CS Healthcare no longer exists as a separate insurer: its members and business transferred to Bupa on 1 January 2021, so a renewal for what was a CS Healthcare policy is now Bupa's renewal, priced by Bupa. Bupa's own accounts for 2021 record that it completed the transfer of the society's 17.3k customers that day. Should the Bupa figure feel steep, put your name to the form on this page; within the free call-back, a broker holding FCA authorisation can weigh it against rival quotes.

What happened to CS Healthcare, and when

CS Healthcare was a friendly society. Bupa's announcement of 4 August 2020 says it was "originally established in 1929 to provide health insurance cover for members of the UK Civil Service", and that in 2019 it opened cover to anybody. The society's formal name was Civil Service Healthcare Society Limited.

The transfer went through in three steps:

  • The society's members voted on the plan at their September 2020 meeting, and the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) received the society's application on 10 September 2020.
  • On 16 December 2020 the PRA confirmed the transfer under section 86 of the Friendly Societies Act 1992. The insurance policies and related engagements went to Bupa Insurance Limited, and the operating assets and liabilities went to Bupa Insurance Services Limited.
  • Bupa's press release of 17 December 2020 said the transfer had received the final regulatory approval "required for it to go ahead on 1 January 2021". Bupa's annual report for 2021 records that on that date the two Bupa companies "completed the transfer of the engagements" of the society.

The old website address no longer leads to a CS Healthcare site. When checked on 26 October 2026, cshealthcare.co.uk redirected to the main Bupa website, and the www version did not connect at all.

One consequence the regulator spelled out: the society's members "will lose their membership rights". The PRA added that they would "no longer have any control over aspects of how their private medical insurer is run". A Bupa policyholder has a contract with an insurer, not a say in a society.

Why the price moved after the switch to Bupa

Two separate things can sit behind a higher figure for a former CS Healthcare policyholder. The first is the one most people searching this will have run into: the price promises that came with the move were time-limited.

Price guarantees that ran out

A representation made to the regulator raised a concern that it had not been clear to members that the "guarantees to transferring policyholders were only confirmed for renewals up to early 2022". The PRA's decision notice (paragraph 3.15) answers that the information given to members made clear Bupa Insurance Limited "was only offering price guarantees for a fixed period" and would review the policies once that period expired, to decide the premium to charge. It also noted that Bupa Insurance Limited would be required by the FCA to set the appropriate premium in a way that treats affected policyholders fairly.

That is what the regulator recorded members being told. It does not set out the terms of the guarantee, and it does not say what any member's premium did afterwards. So a renewal after early 2022 falls outside the guarantee period the PRA described, and the premium is the one Bupa sets on review. How much your own figure changed depends on your age, your cover, your claims and Bupa's pricing. Your renewal notice is the place to begin; have it in hand for the free call-back so the broker can go through it line by line.

Costs that were already pushing prices up

Bupa's 2020 announcement said CS Healthcare had been "impacted by rising healthcare and administration costs and increased costs of regulatory compliance", which "led to premiums increasing and more customers leaving CS Healthcare than joining, impacting sustainability". So the society's own prices were rising before the transfer, and its shrinking membership was one of the reasons given for it. Bupa's annual report repeats the cost pressures and says the society decided to transfer "in the long-term interest of its members to provide added security, continuity of cover and enhanced benefits".

Who sets your renewal price now

Since 1 January 2021 the insurer on a former CS Healthcare policy has been Bupa Insurance Limited. Bupa's press release says that "when they renew onto a Bupa policy", the society's 17,500 members would benefit from wider access to health and wellbeing services. The earlier August announcement had said this would happen "following their first or second policy renewal". In other words, members were moved onto Bupa policies at renewal, rather than all on one date. Which Bupa plan yours became, and whether any feature of your old policy carried across, is a question for a broker to look at on the call-back, working from your own documents.

The PRA's notice also gave its view on the policies the members would move to: they "offered greater policyholder security due to Bupa Insurance Limited's financial position and offered a greater value of benefits". That is the regulator's assessment in 2020 of the policies as a group. It is not a statement about the price of any one of them, and it does not describe your plan.

For how Bupa explains a higher renewal figure, such as its factors and the way a claim can affect the price, read why a Bupa premium goes up. For the general mechanics of renewal pricing, and what happens if you move insurer, see what happens to the price at renewal. Neither page is written about former CS Healthcare policies in particular.

What to check on the notice in front of you

  • Which company is named as the insurer, and which plan. A notice for a former society policy should now name a Bupa company.
  • The renewal date, and the date the notice was sent, so you can see how long you have to decide.
  • Whether the excess, the outpatient allowance or any other limit is the same as last year.
  • Whether the premium shown includes any change to the plan itself, as well as the price.
  • The amount you paid last year, so you can see the size of the change in pounds as well as a percentage.

Moving to another insurer also raises how your medical history would be underwritten, and the renewal-price page linked above sets out the options, including switch terms.

Common questions from former CS Healthcare members

Is CS Healthcare still trading?

No. It transferred its members and business to Bupa on 1 January 2021, and Bupa's 2020 results announcement says the agreement "completed in January 2021 and its 17,500 health insurance members and business transferred to Bupa". Bupa's 2021 annual report gives the same event as 17.3k customers, so the two sources count slightly differently.

Did my policy terms change when I moved to Bupa?

The PRA said the policies offered "a greater value of benefits", and Bupa's press release spoke of enhanced policy benefits. What changed on your policy, and when, depends on the plan you were moved to; a broker can look at that with your paperwork on the call-back.

Was I told the price would not stay the same?

The PRA recorded that members were told Bupa Insurance Limited was offering price guarantees for a fixed period only. The notice you received at the time of the transfer, if you still hold it, shows what you were sent personally.

Comparing before you pay

With the renewal date close, a broker can set Bupa's price beside other insurers' quotes for similar cover during one call. The enquiry form on this page costs nothing to use, and the broker works from the notice you have in front of you.