AXA PPP Healthcare - Essential facts - Established: 1940, Status: Quoted PLC, member of GISC, Financial Ombudsmans Bureau - The second largest UK medical insurer PPP were recently aquired by the AXA group. This has enabled investment in new policies. AXA PPP pride themselves on their personal service and offer a number of innovative policies, including no-claims discounts and 6 week options.
	BCWA - Essential facts - Established: 1935, Status: Friendly Society, member of GISC - Although not one of the large well known insurers BCWA, as one of the oldest, have vast experience in the medical insurance market. This allows BCWA to offer stbility of rates along with an excellent customer and claims service.
	BUPA ,Essential facts - Established 1947, Status Provident Association, member of GISC - BUPA are the market leader and are well recognised the world over as they cover members in nearly 190 countries. Formed by an amalgamation of provident associations BUPA (British United Provident Association) offer a wide range of health related services, , including medical insurance and their own hospitals.
	Essential facts – Founded: 1949, Member: Financial Ombudsman Service, GISC, ABI Status: Subsidiary of AZUR GMF. Company Scheme Rating: Group/Community. Clinicare are one of the fastest growing PMI providers in the UK today offering a range of healthcare plans that give clients a combination of choice personal service and value. The claims handling is first rate
	Exeter ,Essential facts - Established 1927, Status Friendly Society, member of GISC - The Exeter friendly society do not increase your premium just because you get older. This ensures that your medical insurance is affordable into the future, and you pay the rate for the age you joined. This can save thousands over the life of a policy. Customer and claims service are first rate.
	First Assist ,Essential facts - Established , Status Private Co, member of - The Healthcare business of FirstAssist was formed in 1997 under Royal & SunAlliance and has rapidly grown to become one of the market leaders in the provision of health and wellbeing products and services. The business was recently the subject of an MBO backed by Barclays private equity. Royal & Sun Alliance and Munich Re are used as the underwriters of the Values range of products.
	Health-on-Line ,Essential facts - Established 2000, Status Private Co, member of GISC - Health-on-Line offer a menu approach to their policies which allows you to have the cover thats right for you. They have also pioneered the award of better rates to non-smokers. Because of this they have grown rapidly to become a significant provider of medical insurance. Their innovative products, which have been nominated for many awards are underwritten by Great Lakes Reinsurance, a wholly owned subsidiary
	Legal and General ,Essential facts - Established 1996, Status Quoted PLC, member of GISC & Financial Ombudsmans Service - Legal & General is one of Britain's top 50 FTSE companies. They have over 4.5 million customers and employ over 8,800 staff. Legal & General has funds under management in excess of £124 billion worldwide. Their healthcare division was launched in 1996 and offers a range of affordable and flexible schemes.
	Norwich Union ,Essential facts - Established 1990, Status Quoted PLC, member of GISC & Financial Ombudsmans Service - Norwich Union are the UK's largest insurance groups, and 6th largest in the world. Quoted on the London stock exchange as Aviva, Norwich Union offer a large range of policies with many different options, including a six week wait option. Norwich Union are the 3rd biggest insurer in the medical insurance market.
	SecureHealth ,Essential facts - Established 1996, Status Private Co, member of GISC - Secure Health offer a bespoke range of products in partnership with Legal & General. Direct debits are collected by Legal & General and all the claims are handled by Legal & General, giving you teh security of dealing with a large well respected UK insurer.
	Simplyhealth ,Essential facts - Established 1919, Status Wholly owned by HSA, Mutual, - Previously the Industrial Orthopaedic Society and Manor House friendly society, Simply Health can trace their origins back to the 1914-18 war. Now owned by HSA, itself a mutual society started in 1922, Simply Health offer competitive premiums that are the same whether you are 18 or 64
	Standard Life Healthcare ,Essential facts - Established 1988, Status Wholly owned by Standard Life, Mutual, member of GISC & Financial Ombudsmans Service - Part of the Standard Life group, Europe's largest mutual insurer, Standard Life offer a variety of different policies. Some of these include a no-claims discount. They have excellent customer and claims service and have won the Health Insurance company of the year award in 2001,2002 and 2003. Standard Life are currently the 4th biggest.
	Universal Provident ,Essential facts - Established 1994, Status Private Co, member of GISC - Universal Provident is an underwriting agency representing several insurers, with most of their health plans underwritten by the Cassidy Davis Insurance Group, a wholly owned subsidiary of the St Paul Companies Inc. - a worldwide insurance organisation with assets in excess of $38 billion. With over 50,000 clients Universal Provident have quickly built a reputation for innovation and quality of service.
	WPA ,Essential facts - Established 1901, Status Provident Association, member of GISC & Financial Ombudsmans Service - Covering around 500,000 clients WPA offers extremely high levels of customer service as evidenced by their award of ISO 9001. They have also achieved the BSI's gold standard - only the 24th company worldwide to achieve this. Established over 100 years WPA has teh experience to deliver first class medical insurance