Millions of people could be missing out on benefits provided by health insurance schemes because they believe cover costs twice as much as it actually does, a new survey reveals.

Nearly three quarters of Brits think that private medical insurance (PMI) is out of their reach financially - while one in three of us admits to having no knowledge of what it actually costs at all. In our latest survey*, consumers in the UK put the average price of health insurance for a family of four at £78.10 per month - yet this is almost double the £40** at which our family health insurance starts.

According to our research, nearly three quarters (73%) of people living in Britain today without private medical cover say the reason they don’t have a policy is because it would be too expensive. And more than a third (37%) of respondents admit to having little or no knowledge of the costs involved.

Our PMI team leader Mark Todd said: “To think that so many people still clearly believe the age-old myth that private healthcare is somehow a privilege afforded only by the rich is not only disappointing, it’s also extremely worrying too. Many people are clearly deciding not to even consider looking at the option of PMI for their families, writing it off as they consider it too expensive before even enquiring about the costs.

“At a time when healthcare in general is under growing pressure and is an increasingly significant issue across the UK - and the importance of using PMI as a safeguarding measure has in many ways never been greater - that a clear majority of people still have little or no idea of the relatively affordable products available to them is a huge concern.”

Having the right health insurance policy can enable patients to get a speedier diagnosis when they become unwell and to access treatment faster. Private medical cover works alongside NHS services and can include health perks you might not expect with insurance, such as dental treatment, private prescriptions and counselling.

Mark added: “As an industry, we need to work hard to inform and educate the public on private medical insurance on its availability and, more importantly, its affordability. In a world where healthcare challenges are perceived by some to be more prevalent than ever, and the public care environment is considered less reliable by others, the real shame here is that families across the UK are seemingly missing out due to age-old misconceptions that are holding consumers back at a time when they could well stand to benefit the most.”

ActiveQuote.com is the UK’s leading comparison website and broker of health and protection insurance products, including health insurance, income protection, life insurance and critical illness cover. To compare online health insurance quotes, visit our website or for more information speak to our team free on 0800 862 0373.

* ActiveQuote surveyed 2,000 adults selected at random from across the UK between June 7-14 2018.

** Based on an ActiveQuote quote on April 25 for a family of four living in south Wales.