Insurer App Comparisons - Rated By Myhealthpal
In this modern day, almost all health insurance providers in the UK offer dedicated digital applications to help their customers save time and money. From managing your insurance policies to booking online consultations and tracking your wellness journey, there are plenty of key features to make your life easier.
But which health insurer offers the best mobile app?
In this article, MyHealthPal provides round-ups of the most popular health insurance applications available in the UK. By delving into their features, benefits and limitations, you'll learn what to expect and which apps are worth downloading from various health insurance companies.
Vitality
With over 100,000 downloads, Vitality offers one of the most popular health insurance apps and often appears in the top position of reviews and round-ups. A major advantage is that you receive fitness incentives for living a healthy lifestyle, like joining fitness classes and going on a Park Run.
This is an app that most policyholders use on a daily basis, and its gamelike structure makes it very exciting to earn points and work towards your goals.
Purpose
Vitality's dedicated app has been designed to encourage healthier lifestyles through rewards and incentives. You can connect the online application to your smartwatch to help count your steps and get you moving. Some of the exciting insurance incentives you can look forward to include restaurant discounts, cinema tickets, spa discounts, hotel discounts, and so much more!
Features
- Remote GP appointments
- Rewards programme
- Mental health support services
- Menopause support services
- Health tracking
- Easy-to-use points system
- Inspiring health content
Limitations
For the average person, it can be quite challenging to build up Vitality points. For example, you need to track at least 7,000 steps in a single day to receive just 3 Vitality points. However, those with an active lifestyle should experience impressive savings thanks to the comprehensive rewards programme.
Ease of use
Overall scores
- Usability: 5/5
- Compatibility with devices: 4/5
- Customer support: 4/5
- Design and aesthetics: 5/5
- Performance: 5/5
- Features: 4/5
- Security: 4/5
Aviva
Aviva offers a few digital apps that allow customers to manage various policies, including health, travel and home insurance, as well as investments and pensions. In this comparison, we'll only focus on its apps related to health insurance.
Aviva Digital GP
Purpose
The Aviva Digital GP app is offered to anyone with Aviva Private Medical Insurance, including individuals, families, and businesses. It offers users a 'doctor in their pocket' as the app provides free access to GPs via video consultations. This helps users when it comes to saving money and time as they can enjoy consultations without having to leave their homes.
Features
- Access to video consultations with GPs
- Choose from a variety of qualified GPs in the UK
- Consultation history is stored in the app
- Repeat NHS prescriptions delivered for free
- Appointments can be booked at any time
- Paediatric consultations available
Limitations
Users should keep in mind that the app is not designed to provide or replace emergency medical services. While you can book appointments at any time, you are only able to receive assistance from the support team during usual business hours.
Ease of use
It's relatively straightforward to download the app and create an account. You just need to provide your policy number, birth date, and a few other personal details. You'll need an internet connection to browse the app and check out the various features.
The simple setup makes it easy to navigate and find what you're looking for. Depending on how tech-savvy you are, it shouldn't take long to become comfortable using this app.
Overall scores
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Usability: 4/5
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Compatibility with devices: 2/5
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Customer support: 3/5
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Design and aesthetics: 3/5
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Performance: 3/5
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Features: 4/5
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Security: 4/5
Aviva DigiCare+
Purpose
This health insurance app is free for all users who open a new life insurance, critical illness plan or over 50 life insurance plan. It offers personalised nutritionist advice, home health checks and discounts for gym and home fitness classes at no additional cost.
Aviva DigiCare+ aims to help users prevent, detect and manage common health issues through a comprehensive suite of medical services and support.
Features
- Annual health check
- Nutritional support
- 24-hour access to healthcare professionals
- Mental health support
- Second opinion advice
- Bereavement support
- Family access
Limitations
Not all Aviva policies include access to the app as it focuses on life insurance customers.
Ease of use
The app offers a wide range of features which are easy to navigate from the main homepage. You can add family members to your policy, quite literally, at the click of a button. The individually marked tabs for 'Health Check', 'Nutrition' and 'Mental Health' are easy to find within the 'Benefits' section.
Overall scores
- Usability: 4/5
- Compatibility with devices: 3/5
- Customer support: 3/5
- Design and aesthetics: 3/5
- Performance: 3/5
- Features: 3/5
- Security: 4/5
Note: Aviva also offers DigiCare+ Workplace.
Aviva Care
Purpose
Aviva Care from Aviva Life & Pensions Ireland provides access to four health and wellbeing services that offer complete protection for you and your family. The app emphasises early intervention and ongoing support, catering to both physical and mental health services.
