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Aviva: Health insurance reviews

Name: Health insurance
Rating: 1.94 (189 reviews)

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1.80

Based on 189 reviews, last reviewed 5th Sep 2025

50% decrease in 5 star reviews

in the past 90 days

71% decrease in 1 star reviews

in the past 90 days

19%

71%

Latest highest rating:

5

Reasonable cost, clear communication, I have had thi... Reasonable cost, clear communication, I have had this account with them for the last 9 years and have no complaints so far - luckily I haven't had to ... Read more Reviewed on: 5th September 2025

Latest lowest rating:

1

Discussed with the level of care been waiting 3 week... Discussed with the level of care been waiting 3 weeks now got an NHS appointment quicker Reviewed on: 4th September 2025

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About this product

Aviva health insurance helps pay for private medical care for short-term injuries or illnesses.

You'll have access to a range of private hospitals and facilities that include Circle, Nuffield, Spire and NHS private units. Aviva won't increase premiums at first renewal if you haven't made a claim that's reduced your no claim discount level.

Aviva health insurance reviews help you find out what it’s really like to be a customer. If you’ve used Aviva before, you can also leave a review and share your experience.

Aviva Health insurance reviews (189)

Review of the Aviva, Health insurance:

Horrendous. Utterly diabolic!

Horrendous. Absolutely horrendous. A nightmare. Utterly diabolic system, specifically designed to put your in constant stress, strain and struggle, so you run out of energy and give up. I have been having Aviva health insurance policy for a few years at the time I had to make a claim. Everything was fine while I paid, its a big company, so you kind of thinking you are protected, they have such a nice and shiny web site… Then when you dare to make a claim, this is where a nightmare starts. 1. No one picks up the phone for hours. Literally, for hours. No customer service presence EVER. The phone automatic msgs constantly says they are extremely busy, whatever time and day you call. You need to wait at least 45 mins on the phone to get throgh to the real person (thats the quickest I ever managed to get through after my many efforts) Im pretty sure this shortage on staff and responce is there deliberately. 2. Once you made a claim on their web site, and added all supporting documents, including GP referral and previous tests and scans (its mandotory before they even look into your claim) they suppose to contact you within 7 days. Guess what? Noone does. You have to chase them. Again. Call and wait for hours or try to get throgh their chatbot on the web site. 3. The chatbot is another nightmare. Everything is made to kick you off and not get you through to the real person. It is really hard to get through their automatic system. Sometimes just impossible. It is also, Im sure, made deliberately. 4. Once you made a claim, they will start looking for anything, literally, anything in you medical record to reject the claim. Trying to say its pre existing medical condition and etc. They try really hard, mind you. 5. Once you managed to get through these previous steps, and your claim was accepted, you still cant go to the consultant, no. They need to AUTHORISE your treatment. Otherwise its not gonna be paid for you. And this is your owns fault if you went to the doctor before they authorised any treatment in their system. They also choose a hospital for you and provide you the names of the authorised consultant. Only after this you can call to the hospital and book the appointment with a consaltant they choose. 6. Same steps happen with everything, every appointment or test you need to make. Whether its scans or tests or doctor consultations. Time flies by, appointments are not happening immediately, and here we are many months after without health issue being solved or any real result. ;) Congrats. 7. After months and months of struggle with their system, my surgery have been eventually postponed by the Spire hospital on the last day before the actual surgery. 3 weeks after the surgery assesment they suddenly decided I have to go to see a cardiologist and a GP, just to make them feel safer with what they do. ;) I have done this. And guess what? To the time I have done this (it was another month or so) the consultant who was suppose to perform this surgery just left this hospital ;))))) The end. At this point I could stand it no more! So I went to Russia (this is where Im from), and in 2 weeks there they have done all the tests and scans from scratch, prepared me for the surgery and performed the actual surgery. Done. And guess what? It was free. After this I canceled this ridiculous, torturing insurance and never looked back.) Eveything is hard, to the extent, its too much effort to make anything work. This is made deliberately by Aviva, to kick you off when you need them and cynically get their profit. And when you having health issues the last thing you want is more stress, struggle and palaver in your life. Having health issies is streessful enough. Then Aviva just adds more streess and struggle in already very hard circumstances. The whole reason of having private health insurance in the first place, is to have a stress free healthcare and fast specialist appointments. This is not what this is about. They just take your money and dont care about the rest. They dont even pick up the phone. Reviewed on: 17th January 2025

