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If you’re looking at Aviva life insurance, income protection or serious illness cover, you’ll probably see something called Best Doctors mentioned as an added benefit. It sounds impressive, and to be fair, it’s an excellent included benefit.
But like most things in protection, it makes more sense once you understand what it does and doesn’t do.
Best Doctors is a second medical opinion service, so if you or a family member is diagnosed with a medical condition, you can have your medical records reviewed by a specialist from a global network of over 50,000 physicians.
The idea is simple.
If you’ve just been told something serious, you might naturally wonder whether the diagnosis is correct, whether there are alternative treatment options, or whether there is a different approach worth considering. Best Doctors allows an independent expert to review your file and provide a written opinion.
It doesn’t replace your own consultant nor interfere with your treatment. It simply gives you another perspective at a time when reassurance and clarity matter.
Access is included from the first day your Aviva policy starts, and there is no extra charge for using it
One detail that many people miss is that it can also be used for conditions diagnosed before you took out your Aviva policy.
It’s not limited to illnesses that would trigger a serious illness claim – it can be used for any condition affecting quality of life.
That makes it broader than people often assume.
This is where Aviva’s version is strong.
Access is not limited to the policyholder.
The service is available to
That extended family access is useful, particularly for older parents, who can benefit from reassurance.
You contact the Best Doctors Member Care Centre, which is available 24 hours a day. A dedicated case manager is assigned to you and guides you through the process.
One practical advantage with Aviva is that their case manager helps gather the relevant medical documentation from your GP or consultant. With some other insurers’ second medical opinion services, you are more responsible for collecting and submitting paperwork yourself. When you are already dealing with a stressful situation, having someone coordinate that process can make a real difference.
The service itself is delivered by Teladoc Health rather than directly by Aviva.
Most major Irish life insurers now offer some form of second medical opinion or virtual health support. These services are genuinely helpful, and I wouldn’t dismiss them. They can provide reassurance and, at a difficult time, sometimes offer insights into alternative treatments.
However, they are not the core insurance contract.
Services like Best Doctors are provided by third parties and are not guaranteed to be available indefinitely. Aviva’s own literature states that access may be withdrawn with notice. That is standard market wording and not unique to Aviva.
The core protection policy, on the other hand, is contractual.
Your life cover amount, your serious illness definitions, your income protection terms, and your underwriting class are what you are really paying for long term.
That distinction matters.
It’s a nice benefit.
It is not a deciding factor.
When choosing an insurer, especially if you have any medical history, the first question should always be how that insurer is likely to assess you.
You see, the insurers assess medical conditions differently.
One may offer standard terms, another may apply a permanent loading, and another may decline entirely. That underwriting decision can affect future applications.
In plain English, if another insurer would have insured you cheaper or with fewer restrictions, the add-ons are not worth it.
The sequencing is important.
Choose the right insurer first.
Compare the benefits second.
Best Doctors forms part of Aviva Care, which is bundled into their protection policies. It complements their income protection and life cover products, but it does not define the policy’s strength.
If you would like a broader review of Aviva’s strengths, weaknesses and how they compare to other insurers in Ireland, you can read our main Aviva life insurance review.
If you’re healthy and straightforward, Best Doctors is a useful extra layer of support and reassurance.
If you have any medical history at all, even something that feels small, the priority is choosing the insurer most likely to treat you fairly before you apply.
Once an underwriting decision is made, it follows you.
If you’d like a steer on which insurer to approach first, complete our short questionnaire and we will advise on the safest application route.
Getting the order right is far more important than choosing the policy with the most marketing features.
Editor’s note: Originally published in 2016 and updated periodically. This version reflects Aviva’s current Best Doctors details as of 2026.
Written by Nick McGowan, QFA RPA APA
Nick is a qualified financial advisor and founder of Lion.ie, an independent Irish life insurance and income protection brokerage based in Tullamore.
He’s been helping people get fair, transparent cover for over 15 years — and was named Protection Broker of the Year 2022.
If you’d like straight answers (without the sales pitch), learn more about Nick here.
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