Features
- Consultation requests/bookings
- Virtual GP consultations
- Second opinions
- Mental health consultations
Limitations
Not all Aviva policies have access to the app.
Ease of use
The interface is easy to use with individually marked tabs to find what you're looking for. However, we did find the app to be somewhat basic compared to other Aviva apps.
Overall scores
- Usability: 4/5
- Compatibility with devices: 3/5
- Customer support: 3/5
- Design and aesthetics: 3/5
- Performance: 3/5
- Features: 3/5
- Security: 4/5
AXA
AXA is a well-respected health insurance provider in the UK and its dedicated health apps have been created alongside clinical experts.
AXA Health App
Purpose
The AXA Health App helps users achieve a healthier lifestyle through coaching programmes, online assessments, inspiring content, pop-up reminders, and more. AXA aims to make overall wellness more accessible for their policyholders and reward them for healthy living.
The free app has been specially designed for companies to help keep track of their employee's health and wellness, but it is also extremely beneficial for the employees themselves.
Features
- Movement courses
- Audio coaches
- Hydration programme
- Wellness assessments
- Motivating daily content
- Track your wellness goals
- Digestive Health Service (for members over 18)
Limitations
While the current free version of the app doesn’t require the user to spend any money, paid versions may be introduced in the future. Additionally, some employees may not feel comfortable with their employers having access to their health and wellness goals.
Ease of use
The app has a wide variety of additional features and custom categories so it may take a little while to get the hang of it. However, everything has been set up within a structure that is easy to navigate, so you can readily find what you're looking for.
Overall scores
- Usability: 4/5
- Compatibility with devices: 3/5
- Customer support: 4/5
- Design and aesthetics: 4/5
- Performance: 4/5
- Features: 5/5
- Security: 4/5
Emma by AXA Asia
Purpose
Emma by AXA offers an all-in-one digital access that integrates health insurance and insurance management for its customers. It covers a wide range of insurance products, including private health plans, claims submission status, car insurance, investment/financial products and more.
Emma's health insurance services offer a plethora of benefits and features such as virtual GP consultation and hospital directories to virtual exercise classes and policy management.
Features
- Claims status (and claims history)
- Customer service via live chat
- Health and wellness guides
- Fitness point/reward system
- Premium and policy management
- Fund portfolio management
- “Wellness Buddy”
Limitations
While Emma provides numerous benefits, it is only available in AXA's Asian network - Hong Kong, Thailand, Philippines, China and Japan.
Ease of use
Emma by AXA is accessible via various electronic devices such as mobile phones, tablets and laptops, and is activated through an activation link and user ID. The user-friendly interface is straightforward and easy to navigate with everything you could possibly need at your fingertips.
Overall scores
- Usability: 4/5
- Compatibility with devices: 4/5
- Customer support: 4/5
- Design and aesthetics: 4/5
- Performance: 4/5
- Features: 5/5
- Security: 4/5
AXA Doctor at Hand
Purpose
AXA Doctor at Hand (powered by Doctor Care Anywhere) provides access to a private online GP. The app is free for all customers currently on an AXA health insurance plan. The app aims to offer a flexible alternative to traditional doctor visits by allowing users to book video or phone consultations from anywhere, at any time.
Features
- 24/7 access to GPs and Advanced Nurse Practitioners between 08:00 and 22:00
- Up to 20 minutes per consultation
- Referrals to private specialists
- Convenient prescription service
Limitations
AXA Doctor at Hand is not an emergency medical service and is commonly used to treat non-life-threatening illnesses and ailments by providing quicker access to private doctors and nurses.
Ease of use
AXA Doctor at Hand is easy to navigate once you have signed up with your unique membership/activation code and seamlessly integrates with other AXA health apps.
You can book appointments by logging into your account, accessible via a mobile phone, tablet or computer. Select the date and time slot that is most convenient to you and you'll receive a text reminder 10 minutes before your appointment.
Overall scores
- Usability: 4/5
- Compatibility with devices: 4/5
- Customer support: 4/5
- Design and aesthetics: 4/5
- Performance: 4/5
- Features: 3/5
- Security: 4/5
Note: The Virtual Care by AXA app is another platform that provides access to highly qualified doctors, psychologists and medical experts.
MyAXA
Purpose
MyAXA is the one-stop platform for all AXA customers, allowing quick and easy policy and investment management and providing a seamless and user-friendly experience for all AXA customers.
