Health Insurance Companies

If you compare health insurance, the health insurance companies listed below are likely to feature prominently. But do you know anything about them? Some are household names but others are less known. To give you full confidence before you start your health insurance comparison, the following gives a brief overview of these businesses and their background.

BUPA

Founded in the 1940s to offer freedom of choice in healthcare, BUPA is now one of the UK's leading independent life insurance, critical illness cover and private health insurance providers. BUPA is a provident association, which means that any profit made by BUPA goes into better care and health services, such as further investment in their 35 UK BUPA hospitals.

Bupa began life as The British United Provident Association in 1947. The National Health Service was introduced a year later, however, Bupa believed there would still be a need for a complimentary service enabling people from all walks of life to afford the benefits of choice in where, when and by whom they were treated.

Bupa initiated the Nuffield Homes Charitable Trust - later renamed Nuffield Hospitals.

The Bupa name became associated with health and fitness, not just treatment, with a high-profile sports sponsorship programme and health screening services. Bupa's UK hospitals have been credited with the ISO 9002 quality award.

Norwich Union Healthcare

Under the umbrella of their parent company Aviva, Norwich Union is the world's fifth-largest insurance group (based on gross worldwide premiums) and the number one in the UK and Spain. The have thirty-million customers worldwide have assets of around £240 billion under management.

Norwich Union Healthcare is one of the largest healthcare insurers providing a range of private medical insurance and income protection products for more than 980,000 clients.

Norwich Union is the biggest life insurer in the UK, and has a strong position in motor insurance. The modern company was created by a merger of Norwich Union and CGU plc in year 2000. Aviva continues to operate in the UK under the Norwich Union name although recently Aviva announced that the Norwich Union brand would disappear over a period of two years, on the grounds that a consistent Aviva brand would bring "global impact".

Standard Life

Standard Life is one of four companies within the Standard Life Group that operate in the UK. It aims to meet the changing needs of its clients throughout their lives for life insurance, critical-illness income-protection, and savings, investments and pension requirements. Standard Life was founded over 175 years ago. Worldwide, they have over 7 million clients, assets under management of £156 billion. Standard Life Healthcare protects the health of more than half a million people in the UK

They supply Private Medical Insurance plans to both corporate and individual customers and have an extensive range of healthcare products.

AXA PPP

AXA PPP healthcare is the UK healthcare arm of AXA - a world leader in financial protection, with revenues of ^93.6 billion in 2007.

AXA PPP Healthcare has over 65 years' experience of helping people get access to private medical insurance, making them one of the longest established medical insurers in the UK. They are also one of the largest looking after nearly two million clients in the UK and in 2007 they paid more than £2.5 million in claims every working day.

They offer a range of plans to help people and employers to meet their healthcare needs and, in addition, offer members 24/7 access to our freephone helpline, Health at Hand, staffed by nurses, midwives, pharmacists and counsellors.

BCWA

Founded in 1935, BCWA is the UK's most experienced health insurer. Based in Bristol BCWA were originally known as the Bristol Contributory Welfare Association but latterly dropped the full name to a more manageable BCWA.

Their traditional values as a caring organisation, based on the principles of mutuality, were given added support in 2005 when they became part of the Simply Health Group. As of September 2007 BCWA had 61,000 customers providing cover for some 116,000 people and the wider Simplyhealth Group covers some 2.25 million people.

Their healthcare services are each delivered by specialist companies who share their principles of member care and consideration ranging from occupational health services to health screening, health cash plans, private medical insurance and health scheme administration.

PruHealth

PruHealth, launched in 2004 is a joint venture between the Prudential and leading South African healthcare provider Discovery Holdings. Their concept is that prevention is better than cure is not new however their innovative health insurance scheme is changing the way the industry looks at this product.

It combines a insurance with a wellness program called 'Vitality' which offers a range of activities which are rewarded by points, which in turn can result in discounts on future premiums, gym membership, health screening, fitness and lifestyle products. Living a healthier lifestyle obviously brings its own rewards for families and individuals but being given a financial incentive to do so could make the idea even more attractive.

This information has been provided by PMI Healthcare Ltd