To you, usually yes — brokers are paid by the insurer, not by you — but free is not quite the same as no cost, because the commission sits inside the premium.
How it works in practice
For most personal private medical insurance, a broker charges you nothing upfront. It is paid by commission from the insurer once your policy is in place, so there is no invoice at your end and no fee to compare a few insurers and set the cover up.
Where the word free gets slippery is that the commission is funded from the premium you pay. It is a cost that exists whether you use a broker or go direct, because insurers build distribution into their pricing. So you are not getting something for nothing — you are getting expertise and comparison for a cost that was already baked into the price.
That reframes the real question. It is not whether a broker is free, but whether it gets you better cover or a better price than you would find on your own. Because a broker sees the whole market and knows the underwriting, it usually does — which is what makes the arrangement worth it even though the cost is not literally zero.
Keep an eye out for explicit fees, which are more common on complicated cases. They are perfectly legitimate, but a broker must disclose them, so ask whether any fee applies before you commit.
Questions to put to the insurer or broker
- Is there any fee at all for arranging my cover?
- Is the commission included in the premium I have been quoted?
- Would I pay less by going direct to the same insurer?
Related questions
- Are comparison sites the same as private health insurance brokers?
- Broker or direct: which is the better way to buy private health insurance?
- Can a broker get me cheaper private health insurance than going direct?
- Can a broker help me get private health insurance with a pre-existing condition?
How this site fits in
This explains how UK private health insurance brokers work in general. Health Insurance UK is not itself a broker and is not FCA-authorised; when you request a quote we introduce you to one selected FCA-authorised broker, which is responsible for any regulated advice, and we may be paid for the introduction. Always check any firm on the FCA Financial Services Register before you act, and remember a broker cannot cover a condition you already have — that is set by underwriting, not by who arranges the policy.
Get a free quote — a specialist broker calls you back, free and with no obligation.
Or see how UK cover compares and the FCA-authorised broker list.