Features
- Car insurance (including valuations and motor claim submissions)
- Lifestyle calculator
- Claim submissions
- Instant quotes
- Customer support
- Health and wellness resources and blogs
- Lifestyle coaching
- Access to a variety of insurance products (investments, travel insurance, life cover, etc.)
Limitations
Access to certain features may be limited to specific AXA policyholders. Not all users may be able to utilise the full range of services available in the app, depending on their insurance plan.
Ease of use
The MyAXA app is designed with user-friendliness in mind, featuring a clean interface and intuitive navigation. The app allows customers to view, manage, submit claims and apply for various insurance products, including health, travel, life and car insurance.
Overall scores
- Usability: 4/5
- Compatibility with devices: 4/5
- Customer support: 4/5
- Design and aesthetics: 4/5
- Performance: 4/5
- Features: 5/5
- Security: 4/5
The Exeter
The Exeter's digital health app, HealthWise, has a 4.3 rating on the Apple App Store at the time of writing. While it is very similar to other health insurer apps, The Exeter's mobile app offers more ways of accessing health professionals alongside a few unique features that help it stand out from the crowd. This truly impressive and innovative application has seen much success over the handful of years it has been available.
Purpose
The main purpose of the HealthWise mobile app is to allow users to optimise their health faster by granting them access to medical experts at the click of a button. Policyholders benefit from consultations with a wide range of different professionals, including dieticians and therapists.
Features
- Remote GP appointments
- Second medical opinion services
- Mental health support
- Health MOTs for policyholders
- Registered dietician consultations
- Order repeat NHS prescriptions
Limitations
While policyholders have access to unlimited remote GP appointments each year, consultations with specialists are limited to between two and six appointments per year through the application. However, the consultations are still very generous and should be more than enough for the average person.
Ease of use
You'll need your policy details to create an account on the HealthWise app. Other than that, the app is free to download and is very easy to use. Booking consultations and managing appointments can be done with the click of a button.
Simply find the download link in the Apple App Store or Google Play and get exploring.
Overall scores
- Usability: 4/5
- Compatibility with devices: 4/5
- Customer support: 3/5
- Design and aesthetics: 3/5
- Performance: 3/5
- Features: 5/5
- Security: 4/5
Bupa
Bupa is a prominent health insurance provider in the UK and operates on a global scale across Australia, Spain, Chile, Poland and the USA. Here we look at two of Bupa's health insurance apps.
myBupa
Bupa's health app, which recently changed its name from Bupa Touch to myBupa, is an innovative application with a plethora of exciting benefits. Not only can you view your policy documents, but you also have access to medical experts on the go.
Policyholders are encouraged to make the most of their health insurance plans by downloading the app and enjoying all the features and benefits.
Purpose
Bupa has designed its app to help policyholders manage their accounts, make claims, find local consultants, and access support. There are also online fitness classes that help promote an active lifestyle.
Features
- Anytime HealthLine, which allows you to speak to a nurse at anytime
- Claim management
- Online directory of consultants and therapists
- Wellbeing support
- Over 1,500 online fitness classes
Limitations
The app has had issues with throwing users out of the application and a few other small glitches. However, recent updates to the app seem to have sorted this out. Fortunately, Bupa's customer support team offers speedy response times and can assist you with any issues you may be experiencing on the app.
Ease of use
Don't worry about having to spend too much time learning how to use the application. Since this app offers a broad range of functionalities, there are quite a few different tabs to explore. But thanks to the simple layout, you'll get the hang of it in no time.
Overall scores
- Usability: 3/5
- Compatibility with devices: 4/5
- Customer support: 4/5
- Design and aesthetics: 3/5
- Performance: 3/5
- Features: 4/5
- Security: 4/5
Bupa Blua Health
Purpose
Bupa Blua Health is an app that provides users with convenient access to medical services and 24/7 virtual GP support. It allows users to manage their health needs - doctor consultations, prescriptions and health tracking - from the comfort of their homes or on the go, streamlining the process of physically accessing healthcare professionals.
Features
- 24/7 access to digital GPs and nurses
- Appointment management
- Medication management (including tracking feature for deliveries)
- Symptom checker
- Health and well-being insights
Limitations
This app is primarily used for minor illnesses and ailments and usually cannot assist with severe conditions that require hands-on medical attention.
Ease of use
Some users have experienced technical difficulties with the app, such as appointment booking faults and inability to access certain features.
Overall scores
- Usability: 3/5
- Compatibility with devices: 4/5
- Customer support: 4/5
- Design and aesthetics: 3/5
- Performance: 3/5
- Features: 3/5
- Security: 4/5