If you’re thinking about using private medical insurance to unlock faster access to healthcare, you’re not alone. Many patients living with hip pain want to know whether private health insurance for hip replacement surgery can help them avoid a long waiting list, improve their quality of life, and make treatment more manageable.
For some people, using health insurance to financially cover a hip replacement offers a quicker route to diagnosis, specialist care, and surgery. For others, it provides peace of mind that part or all of the treatment cost may be covered.
This guide explains what hip insurance means, what it may cover, how to check your policy, and the steps to take if you want to proceed with treatment.
This article explains that while “hip insurance” doesn’t exist, private health insurance can be used to cover hip-related consultations, diagnostics, surgery, and aftercare. Cover varies by policy, eligibility, and insurer requirements. The blog also outlines how to check your cover, typical approval criteria, costs, and alternative payment options if insurance does not fully cover treatment.
What is hip insurance
First, it’s important to note that hip insurance doesn’t actually exist. In most cases, ‘hip insurance’ means using private health insurance to help cover the cost of consultations, tests, and treatment for hip problems (including hip replacement surgery).
It is not usually a separate policy just for hips. Instead, it forms part of a wider health insurance plan that may include orthopaedic care. If you have a painful hip joint caused by osteoarthritis, injury, or other degenerative joint changes, your policy may help with some or all of the treatment costs, depending on the specific terms of your cover.
For many patients, this can make private surgery and treatment feel more accessible. Rather than paying the full amount upfront, insurance may help reduce what you need to pay yourself and make it easier to move ahead with treatment when symptoms are affecting your mobility and day-to-day comfort.
What does hip insurance cover?
What your hip insurance covers will depend on your individual policy, your insurer, and whether the treatment meets their criteria.
In general though, cover may include the following:
your initial consultation
consultant assessment
diagnostic tests and scans
blood tests
hospital treatment and surgery (if needed)
some follow-up care
other eligible medical treatment linked to the condition.
Some policies cover the total cost, while others may only cover part of it. You may still need to pay an excess, or cover some costs yourself if your insurer places limits on outpatient appointments, diagnostics, or hospital charges.
It is important not to assume that your insurance covers everything automatically. Always check what is included before booking treatment.
How to check if your insurance covers hip replacement surgery
If you are wondering whether health insurance covers hip replacement, the answer is often yes. However, only if your condition and treatment are eligible under the specific terms of your policy.
Right off the bat, the first step is to contact your insurer directly. Be sure to ask them the following questions:
does my policy cover hip replacement surgery?
do I need a GP referral?
do I need pre-authorisation?
do I need to choose a consultant from an approved list?
what excess or shortfall would I need to pay?
This can help you avoid delays later and gives you a clearer idea of how the process will work from the start.
Common insurance requirements for hip replacement
There are a few common requirements insurers may look at before approving cover for hip replacement surgery. These checks help them decide whether your treatment is eligible under the terms of your policy.
Pre-existing medical conditions
One of the most important factors is whether your hip problem counts as a pre-existing medical condition.
If you are unsure, it is always best to ask your insurer directly how they define and assess pre-existing conditions.
Medical necessity
Insurers will usually want confirmation that hip replacement surgery is medically necessary. This often means showing that your symptoms are affecting your daily life, mobility, sleep, work, or independence, and that more conservative treatments have not provided enough relief.
Depending on your situation, the insurer may ask for evidence that you have already tried other options first, such as pain relief, physiotherapy, exercise-based treatment, or other non-surgical care.
Referral and assessment
Some insurers require a GP referral before you can see a consultant or move forward with treatment. Others may allow direct access to an approved specialist. In most cases, you will still need a consultant assessment to confirm the diagnosis and recommend the most appropriate treatment plan.
Your insurer may ask for:
your policy number
details of your symptoms
a GP referral (if needed)
evidence from your consultant
confirmation that surgery is clinically appropriate
details of previous treatment
information about your chosen consultant and hospital
Approved hospitals and consultants
Many insurers work with approved hospital and consultant networks. This means you may need to choose a consultant or hospital from their list if you want your treatment to be covered in full.
