Can I get private health insurance just for my child?

Yes, some insurers offer policies that cover a child on their own, with a parent or guardian as the policyholder. Others only accept children alongside at least one adult. Age limits vary, and some insurers move the child onto an adult policy or end cover when they reach the upper age. The policy works like an adult policy, with a core level of cover, optional outpatient benefits, an excess and a hospital list, and claims usually need a GP referral. Because availability differs so much between insurers, the first question to ask is whether child-only cover is offered at all, and up to what age the child can stay on it.

Will private health insurance cover my child’s existing condition?

Usually not. Children’s policies are underwritten in the same ways as adult policies. Under moratorium underwriting, conditions the child has had symptoms of, or treatment or advice for, in a set period before cover starts are excluded at first and may become eligible after a symptom-free period. Under full medical underwriting, the insurer reviews the history you disclose and lists specific exclusions. Long-term or chronic conditions are generally excluded on either basis. The Consumer Insurance (Disclosure and Representations) Act 2012 requires you to take reasonable care when answering on your child’s behalf. NHS care remains the route for existing conditions.

Is it cheaper to add my child to my policy or buy child-only cover?

It depends on the insurer and the policies involved. Some insurers price children at a lower rate when they are added to an adult policy, and promotions sometimes offer children’s cover at reduced cost. A child-only policy is priced for the child alone, which may be useful if the adults do not want cover themselves. The only reliable comparison is to get quotes for the same level of cover, excess and hospital list both ways. Also compare the terms: what happens at the upper age limit, how existing conditions are treated, and whether outpatient limits differ between the two options.

Can a grandparent pay for a grandchild’s health insurance?

Often the policyholder needs to be a parent or legal guardian, because they must answer the medical questions and have authority to make decisions about the child’s care. However, many insurers allow someone else to pay the premiums. Ask the insurer how it handles this before applying. If a grandparent pays, the parent or guardian is usually still responsible for making claims, sharing medical information and agreeing to treatment. Make sure everyone understands who will receive correspondence and who can speak to the insurer, especially if the family situation changes or the child moves between households.

What happens to child cover on my work policy if I leave my job?

If your child is covered as a dependant on your employer’s group policy, their cover normally ends when you leave that job, at the same time as yours. Some insurers offer a continuation option that lets you move onto an individual policy without full new medical underwriting, but it usually has to be taken up within a short period after leaving. Ask HR or the insurer about continuation before your last day. Where an employer pays for family members’ cover, it is usually a taxable benefit for the employee, so leaving may also change your tax code.

Health insurance

Can you get private health insurance for a child only?

The short answer

Yes, some insurers offer private health insurance for a child on their own, with a parent or guardian as the policyholder; others only cover children alongside an adult. Existing conditions are usually excluded, and routine and chronic care often is too. If a parent has cover through work, adding the child there is worth checking first.

Written by Dior Teshayev. Reviewed by Andrew Buscu.

Published 1 October 2026. Last reviewed 1 October 2026. Next review due 1 April 2027.

Child-only policies: Available from some insurers
Policyholder: Usually a parent or guardian
NHS dental treatment for under-18s: Free ^[3]

Health insurance for a child only: the essentials

Some insurers let you insure a child on their own, with a parent or guardian as the policyholder. Read more
Existing conditions are usually excluded, as on adult policies. Read more
Policies generally cover eligible acute conditions; routine and chronic care is often excluded. Read more
If a parent has employer cover, adding a child there may be the first option to check. Read more

Covering a child on their own

Yes, it is possible to buy private health insurance for a child only. Some insurers allow a parent or guardian to take out a policy that covers just the child, without insuring the adults in the household. Others only accept children as part of a policy that includes at least one adult. Availability, age limits and terms vary, so the first step is to check whether an insurer offers child-only cover at all.

This guide explains how child-only cover works, how existing conditions are treated, what policies usually include and exclude, and what to check. It is information, not advice. The Health Guide does not give medical guidance; for health concerns, speak to your GP or NHS 111.

How child-only cover works

With child-only cover, the child is the insured person and a parent or guardian is the policyholder who signs the application, answers the questions and pays the premium. The policy works like an adult policy: there is a core level of cover, optional extras such as outpatient benefits, an excess you can choose, and a hospital list. Claims usually need a GP referral.

Insurers set an age range for child-only policies — for example, accepting children up to the late teens — and may move the child to an adult policy or end cover when they reach the upper limit. Ask what happens at that point and whether the child can continue without new medical questions.

