A 25-employee company typically pays £35–£110 per employee per month for group health insurance, with the UK average around £57 — roughly £15,000–£25,000 a year for the whole scheme. At this size you'll see sharper per-head rates than smaller firms, insurers may offer medical history disregarded underwriting, and tiering cover by role starts to make real sense.
- ✓Budget roughly £15,000–£25,000 a year at the ~£57/head UK average.
- ✓Some insurers offer medical history disregarded underwriting from around 20 lives.
- ✓Tiering cover by role can cut costs 20–30% versus one rich plan for everyone.
What changes when you hit 25 employees
Group health insurance is priced on risk-pooling, and 25 lives is a meaningfully better pool than five or ten. Insurers can spread the cost of one bad year across more premiums, so per-head rates at this size are typically sharper than the smallest schemes see — group cover generally runs 10–30% cheaper per head than equivalent individual policies, and mid-size groups sit toward the better end of that range.
The service changes too. A 25-life scheme is a client insurers actively want to keep: most will assign a named account manager rather than routing you through a call centre, renewal negotiations become genuine conversations, and you'll get proper support with member changes, claims escalations and scheme literature. If you've grown from a ten-employee scheme, the difference is noticeable.
What a 25-person scheme costs
Business health insurance runs £35–£110 per employee per month depending on cover level, workforce age, industry and location. For most 25-employee companies the realistic annual budget lands between £15,000 and £25,000. Here's how the maths plays out at three cover levels:
| Cover level | Typical per head/month | Annual cost, 25 employees |
|---|---|---|
| Core (inpatient + digital GP) | £35–£45 | £10,500–£13,500 |
| Mid (adds outpatient limit, therapies) | £50–£70 | £15,000–£21,000 |
| Comprehensive (full outpatient, mental health) | £75–£110 | £22,500–£33,000 |
Premiums are generally an allowable business expense, so corporation tax relief typically applies, but the cover is a benefit in kind for employees — expect P11D reporting (moving to mandatory payrolling from April 2027) and employer Class 1A NIC at 15% on the benefit value. Factor the NIC into your budget: on a £17,000 scheme that's roughly £2,550 on top.
The variables you control are worth knowing before you quote. An excess of £100–£250 per member per year trims premiums meaningfully; a six-week option (private treatment only when the NHS wait exceeds six weeks) cuts cost further for teams happy with that trade; and outpatient limits are the single biggest price lever — a £1,000 outpatient cap rather than full cover often saves 20% or more while keeping the benefit genuinely useful.
Underwriting: MHD starts to appear
Small schemes are almost always written on moratorium terms, where recent pre-existing conditions are excluded for a period. At 25 lives you're entering the zone where some insurers will quote medical history disregarded (MHD) underwriting — cover with no pre-existing condition exclusions at all, for everyone on the scheme.
Be realistic: MHD is not guaranteed at this size. Some insurers set their MHD threshold around 20 lives, others hold it at 30, 50 or higher, and pricing varies with your workforce profile. It typically costs more than moratorium terms — but for a team with older employees or known conditions, it can transform what the benefit is actually worth. Ask every insurer quoting whether MHD is available at 25 lives, and compare both bases side by side — the premium gap is often smaller than employers expect, and the difference in what the benefit delivers for affected employees is large.
Compare quotes for your 25-person team
Tiering: one size no longer has to fit all
With 25 employees, structuring cover in tiers is usually worth the small extra admin. A common pattern is two or three levels — for example comprehensive cover for directors and senior managers, mid-level cover for established staff, and core cover for everyone else — with the option for employees to upgrade or add family members at their own cost via payroll.
- Cost control. Tiering typically saves 20–30% versus putting all 25 on the richest plan, while everyone still gets the headline benefit.
- Recruitment flexibility. You can offer senior candidates the top tier without re-pricing the whole scheme.