If you go ahead with a provider outside that network, your insurer may only pay part of the cost, leaving you to cover any shortfall yourself. This is why it is important to check approval before booking an appointment or surgery date.
Waiting periods and exclusions
Waiting periods and exclusions vary depending on the specific terms of your policy.
Please contact your insurance provider directly for more information.
General health and surgery readiness
In some cases, insurers and consultants will also want to know whether you are fit enough for surgery. This does not always affect whether treatment is covered, but it can affect whether surgery is recommended straight away.
For example, you may be asked about your general health, weight, smoking status, alcohol intake, or any other medical conditions that could affect your recovery or increase surgical risk. You may also need blood tests or other preoperative checks before your treatment can go ahead.
Age and overall risk
Age itself does not automatically prevent you from being covered for hip replacement surgery, but it can affect how your insurer assesses risk and how your clinical team plans your care. Older patients are sometimes more likely to have other health conditions that need to be considered before surgery.
The key issue is usually not age alone, but whether hip replacement is appropriate and safe based on your overall health and medical history.
The benefits of using private medical insurance for hip surgery
For many patients, the biggest benefit of using private medical insurance is faster access to treatment. This is especially important when hip pain is affecting movement, sleep, work – everyday life in general.
Instead of staying on a long NHS waiting list, insurance may allow you to quickly move forward with an assessment and treatment through private healthcare. That can make a real difference to your quality of life, especially if hip pain is becoming harder to manage.
“Accessing healthcare via a private medical insurance policy is a really easy process – and one that could get you back on your feet much sooner than you might think. I treat plenty of insured patients and fast access to treatment afforded to them by a health insurance policy means they’re back to what they love doing within months.”
Nawar Abdulsattar, Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon at Practice Plus Group
There is also the peace of mind that comes from knowing your policy may help cover the cost of treatment. For some people, insurance removes the pressure of funding the whole procedure themselves. For others, it works alongside self-pay or finance options to help spread the cost more manageably.
Reading about other patients’ experiences can be reassuring, especially if you are unsure how the insured route works in practice.
“Everything was smooth, well-organised, and stress-free. Practice Plus Group made the process effortless – from using my private insurance to the care I received throughout.”
Chris Newberry, hip replacement patient at Practice Plus Group Hospital, Birmingham
The cost of surgery with insurance varies from insurer-to-insurer. Contact your insurance provider if you need more information about fees.
How much does a hip replacement cost with insurance?
If your insurance provider approves the claim, they may cover part or most of the cost of treatment. In some cases, you may only need to pay your excess. In others, there may be limits, exclusions, or shortfalls that you need to cover yourself.
Because every policy is different, it is important to ask for clear confirmation from your insurer before going ahead.
How much does a hip replacement cost without insurance?
Without insurance, patients usually need to self-fund the full cost of treatment. This is currently priced at £13,199 and typically includes:
consultant fees
hospital charges
surgery
follow-up care
any additional tests or scans not included in the package.
Cost comparison: insured, self-pay, payment plans, and the NHS
The table below illustrates the costs of hip replacement surgery for patients accessing the treatment via the NHS, insured, self-pay, and payment plans.
Route
Typical patient cost
What to consider
NHS
Usually no direct surgery cost
Waiting times may be much longer than private options
The table below sets out the most suitable options for the different types of private patients.
Option
Best for…
Insured
Patients with eligible private medical insurance
Self-pay
Patient who want a fixed price package and direct access
Finance
Patients who want to spread the cost of their treatment over time
How to find the best health insurance for hip replacement
The best health insurance for hip replacement is the one that offers clear orthopaedic cover, reasonable excess terms, and access to the hospitals and consultants you want to use.
There is no single best policy for everyone – no ‘one size fits all’. The right option for you depends on:
your budget
your age and general health
whether you already have cover
whether you want extra private healthcare benefits
how policies handle pre-existing medical conditions
whether diagnostic tests and outpatient care are included.