Child-only cover compared with adding a child to a family policy
Feature	Child-only policy	Child on a family or adult policy
Who is insured	The child alone	The child plus one or more adults
Who signs and pays	A parent or guardian	The adult policyholder
Availability	Offered by some insurers only	Widely available
Pricing	Priced for the child alone	Children are sometimes added at a reduced rate or free under some offers
At the upper age limit	May transfer to an adult policy or end	May move to their own policy

Why parents look at cover for a child only

One or both parents already have cover through work that does not extend to children.
Parents are happy to rely on the NHS for themselves but want faster access to eligible treatment for a child.
Separated parents want one parent to insure a child independently.
A grandparent or other relative wants to help, with the parent or guardian as the policyholder.

Some NHS services are already free for children; for example, NHS dental treatment is free for under-18s, and for under-19s in full-time education. ^[3] GOV.UK sets out help with other health costs. ^[4] Private health insurance does not replace these, and most children’s policies do not cover routine dental care.

Underwriting and existing conditions

Children’s policies are underwritten in the same broad ways as adult policies. With moratorium underwriting, conditions the child has had symptoms of, or treatment or advice for, in a set period before the policy starts are usually excluded at first, and may become covered after a symptom-free period. With full medical underwriting, you disclose the child’s history and the insurer lists specific exclusions.

The Consumer Insurance (Disclosure and Representations) Act 2012 requires the person applying to take reasonable care to answer questions accurately, and limits what an insurer can do if a mistake was honest. ^[2] Answer on the child’s behalf as fully as you can, and keep a copy.

If a child has an existing or long-term condition, private health insurance is unlikely to cover it. NHS care remains the route for that condition. See how medical underwriting works.

What policies for children usually cover

What children’s private health insurance commonly covers and excludes
Area	Typically covered?	Notes
Eligible acute conditions needing hospital treatment	Yes	Subject to the policy’s limits and hospital list
Outpatient consultations and tests	Often, as an option	May have an annual limit
Chronic or long-term conditions	Usually not	Ongoing management is usually excluded
Existing conditions	Usually excluded	Depends on the underwriting method
Routine dental and optical care	Usually not	NHS dental care is free for under-18s
Developmental and behavioural assessments	Varies widely	Check the policy wording carefully
A parent staying in hospital	Often included	Check any limits

Our guide to what private health insurance covers explains acute and chronic conditions in more detail.

Pricing and value for a child-only policy

Insurers price children’s cover using many of the same factors as adult cover: age, where you live, the level of cover, the excess, the hospital list and any optional extras such as outpatient benefits. Because children are generally younger and claim in different patterns, their premiums are often lower than adults’, but there is no reliable average to quote, and we do not publish one. The only accurate figure is a quote based on your child’s details.

Several levers change the price. A higher excess lowers the premium but means paying more towards a claim. A shorter hospital list can cost less, but may mean travelling further. Limiting outpatient cover reduces the premium but leaves consultations and tests to be paid privately or accessed through the NHS. A “six-week option”, where the policy only pays if the NHS cannot treat within six weeks, can also lower the cost on some policies.

When judging value, think about what you most want the policy to do. For many families, the main aim is faster access to eligible consultations, tests and hospital treatment for a new condition. A policy that does that well, with a hospital you can reach and an outpatient limit that matches typical costs, may give better value than a cheaper policy with gaps in the areas you care about.

Remember too what the NHS already provides free for children, including NHS dental treatment for under-18s. ^[3] Private health insurance sits alongside NHS care rather than replacing it, and the NHS remains the route for emergencies and for conditions a policy excludes.

Separated families and consent

If parents are separated, it helps to agree in advance who will be the policyholder, who will make claims and how information will be shared. Insurers usually deal with the policyholder, so the other parent may not be able to discuss the policy unless they are named. Write down the arrangement and keep copies of the policy documents in both households.

If a parent has cover through work

If a parent has private medical insurance through work, check whether children can be added before buying a separate policy. Employers sometimes allow family members to be added, either paid for by the employer or by the employee. HMRC guidance explains that where an employer pays for medical insurance covering an employee’s family, it is generally a taxable benefit for the employee. ^[5] GOV.UK sets out the employer’s reporting duties. ^[6]

If the parent leaves that job, the child’s cover usually ends with it. Some insurers offer a continuation option onto an individual policy.

Questions to ask before buying

Does the insurer offer child-only cover, and up to what age?
What happens when the child reaches the upper age limit?
Which underwriting method applies, and what will be excluded?
Does the policy cover outpatient consultations and tests, and with what limit?
Are developmental, behavioural or mental health assessments covered?
Can a parent stay in hospital with the child, and is there a limit?

