Insurers need three things per employee: date of birth, home postcode and chosen cover tier — no medical questionnaires for typical SME schemes. Add company basics, your current scheme's details if you're switching, and three pre-made decisions (excess, outpatient limit, hospital list), and a whole-of-market comparison usually comes back within a day or two.
- ✓Per employee: date of birth, postcode, cover tier — that's the core dataset.
- ✓No medical questionnaires for typical SME schemes — moratorium underwriting skips them.
- ✓Pre-decide excess, outpatient limit and hospital list to get like-for-like quotes fast.
The employee data insurers actually need
Group health insurance is priced on who's covered, not on their medical histories — typical SME schemes use moratorium underwriting, so there are no health questionnaires at quote stage. What the insurer needs is a simple list, one row per person:
- Date of birth. Age is the biggest single pricing factor — get these exact, because a list of guessed ages produces quotes that shift when the real data lands.
- Home postcode. Pricing varies by region (London and the South East cost more because private hospital charges are higher). Home postcode, not office postcode, is what most insurers rate on.
- Cover tier. Which level each person gets, if you're tiering (e.g. comprehensive for directors, core for staff) — or simply "all on one tier", which is the SME default.
- Dependants, if company-funded. Partners' dates of birth and children's ages for anyone whose family cover the company will pay for. Employee-funded add-ons can be sorted after the scheme is live.
- Names — eventually. Some insurers quote on anonymised data (age and postcode only), which is handy if you're testing the water before telling the team; full names are needed before cover starts.
Company details and the switching pack
Alongside the people list, insurers ask for basics: company name, nature of business (a few trades carry loadings), the number of employees eligible versus covered, and your preferred start date. If everyone eligible is joining, say so — near-full participation reads well and some insurers price better for it.
If you already have a scheme and are testing the market, add the switching pack: your current benefit schedule (the document listing exactly what's covered, the excess and the limits), the current premium and renewal date, your claims experience if you can get it, and the scheme's underwriting basis. With those, the new insurer can offer CPME/switch terms — taking the scheme on at its existing underwriting position so nobody's ongoing or previously covered conditions fall out of cover. Anyone mid-claim or awaiting treatment should be flagged to the broker early; see the CPME switching guide for how transfers are handled.
Three decisions to make before you ask
Quotes come back faster and more comparable when you fix the specification up front. Three decisions do it:
| Decision | Typical SME choice | Effect on premium |
|---|---|---|
| Excess (per person/year) | £100–£250 | Nil → £250 typically trims a meaningful slice off the premium |
| Outpatient limit | £500–£1,000 cap on consultations and diagnostics | The biggest lever after excess; unlimited outpatient costs substantially more |
| Hospital list | Standard regional list, checked against staff postcodes | Restricted lists discount; premium London lists add cost |
You can ask a broker to quote two specifications — say, core and mid-range — to see the gap, but resist quoting five: a wall of inconsistent options is how decisions stall. Beyond the big three, know your rough answer on mental health cover (worth including — mental ill health drives 41% of long-term absence), and whether you want extras like dental or travel bolted on later rather than at launch. The cost guide shows how each lever moves the number; budget guidance sits in the £50-per-head strategy guide.
Have your list ready? Get the market's answer
Timeline: what happens after you submit
- Day 0: you send the employee list, company details and chosen specification to a broker (or individual insurers).
- Days 1–3: whole-of-market quotes come back — a broker approaches Bupa, AXA Health, Aviva, Vitality, WPA and The Exeter and returns a like-for-like comparison, usually within a day or two.
- Days 3–7: you compare, ask questions, maybe adjust the specification once, and pick. Check digital GP, mental health pathway and hospital access alongside price.
- Days 7–14: paperwork: confirm the member list and start date, sign, first premium set up. For a typical SME scheme there are no medicals and no site visits.
- Start date: cover goes live — often within days of signing — and employees can generally claim from day one, subject to underwriting terms. Membership documents and app registration follow.
From first email to live cover, one to two weeks is normal for schemes under about 50 employees. Larger groups negotiating medical-history-disregarded terms take longer, but the data required barely changes.
Why whole-of-market beats one-brand quoting
The same member list, on the same specification, can price 30% or more apart across the major insurers — each underwriter has different appetites for particular ages, regions and industries, and different new-business pricing at any given moment. Quoting one brand tells you a price; quoting the market tells you the price. A whole-of-market broker runs the exercise at no direct cost to you (insurers pay commission), handles the switching mechanics, and reruns it at every renewal — which is where the discipline really pays; see the renewal checklist.
One honesty note in return: give accurate data. Understating ages, listing office rather than home postcodes, or omitting someone you know will join at launch produces a quote that changes before signing — and a scheme that starts with a price surprise starts badly. The ten-minute spreadsheet, done properly, is what makes everything downstream fast.
Frequently asked questions
What information do insurers need to quote business health insurance?
Per employee: date of birth, home postcode and cover tier — plus company name, nature of business, eligible headcount and preferred start date. Typical SME schemes use moratorium underwriting, so there are no medical questionnaires at quote stage. That's genuinely the whole dataset.
Do employees have to fill in medical forms for a group health insurance quote?
No — not for typical SME schemes. Moratorium underwriting prices the group on ages and postcodes without health questions; conditions from the last five years are simply excluded initially under the moratorium terms. Full medical underwriting, with questionnaires, is optional and rarely used at small-scheme sizes.
How long does it take to get business health insurance quotes?
Whole-of-market quotes typically come back within one to three days of submitting your employee list and specification. From first enquiry to live cover, one to two weeks is normal for schemes under about 50 employees — there are no medicals or site visits at this size.
What decisions should I make before requesting group health quotes?
Three: the excess (£100–£250 is the usual SME range), the outpatient limit (a £500–£1,000 cap is the common middle ground), and the hospital list (standard regional, checked against staff postcodes). Fixing these up front means every insurer quotes the same product and comparison is genuinely like-for-like.
What do I need if I'm switching my business health insurance to a new insurer?
Your current benefit schedule, premium and renewal date, the underwriting basis, and claims experience if available. With those, new insurers can offer CPME/switch terms — continuing the scheme's existing underwriting so covered conditions stay covered. Flag anyone mid-claim to the broker early.
Can I get a business health insurance quote without giving employee names?
Often, yes — many insurers will quote on anonymised data (dates of birth and postcodes only), which suits employers testing the market before announcing anything to staff. Full names and confirmed details are needed before cover actually starts, but not for the initial pricing exercise.
Why do business health insurance quotes vary so much between insurers?
Because each underwriter has different appetites for particular age profiles, regions and industries, plus different new-business pricing at any moment — the same member list on the same specification can price 30% or more apart. That spread is the entire argument for whole-of-market comparison over single-brand quoting.
Does using a broker for business health insurance quotes cost anything?
Not directly — brokers are paid commission by the insurer, built into premiums whether you use a broker or not. A whole-of-market broker returns a like-for-like comparison across the majors in a day or two, handles switching mechanics and reruns the market at renewal at no fee to you.
Do employee postcodes really affect a business health insurance quote?
Yes — insurers rate on home postcodes because private hospital charges vary sharply by region, with London and the South East at the top. A distributed or northern team typically prices below an all-London one on identical cover, which is one reason accurate home postcodes matter at quote stage.
How quickly can cover start after accepting a business health quote?
Within days. Once you confirm the member list, sign and set up the first premium, insurers can put a typical SME scheme live almost immediately — and employees can generally claim from day one, subject to the underwriting terms. Two weeks from first enquiry to live cover is a realistic overall plan.