- Employee-funded upgrades. Insurers at this size routinely support voluntary top-ups and partner/family additions paid by the employee.
- Keep it defensible. Tier by role or seniority band, applied consistently — not by individual, which creates fairness problems and awkward precedents.
Whatever structure you pick, write down the eligibility rules — who gets which tier, when new joiners come on, what happens for leavers. Our company health policy guide covers what that document should say.
Getting the best deal at this size
At 25 lives you have genuine buying power, so use it. Get quotes from at least three or four insurers — Bupa, AXA Health, Aviva and Vitality all compete hard for mid-size groups, and WPA is often sharp for schemes wanting flexible structures. A specialist broker costs you nothing extra (they're paid commission either way) and typically knows which insurer is hungry for your sector this quarter.
To quote, insurers will want a census — age, gender and postcode for each employee, plus your industry and claims history if you have an existing scheme. Renewal is where discipline matters most: mid-size schemes that never re-broke drift upward year on year, while those that test the market every renewal or two keep increases in check. See our renewal negotiation checklist for the specifics, and business health insurance costs for the full pricing picture.
Frequently asked questions
How much does health insurance cost for a 25-employee company?
Typically £15,000–£25,000 a year. Per-head rates run £35–£110 a month depending on cover level, with the UK average around £57 — about £17,000 a year for 25 staff. Workforce age, industry, location and outpatient cover level are the big variables.
Can a 25-employee company get medical history disregarded underwriting?
Sometimes. Some insurers offer MHD from around 20 lives, others set thresholds at 30, 50 or higher, so it depends who you ask and what your workforce looks like. It usually costs more than moratorium terms but removes all pre-existing condition exclusions. Always request quotes on both bases.
Is a 25-person scheme cheaper per head than a small scheme?
Generally, yes. Group cover runs 10–30% cheaper per head than individual policies, and 25 lives gives insurers a better risk pool than five or ten, so mid-size schemes tend to sit toward the better end of that range and attract keener renewal terms.
Should a 25-employee company tier its health cover?
Usually, yes. Two or three tiers — say comprehensive for senior staff, core for everyone else, with employee-paid upgrades — typically saves 20–30% versus one rich plan for all. Tier by role or seniority band applied consistently, and document the rules so decisions are defensible.
Does a 25-life scheme get a dedicated account manager?
With most major insurers, yes — this is roughly the size where schemes move from call-centre service to a named account handler who manages renewals, member changes and claims escalations. It's worth asking each insurer exactly what service level a 25-life scheme receives before you buy.
What information do insurers need to quote a 25-employee scheme?
A census listing each employee's age (or date of birth), gender and home postcode, plus your industry, the cover structure you want and — if you already have a scheme — current terms and claims history. With that, most insurers turn quotes around in a few working days.
What tax applies to health insurance for a 25-person company?
Premiums are generally an allowable expense, so corporation tax relief typically applies. The cover is a benefit in kind for employees, taxed via P11D (payrolling becomes mandatory from April 2027), and the employer pays Class 1A NIC at 15% — roughly £2,550 on a £17,000 scheme.
Can employees on a 25-person scheme add family members?
Almost always. At this size insurers routinely support employee-funded additions for partners and children, usually collected via payroll deduction. Some employers part-fund family cover for senior tiers. Set the rules out clearly in your scheme documentation so every employee gets the same offer.
Do all 25 employees have to join the scheme?
No, but insurers price on the group they cover, and most expect defined eligibility rules rather than pure self-selection. Some employees may prefer to opt out because of the benefit-in-kind tax. Keep eligibility criteria written and consistent — for example all permanent staff after probation.
Which insurers are best for a 25-employee company?
Bupa, AXA Health, Aviva and Vitality all compete strongly for mid-size groups, and WPA suits schemes wanting flexible, tiered structures. The honest answer is that the best deal shifts with your census and sector, which is why comparing three or four quotes — or using a broker — matters more than any brand.