Small business health insurance
Get business healthcare cover for 1 to 249 employees
- Help your employees get back on their feet quickly with speedy access to diagnosis and treatment
- Help retain and attract top talent to your company by showing your commitment to employee wellbeing
- Give your team more flexibility and choice over where and when they are treated
What is small business health insurance?
Small business health insurance is an insurance policy that business owners can buy to help look after the health and wellbeing of your employees with private healthcare.
Our small business health insurance plans provide cover for 1-249 employees. We think that the best way for you to get the cover that's right for you and your company is to let you build your plan yourself, so we offer a range of affordable cover options for you to choose from. 90% of our small business customers stay with us, so we think they agree too.
Whether your priority is giving your employees quick access to diagnosis and treatment, mental health support for the pressures which come with your area of work, or speedy physiotherapy access for your team, you can choose the best combination of cover for your business and budget. Plus, you and your employees can also add family members to your plan to get healthcare cover at business rates.
Small business health insurance is good for business
Feeling valued is motivating. With healthcare benefits for employees, you can show your team just how important they are to your company. This helps you do business better in a number of ways:
Retain employees
The Association of British Insurers commissioned a survey of 2,005 people in 2023 and found 57% saw health insurance as a key part of an employee benefits package.
Attract top talent
Private healthcare plans show you’re committed to your employees. The Financial Times (2023) argue that it can help you persuade top-level new recruits to commit to your business.
Flexible medical appointments
Allow your team to choose appointments at a time and location that suits them, so they can look after themselves and their work, no problem.
Get your Business Health insurance brochure
Our brochure tells you everything you need to know about the benefits of health insurance plans for small businesses.
Worldpay card terminal offer for AXA Health business customers
Does your business take card payments? Join over one million businesses who take, make and manage payments with Worldpay. AXA Health business healthcare cover customers can get selected Worldpay card machines for just £1 a month for the first 12 months of an 18-month contract. The terminals support chip and pin, contactless, and digital wallets. Terms apply.
Please quote AXH13590 to redeem this offer.
Small business health insurance FAQs
The cost of small business health insurance for your company will depend on a number of different factors, including the cover options you choose, the number of employees you want to cover on your plan, as well as their ages and your location. To give you an idea of how much small business health insurance could cost, we have put together some example plans here.
We've put together a dedicated page to explain how small business health insurance affects tax. You can read it here
If you'd like to buy small business health insurance, you can get a quote online or call our small business experts on 0800 389 7413
As with most healthcare cover, there are some elements your plan won't cover. The exclusions will depend on the options you choose but some of the most significant exclusions include:
- Treatment of medical conditions your employees had, or had symptoms of, before they joined, unless you've chosen a 'continuing medical exclusions' or 'medical history disregarded' policy (available to businesses with 15+ employees)
- Routine pregnancy and childbirth
- Treatment of long-term, on-going or recurrent conditions (chronic) like diabetes or asthma
- Cosmetic treatment
We'll run through the key exclusions when you talk to us about the plan you'd like. Full details of our cover and any exclusions or limitations will be provided when you join.
This is how the claims process usually works:
- Step 1: If your GP recommends you see a specialist, tell them that you want to go private and ask for an open referral - this is when your GP states that treatment is necessary and which type of specialist you require treatment from, but they do not specify a specialist's name (don't forget, members also have access to our online GP service who can also refer on to specialists).
- Step 2: Call us so we can check your cover. You'll need an Outpatient option or our Diagnostics Only option for the consultation to be covered. We may also ask you to provide more information, for example from your GP.
- Step 3: Our specialist appointment booking service can book an appointment for you or give you a choice of up to three specialists to get in touch with when you're ready. Using this service means that you won't end up paying for treatment that you're not covered for.
It's easy to add employee family members to the plan at any point during your policy. The group decision maker can call us on the phone number listed in the handbook (phone lines are open 9am-5pm Monday - Friday). Depending on the underwriting option chosen, the amendment to your policy can often be authorised over the phone. Once the amendment has been actioned, the family member will be added to your plan and can start receiving the benefits of your small business health insurance plan.
What do I need to get a business health insurance quote?
Get an indicative online quote for an SME business health insurance policy in minutes.
Here’s some information you’ll need:
- Details such as your name, email address and business postcode
- The number of employees you’ll be covering
- The age of your employees (a rough estimate is fine for the indicative quote)
- An idea of the cover options you would like to include (we will provide descriptions of each)
Once you have your indicative quote, one of our company healthcare plan experts will call you to discuss your cover needs, provide a full quote and explain how we cover existing medical conditions.
Our team brings out the best in your team
24/7 online GP service
Access to video or phone appointments with a GP or Advanced Clinical Practitioner where your employees will have plenty of time to talk through their health concerns. AXA Doctor at Hand is powered by Doctor Care Anywhere. Appointments are subject to availability. Advanced Clinical Practitioner are available 8am – 10pm
Care for cancer and heart conditions
Our experienced healthcare practitioners are available at the end of the phone day or night. Speak to our specialist cancer and heart nurses 9am-5pm Monday – Friday. Outside these hours our experienced nurses and counsellors provide round the clock support by phone.
Specialist appointment booking service
Your employees can see the right person quickly. The sooner they see a consultant, the sooner they can get a diagnosis and treatment, and the sooner they can start getting better. You'll need to include either an Outpatient option or our Diagnostics Only option with your business healthcare plan for the consultation to be covered.
Easing the pressure with physio
Our muscles, bone and joint service is here to help your people manage or alleviate joint and muscle pain – whether it’s a bad back or sprained ankle. A physiotherapist will assess their symptoms online or over the phone and talk to them about what they could mean. Available for members aged 18 and over.