The worst private health insurance ever

I have had a few private health insurers and this one is hands down the worst one. It's virtually impossible to get covered for any condition, Aviva will not cover for any pre-existing condition (i.e. for anything you had before you got insured with them. So if you ever had a backache at some point in the past - before you were with Aviva, and you get a backache again, Aviva will not cover your physio treatment for you as it's considered a pre-existing condition). Whatever the problem is, Aviva will always try and convince you that it's a pre-existing condition! All starts with an initial chat over the phone, where I got asked every detail about my condition, and I was made answer very detailed sensitive women health symptoms (with a man, I am a female) which made me feel extremely uncomfortable. I had to be very persistent and literally argue my case and was eventually referred. But I had to be very careful what words I used so it didn't imply I had the condition before, they try to catch you with every sentence. I have never experienced anything like this. Shambles! Reviewed on: 3rd February 2023

AVOID THIS SCAM.

customer service is a joke, impossible to book an appointment with GP. and referrals you can wait months. Proper SCAM! Reviewed on: 30th November 2022

Company /personal

I had a company policy with the company for over 20 years .When my company closed i took out a personal policy .Obviously as no company .But hey ho all of a sudden i am not the same person !!!. Oh know no loyalty for time accrued with them . They start afresh and guess what.Not apparently covered for condition . Having read many of the reviews on this page .There is an obvious pattern !!. Reviewed on: 24th November 2022

Impossible to access

Impossible to access initial appointment with gp app, customer service non existent no one can help or has ability or knowledge to help. Better off with NHS Reviewed on: 1st November 2022

I waited for my claim for four months

I called Aviva medical in June 2022, it took them until September 2022 to acknowledge i had cover. I am still waiting for a medical provider for my condition its nearly the end of October. Not a great service Reviewed on: 23rd October 2022

scam like business

Let me describe to you what kind of business aviva is. Imagine NHS with way more difficult access to even someone to talk about your issue, plus you'd pay for that. Finally, they say go claim on our app which doesn't work if you have android. It looks to me more like a scam than a business as I didn't see any services at all. NHS looks to me a very good deal after dealing with those crooks. Reviewed on: 5th October 2022

Great health insurance

Really good level of coverage for an excellent price - highly recommended Reviewed on: 27th September 2022

Avoid at all costs

Took out health cover and have never claimed. I went though a broker and he did switch me once but under a continuous moratorium. When I did try to claim they denied the claim and kept changing their reasons for doing so. And said that when I switched it was new t&cs which pretty much exclude everything. Basically I’ve wasted my premiums because they will find any way possible to get out of paying a claim.they said a letter from my consultant was irrelevant, they said the broker was not qualified to advise me on what I was covered for. Complete shower , avoid at all costs. Reviewed on: 23rd September 2022

Happy to take your money

I have a holiday house in France , when Aviva found out I was out of the UK for several months a year , they cancelled my Private Health Cover within 2 mins - been paying in for a long time , never ever mentioned If out of the UK then I knew I could not use them , which was to their advantage They will of course make some excuse if this review is shown to them But this is part of there last e.mail to me "This essentially means that members must remain a UK resident for the entire policy year, however we do allow members to be outside of the UK for up to 3 months each policy year, to account for short-term holidays abroad." So , if you are with them , find someone else Reviewed on: 8th September 2022

Not Fit For Purpose

Impossible to contact on any level. No one answers the phone. The chatbot doesn’t work. My documents are not available on their portal. What on earth is the point of health insurance (at prodigious cost) if they are uncontactable? NOT FIT FOR PURPOSE Reviewed on: 7th September 2022

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