Key takeaways: Can I buy health insurance for a child?

You can often add children to your health insurance. Any children you add to your plan usually have the same benefits as you – fast access to diagnosis and treatment, and flexibility over the time and location of appointments. 

Once the child is 16, they’ll still be covered under your plan, but you won’t be able to see their details, including any medical and claims information, unless they give their consent.

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Can I buy health insurance for a child?

With most health insurers, you can add children to your plan. The rules may be different for each health insurer. For example, insurers may have different rules on who counts as a family member, or if they need to live at the same address.

You’ll always want the best for the children in your family. For some families, that could include having the peace of mind of knowing you can access private healthcare for your child if something unexpected happens.

Buying private health insurance for your child can give you the peace of mind of knowing they can get a quick diagnosis and access care promptly if they become ill. 

It’s worth noting that there may be an age limit for who counts as a child on your policy. In other words, once your child reaches a certain age, they may need their own policy if they want to continue with health insurance.

Why do some people choose health insurance for children? 

Most people take out private health insurance for children for the peace of mind of knowing the children in their family can get fast access to medical care if they need it. Some of the other reasons why people choose health insurance for children include: 

·         Access to an online private GP service.

·         Having the flexibility to fit specialist appointments and treatment around family life, education and work commitments.

·         Having a choice of specialist or hospital. You can often choose a specialist or hospital, although some plans may have rules about which hospitals or specialists you can use.

If you add a child with AXA Health:  

·        With our Outpatient diagnosis and care option, you could get cover for the treatment of specific childhood concerns such as birthmarks and speech therapy, so long as the child is under 14 and hasn’t already received treatment or have treatment planned or pending for the condition. 

·         If you choose our Inpatient and day patient care option, we’ll cover one parent to stay with their child in hospital if they need treatment, so you can be with them when they need you most. Or we’ll pay towards a parent’s accommodation in a nearby hotel.

·         If you choose our Mental health care option, you can access mental health support for children over 5 years. For more information see our article: Does health insurance cover mental health issues?

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How does adding children to my health insurance work? 

With most private health insurers, you can add children to your existing plan instead of taking out a separate plan for each child. Adding children to your existing plan means you don’t have to pay for individual plans for each person. Instead, you just pay one premium for everyone.

Some insurers may give you discounted cover for children, or you may only pay for the oldest child and cover for any other children is free. How this works will depend on your health insurer.

With AXA Health, you can add children and grandchildren to your membership even if you don’t all live at the same address. They don’t have to have the same cover as you, so you can choose different options to suit their needs and your budget.

Which children can I add to my health insurance?

This will depend on your health insurer. You’ll find information about who you can add to your plan in your membership documents.

With AXA Health you can add:

  • your children or your partner’s children
  • your grandchildren
  • your partner’s grandchildren.

They don’t need to live at the same address as you. That means you can continue to cover a child if they go to university or college.

Can I add a new baby to my health insurance?

You can usually add a new baby to your health insurance. With AXA Health, we can often give you free cover for your new arrival until your next renewal date. 

If you add your baby within a set period after their birth, your health insurer may offer you cover without excluding any existing conditions. However, if you had fertility treatment of any kind to have your baby, the rules for existing conditions may be different.

Can I tailor my health insurance for my children or grandchildren’s needs?

With some health insurers, you child’s cover will need to match yours.

However, if you take out a new AXA Health Plan, you can:

  • Choose different care options for your child. For example, you might decide to not include the Cancer care option for your child even if you’ve chosen it for yourself. You could add an extra option for them and you can change the child’s options at renewal.
  • Choose a different excess for yourself and anyone else you add to your plan.

If you have a no claims discount with your policy, often each person covered by your plan will have their own no claims discount, so if one person makes a claim, it won’t affect the other members’ no claims discount. This can help keep the cost of your health insurance down.

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What can I do if a child’s treatment isn’t covered?

If your health insurance doesn’t cover a child’s treatment, they can either have the treatment on the NHS, or you can pay for them to have private treatment yourself. If you decide to pay for it yourself, make sure you’re aware of how much it will cost before the child starts treatment. Most specialists or hospitals will be able to give you an estimate.

If something isn’t covered, will my health insurer still support my child or grandchild?

Most health insurers give you access to additional services with your health insurance to support your health and wellbeing. For example, with AXA Health, everyone included in your membership gets:

  • A 24/7 health support line for any health information they need
  • A 24/7 mental health support line (only available for 18+)
  • Access to our 24/7 online GP service – this can be helpful as you may be able to get a slot that fits around school times, including in the evenings and weekends. The child’s parent or guardian will need to set this up for them. Note: you may not always be able to get an appointment at the exact time you want

See what you get with AXA Health’s health insurance 

See what’s not covered by health insurance 

Will I be able to see my child’s medical information?

If you’re the lead member, you can see the details of any children on your membership on your online account until they reach 16.

When the child reaches 16, they can still be covered by your plan, but you won’t be able to see their details. If you want to claim on their behalf, you’ll need their consent.

At AXA Health, we recommend that everyone over 16 on your membership sets up their own online account so that we can contact them quickly about any claims they make.

What age will the child’s health insurance stop? 

The age when a child’s health insurance ends will vary between insurers. Some insurers may cover the child on your plan until they reach a set age, for example 20 or 21. Others may cover the child for longer if they’re in full time education. Your insurer will be able to tell you about this.

Can my child or grandchild still use the NHS if they have private health insurance? 

Yes. Private healthcare isn’t intended to replace the NHS, and you’ll still be able to use the NHS. There are some treatments such as accident and emergency care that aren’t available through private healthcare. There are also some private hospitals and facilities that are not set up to treat babies or very young children.

Instead, private healthcare can offer different options and may give you more freedom over where and when you have your treatment.

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Reviewed by Dr Corné HurterDr Hurter bio profile photo

I was appointed Medical Director for Services and Delivery at AXA Health in January 2026. Before then, I spent 10 years working at HCA UK in roles such as Medical Director for Care Transformation and Director of Medical Services.

During my time at HCA UK, I was part of the first cohort of doctors to complete a Medical Management and Leadership Master’s degree. 

I’m passionate about patient care and innovation that supports care delivery to patients in a manner which is sustainable and value-driven.

I’m excited to be using my experience to make a real difference to members and the service we provide.