparison before you commit to one insurer particular insurer.
Health insurance specialists can guide you to the best health insurance companies and policies based on your specific health history and your priorities – you don't have to pay for the service. The advisers will answer your questions in simple language and steer you to insurers that are more likely to offer fair terms of cover. Mental health is complex and every insurer has its own assessment guidelines but most people don't realise that when you use a specialist adviser to apply for health insurance with a history of mental health concerns, you are in a better position to get a fair decision. This is because the adviser can speak to the underwriters making the decisions to convey extra information than the application form allows. They also have experience based on outcomes for other applicants so if you're not receiving the fairest decision, they are in a position to challenge this on your behalf.
At Money to the Masses, we have partnered with one of the UK's leading private health insurance comparison specialists* in order to provide you with the best and cheapest health insurance policies available in the UK. Clicking the link will allow you to either build your own quote or request a callback from an adviser. For a limited time, you will receive £100 cashback when you buy your health insurance this way – the offer ends 31st January 2025.
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