Health information and support
We’ll give your employees access to our 24/7 health support line. It comes as standard, no matter what cover options you choose, so your team can get help and support whether it's day or night.
Gym discounts to keep your team healthy
Our business healthcare plans don't just help your team get well and return to work if they fall ill, access to our great gym offers also help them proactively look after their physical and mental health. Plus, access to the offers is available for everyone covered on your business healthcare plan, including employees' partners, spouses and direct dependants.
40% off Nuffield Health monthly individual memberships
Get access to Nuffield’s Fitness and Wellbeing Centres, great places to develop healthy new habits, with over 100 centres nationwide to choose from. Terms apply.
40% off Nuffield Health 24/7 online memberships
Get access to Nuffield's online-only fitness classes, with a range of durations and intensity levels to choose from, including prehab and rehab classes designed by physiotherapists. So, you and your team can keep fit even when the gym's not an option. Terms apply.
40% off Hussle’s Monthly+ pass
Get access to multiple gyms, pools and spas, near home or away, for the ultimate flexibility. Terms apply.
Small business guide to health insurance
If you've considered adding company healthcare cover to your employee benefits package, it's likely that you have questions around how it works. You'll want to make sure that you're getting the coverage that will best suit your team and your budget, so you can be there for your people when they need it most.
That's why we've created our small business guide to health insurance.
Small business guide to musculoskeletal (MSK) health
Musculoskeletal conditions can have an impact on all areas of a person's life. Our small business guide to musculoskeletal health includes some hints and tips on how small business owners and their employees can look after their MSK health, both at work and at home.
Did you know we offer wellbeing training and assessments?
Promoting and supporting all aspects of your employees’ wellbeing to help them flourish and reach their potential is at the heart of our range of seminars, workshops and training courses, with both remote and in-person options available.
A little extra something
How does private healthcare cover affect your tax?
If you take out a business healthcare plan rather than a personal one, you could be eligible for tax relief. But don’t forget, when you offer private healthcare cover for employees as a benefit, it will have certain tax implications for you and your staff.
Find out more about the tax impliacations of providing health insurance as a benefit for your employees.
Self-employed and looking for healthcare cover?
With our health insurance for the self-employed, you’ll have someone on your side helping you get diagnosed and treated quickly, so you can get back to running your business.
The benefits of business health insurance
- Improved employee retention. Private healthcare cover is often ranked as one of the most valued benefits by employees. The Association of British Insurers commissioned a survey of 2,005 people in 2023 and found 57% saw health insurance as a key part of an employee benefits package. Offering private healthcare cover to your team can help to show that you’re investing in their health and wellbeing and that their dedication to the company is recognised.
- Beneficial for recruitment. As well as being beneficial for employee retention, private healthcare cover can also be a great incentive to help attract high quality new recruits to your business.
- Greater flexibility with medical appointments. Small business healthcare cover can provide you and your team with access to more flexible medical appointments. This means that you can choose an appointment at a time and location that’s most convenient for you.
At AXA Health, our small business health insurance also comes with additional benefits, including:
- Muscle, bone and joint support. Our small business health insurance comes with our muscle, bone and joint service as standard. You and your team can speak to a physiotherapist over the phone or online, without the need for a GP referral. They’ll assess the symptoms, talk about what they could mean and help to plan next steps. Available to members aged 18 years or over.
- Health information phone line. You and your team have access to our 24/7 health support line. Nurses and counsellors are available 24/7. Pharmacists and midwives are available 8am–8pm Monday to Friday, 8am-4pm Saturdays and 8am-12pm Sundays.
- Online private GP service. With our online GP service, you and your team can get a video or phone appointment with a GP or Advanced Clinical Practitioner at a time and place that suits you. Whether that’s after work or at the weekend, you'll have plenty of time to talk through your health concerns. Appointments are subject to availability. Advanced Clinical Practitioners are available 8am-10pm.
- Access to health and wellbeing offers such as discounted gym memberships.
About AXA Health
As AXA’s UK health and wellbeing specialist, AXA Health can help your employees bring their best selves to work. In a small business everybody counts, and keeping your business happy and healthy is key to getting the job done.
Where do we start? We start with you. With whatever healthy looks like for you and your people, however they spend their days – out supporting clients, working from home, or coming into the workplace.
Having spent decades getting to know how small businesses tick, we have a deep understanding of what really makes a difference. No two businesses are the same, so we’ll help you build a tailored plan that fits your business needs and matches your budget. And you’ll have peace of mind too, knowing that everyone can access wellbeing support and medical help when they need it – all underpinned by our expertise.
Your people are your best asset: by investing in their health and wellbeing for the future, you’re setting your business up to thrive.
It’s all backed up by our 5-star-Defaqto-rated private health insurance,* so you can rely on us to get your people the support they need to get back to work quickly – and also to help them stay well in the first place.
We were founded by doctors and hospitals working together to make a real difference: to give more people better access to healthcare. And we’ve been doing just that for the 80 years since – now with the might of one of the biggest insurance groups in the world behind us.
It’s our job to help you and your employees find your healthy.
*The Defaqto 5 Star Rating is based on an assessment of the overall product including all options. If some of the options are not selected, this will affect the product’s Star Rating.
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We’re proud that our Business Health plan has been rated 5 stars by independent financial information business, Defaqto. The Defaqto 5-star rating is based on an assessment of the overall product including all options. If some of the options are not selected, this will affect the product’s star rating.
* Phone lines are open 8:30am-5:30pm Monday to Friday. We may record and/or monitor calls for quality assurance, training and as a record of our conversation.