It's mostly lower because the scope of private medicine in the UK is generally a lot narrower: it's used for getting fast access to specialists and elective sur

It's mostly lower because the scope of private medicine in the UK is generally a lot narrower: it's used for getting fast access to specialists and elective surgery, and a nicer room in hospital. If there's a serious complication when having your private hip replacement you're probably going by ambulance to an NHS ICU. Ditto emergency care. So a lot of the expensive parts of healthcare fall on the NHS even if you have private cover. Something a little similar happens in the US: as a visitor you can get travel insurance including private medical care for much less than regular private insurance, because the insurance company isn't on the hook for long-term problems, just for a medevac back to your home country.