Cancer Research UK’s guide to medical insurance explains what to check when a policy is used for cancer care. ^[7] If you are unhappy with how a claim is handled, you can complain to the insurer and then to the Financial Ombudsman Service. ^[1] Insurers must not discriminate unlawfully under the Equality Act 2010, though some insurance exceptions apply. ^[8] Check any adviser or firm on the FCA Register. ^[9]

Common questions

Can I get private health insurance just for my child?: Yes, some insurers offer policies that cover a child on their own, with a parent or guardian as the policyholder. Others only accept children alongside at least one adult. Age limits vary, and some insurers move the child onto an adult policy or end cover when they reach the upper age. The policy works like an adult policy, with a core level of cover, optional outpatient benefits, an excess and a hospital list, and claims usually need a GP referral. Because availability differs so much between insurers, the first question to ask is whether child-only cover is offered at all, and up to what age the child can stay on it.
Will private health insurance cover my child’s existing condition?: Usually not. Children’s policies are underwritten in the same ways as adult policies. Under moratorium underwriting, conditions the child has had symptoms of, or treatment or advice for, in a set period before cover starts are excluded at first and may become eligible after a symptom-free period. Under full medical underwriting, the insurer reviews the history you disclose and lists specific exclusions. Long-term or chronic conditions are generally excluded on either basis. The Consumer Insurance (Disclosure and Representations) Act 2012 requires you to take reasonable care when answering on your child’s behalf. ^[2] NHS care remains the route for existing conditions.
Does children’s health insurance cover dental treatment?: Most private health insurance policies, for children or adults, do not include routine dental care such as check-ups and fillings. Some offer a dental option or cover dental treatment needed after an accident. For children, the NHS position matters: NHS dental treatment is free for under-18s, and for under-19s in full-time education. ^[3] That means many families rely on the NHS for routine dental care and use private health insurance for eligible hospital treatment. If dental cover is important to you, look at separate dental insurance or a dental plan, and check the waiting periods and annual limits before buying.
Is it cheaper to add my child to my policy or buy child-only cover?: It depends on the insurer and the policies involved. Some insurers price children at a lower rate when they are added to an adult policy, and promotions sometimes offer children’s cover at reduced cost. A child-only policy is priced for the child alone, which may be useful if the adults do not want cover themselves. The only reliable comparison is to get quotes for the same level of cover, excess and hospital list both ways. Also compare the terms: what happens at the upper age limit, how existing conditions are treated, and whether outpatient limits differ between the two options.
Can a grandparent pay for a grandchild’s health insurance?: Often the policyholder needs to be a parent or legal guardian, because they must answer the medical questions and have authority to make decisions about the child’s care. However, many insurers allow someone else to pay the premiums. Ask the insurer how it handles this before applying. If a grandparent pays, the parent or guardian is usually still responsible for making claims, sharing medical information and agreeing to treatment. Make sure everyone understands who will receive correspondence and who can speak to the insurer, especially if the family situation changes or the child moves between households.
What happens to child cover on my work policy if I leave my job?: If your child is covered as a dependant on your employer’s group policy, their cover normally ends when you leave that job, at the same time as yours. Some insurers offer a continuation option that lets you move onto an individual policy without full new medical underwriting, but it usually has to be taken up within a short period after leaving. Ask HR or the insurer about continuation before your last day. Where an employer pays for family members’ cover, it is usually a taxable benefit for the employee, ^[5] so leaving may also change your tax code.

Sources

Financial Ombudsman Service. Medical insurance complaints. Accessed 1 October 2026 (primary source)
UK Parliament (legislation.gov.uk). Consumer Insurance (Disclosure and Representations) Act 2012. Enacted 8 March 2012 (primary source)
NHS. Understanding NHS dental charges. Accessed 1 October 2026 (primary source)
GOV.UK. Help with health costs. Accessed 1 October 2026 (primary source)
HM Revenue & Customs. EIM21760: Particular benefits — medical expenses, treatment and medical insurance: general. Accessed 1 October 2026 (primary source)
GOV.UK. Expenses and benefits: medical or dental treatment and insurance. Accessed 1 October 2026 (primary source)
Cancer Research UK. Medical insurance. Accessed 1 October 2026
UK Parliament (legislation.gov.uk). Equality Act 2010. Enacted 8 April 2010 (primary source)
Financial Conduct Authority. The Financial Services Register. Continuously updated; accessed 1 October 2026 (primary source)