When comparing policies, it helps to look closely at how they handle hip surgery, specialist referrals, excess levels, and hospital network access.
Our approved hip health insurance providers
If you are looking into hip replacement insurance, it is worth checking whether your chosen hospital works with your insurer.
At Practice Plus Group, we work with the following major private medical insurers to make it easier for insured patients to access treatment through an approved network:
Allianz
Aviva
AXA
Bupa
Healix
Vitality
WPA
National Police Healthcare Scheme
Step-by-step guide to getting a hip replacement with insurance
1. Consult your GP or a hip specialist
Start by discussing your symptoms and whether hip replacement surgery might be the best option for you. Depending on your insurer, you may need a GP referral before treatment can be approved.
2. Check your insurance policy
Ask whether your policy covers hip replacement, what conditions apply, and whether you need to use an approved consultant or hospital.
3. Get pre-authorisation
The vast majority of insurers will provide a pre-authorisation code before treatment begins. The format of this code will vary depending on the insurance provider.
4. Choose a private hospital and consultant
Once you know your policy covers your treatment, it’s time to choose where you want to be treated and how to find a hip consultant near you. Cycle through the carousel below to see the available specialists at Practice Plus Group.
5. Schedule the surgery
After your consultation and insurer approval, you can arrange your operation date and prepare for treatment. See how to book hip replacement surgery for more details.
Struggling to find the information you’re looking for? Our handy FAQs may be able to help!
Does private health insurance cover hip replacement?
This depends on your policy, your insurer’s approval, and whether your condition is eligible for treatment.
Does insurance cover hip replacement surgery?
In many cases, yes. Private medical insurance can help cover the cost of hip replacement surgery, including hospital fees and specialist care, if the treatment is approved under your policy.
Does private health insurance cover hip replacement for pre-existing conditions?
Please contact your insurer directly to confirm the terms of your policy.
How do I use health insurance for hip replacement surgery?
You will usually need an initial consultation and authorisation from your insurer before treatment goes ahead. Your insurer can confirm what is covered and whether your chosen hospital is included in its approved network.
Can private health insurance help me avoid an NHS waiting list for hip replacement?
Private health insurance may help you access hip replacement treatment faster, depending on your policy and insurer approval. For many patients, this can offer peace of mind and a quicker route to treatment.
Can I get hip replacement surgery without insurance?
Yes, you can still have hip replacement surgery without insurance by choosing to pay for the cost of treatment yourself. This can be a useful option if you do not have private medical insurance or if your policy does not cover the treatment.
Acknowledgements
This page has been medically reviewed and approved by Claire O’Neil, Partnerships Director at Practice Plus Group Hospital. Previously a registered intensive care nurse with 15 years’ experience in healthcare, Claire has worked across the NHS, private hospitals, and health insurers, helping organisations grow and patients access the care they need. Claire has had the privilege of working with leading names like Circle Health Group, Vitality, and AXA, and is passionate about bringing people together to find smarter, fairer ways to improve healthcare for everyone.
All content on this page is produced by the Practice Plus Group digital content team and clinically reviewed by consultant specialists to ensure accuracy, patient safety, and alignment with current UK clinical best practice. Content is approved under Practice Plus Group’s clinical governance framework
Claire O’Neil, Partnerships Director
This page is regularly reviewed and updated to reflect changes in clinical evidence, surgical practice, and patient safety standards. The last clinical review was completed on 3/7/2026, with the next review scheduled for 3/07/2027.
James Wood, Content Specialist
This article was co-written by Content Specialist, James Wood. Our Content Specialist, James, has been writing articles and blogs for Practice Plus Group since 2022. He has more than a decade of experience as a copywriter within a range of different backgrounds and works closely with medical professionals to deliver information that's easy-to-read and patient-focused. When he's not writing medical pieces, James is busy playing sports or pub quizzing.
