Trust in Private Medical Insurance Hits Two-Year High but Mid-Life Gap Widens

Consumer trust in Private Medical Insurance (PMI) has reached a two-year high of 59.3%, driven by significant improvements in claims satisfaction and digital service. However, for carriers and brokers, a widening trust gap among mid-life and vulnerable customers presents a critical challenge as these demographics begin to utilize complex cover more frequently.

What was announced

The latest Trust in Private Medical Insurance (PMI) Index from Fairer Finance shows that consumer trust has risen by 0.86 percentage points since Spring 2026. This 59.3% score is the highest recorded since the group began tracking the metric in Autumn 2023, surpassing the previous peak of 58.57% set in Autumn 2024. The data, derived from polling more than 10,000 customers, arrives alongside figures from the Private Healthcare Information Network (PHIN) showing 171,000 insured private hospital admissions in Q1 2026, a 2.6% decrease compared to the same period in 2025.

A primary driver of this recovery is claims satisfaction, which rose 1.42 percentage points in six months to 67.5%, representing an increase of nearly 12 percentage points over three and a half years. Customers who have made a claim within the last three years report significantly higher trust (66.58%) than those who have not (54.87%). Satisfaction with digital customer service, including apps and online portals, also saw an uptick this wave.

Despite the overall rise, a "trust gap" is widening for customers aged 46–64. This group has the lowest trust of any age group, with the gap between them and the 18–30 demographic growing from 3.6 percentage points in Autumn 2023 to 8.7 points today. Furthermore, the trust gap for vulnerable customers has reached a record 5.37 points (55.99% vs 61.36%). In terms of provider performance, WPA reclaimed the top position with a trust score of 63.4% and a market-leading claims satisfaction rate of 71.55%. Major carriers also saw gains, with AXA Health’s trust score increasing by 2.71 percentage points and Aviva’s by 1.4 points.

"It’s encouraging to see trust in private medical insurance at its highest level since we started measuring it. The claim is the moment of truth for any insurer, and the steady rise in claims satisfaction shows providers are getting better at delivering when it counts."

James Daley, Managing Director of independent consumer group Fairer Finance

The companies involved

Fairer Finance is an independent consumer group and ratings agency that tracks trust and customer experience across the financial services sector. The organization produces the Trust in Private Medical Insurance (PMI) Index, which has been monitoring consumer sentiment since 2023. According to proprietary data, the group has been a frequent subject of industry analysis, with ten previous reports detailing their findings on consumer duty and financial trust. Their work often focuses on the intersection of regulatory requirements and consumer perception.

WPA, which has returned to the top spot in the latest index, is a provider in the PMI market. The latest data also highlights performance from AXA Health and Aviva, which the report identifies as two of the market's largest providers. These organizations operate within a competitive landscape where trust scores are increasingly tied to digital service capabilities and claims handling efficiency. Fairer Finance's role involves polling thousands of customers to provide a benchmark for how these carriers are perceived by their policyholders, particularly in relation to vulnerable customers and different age demographics.

What FF News has reported before

FF News has extensively covered the evolving landscape of consumer trust and regulatory compliance. In October 2026, the publication reported on how Fairer Finance and Sideways Launch Consumer Duty Accreditation to Rebuild Financial Trust, a move designed to help firms meet higher standards. This followed analysis showing that the Insurance Trust Gap Widens: Higher Earners Gain While Lowest Earners Lag Behind, highlighting a two-tier recovery in the sector.

Earlier in the year, FF News noted that Trust in Insurance on the Rise – but Insurers Still Have a Long Way to Go, a sentiment echoed by regulatory warnings. Specifically, Sheldon Mills Warns AI Could Turn Consumers Into Passive 'Observers' of Personal Finance, raising concerns about how technology might impact the relationship between insurers and their customers.

What this means from an insurtech perspective

The widening trust gap for customers aged 46–64 signals a significant underwriting and distribution challenge. While digital portals have improved satisfaction for younger cohorts, the "moment of truth" for more complex, high-value claims in mid-life remains a friction point. This suggests that current insurtech solutions may be optimizing for simple, high-volume claims while failing to provide the necessary transparency or support for complex health journeys. For carriers and MGAs, the data indicates that a "one-size-fits-all" digital strategy is insufficient. Reinsurers and capital providers should also note the widening gap for vulnerable customers, as failure to address this could lead to increased regulatory scrutiny and a long-term loss of customer trust.