Realistically, most over-60s pay around £80–£200+ a month for individual comprehensive cover, though quotes vary widely. Age is the single biggest driver — premiums rise notably through your 60s and 70s as claim likelihood increases — but your excess, outpatient limit, hospital list and whether you accept a guided consultant pathway move the price substantially too. Two people the same age can pay very different premiums depending on those settings and postcode, so a like-for-like comparison is the only reliable guide.

It depends on what you value and can afford. The 60s and 70s are when people use healthcare most, so faster access to diagnostics, consultations and treatment — avoiding lengthening NHS waits at exactly the age they bite hardest — is the real draw. Against that, premiums are at their highest and keep rising, and pre-existing conditions won’t be covered. It’s often worth it for those who prioritise speed and choice and can absorb rising costs; for others, a mix of NHS care and occasional self-pay may serve better.

Yes — you can almost always get a policy, but your existing conditions typically won’t be covered. On moratorium underwriting, conditions from roughly the last five years are excluded but can become eligible after a symptom-free period (often two years); on full medical underwriting, you declare your history up front and get clarity immediately. Cover still applies to new, unrelated conditions that arise later, which is much of the point at this age.

There’s no single best — it depends on your health, budget and priorities. Bupa and Aviva are popular for breadth of access; Saga specialises in the over-50s and is underwritten by Bupa; The Exeter is often competitive for older applicants and those with health histories; and WPA and Vitality suit particular needs. The right choice is whichever gives you the cover that matters most at a premium you can sustain — compare several on identical settings rather than assuming one brand wins.

Several levers genuinely work: choose a higher voluntary excess; accept a guided-consultant option instead of full choice; pick a slightly narrower hospital list if you don’t need central London; consider a lower outpatient limit if you’re mainly protecting against big inpatient bills; pay annually rather than monthly to avoid interest; and shop around at renewal rather than auto-renewing, as loyalty rarely pays. A specialist broker can find older-applicant-friendly insurers you might miss.

Yes — expect increases most years, from two forces: your rising age (each birthday and age band raises the underlying risk) and medical inflation (the rising cost of treatment and technology), which pushes premiums up across the board regardless of age. This is why older policyholders should actively review cover at each renewal — adjusting excess, limits or hospital list, or switching insurer on continued-underwriting terms — rather than accepting every increase passively.

Both have a place. Insurance makes sense if you want the certainty of fast, funded access to treatment for whatever future conditions arise, and can sustain rising premiums. Self-pay suits those who’d rather keep their money and pay only when they need something — practical for one-off diagnostics or procedures, but exposed if a major condition needs extended treatment. Many over-60s use a sensible hybrid: NHS as the backbone, insurance or self-pay to skip the queue when speed matters most.