Health insurance excess
An introduction to excess
Usually when you’re looking at health insurance policies you’ll have to choose an excess option to get a quote. Excess is what you’ll pay if you make a claim on your health insurance cover. The excess can have a big impact on your policy, especially when it comes to deciding the monthly or annual cost of your cover. It is important to remember that the higher the excess, the lower the monthly premium will be.
We think it's important to understand excess, which is why we've answered the most common questions, such as how does private health insurance excess work and how does it apply to your policy. This will help you decide what's right for you when it comes to picking your excess amount.
To find out more about our Comprehensive cover or Treatment and Care cover, call us on 0808 115 3669. Lines are open Monday to Friday 8am to 8pm and Saturday 9am to 12:30pm. We may record or monitor our calls.
What is health insurance excess?
When you take out private health insurance, you're offered an excess with your cover. You don’t have to have an excess, but an excess is the amount you will have to pay when you make a claim on your health insurance policy. Having an excess means that you have to pay part of your treatment costs up to the amount of your excess. For example, if you have treatment that costs £3000 and you have agreed an excess of £500, you'll pay £500 and your insurer will pay the remaining £2500.
You may want to take out a health insurance policy with a higher excess because this can help reduce your monthly premiums, this is one way of making health insurance more affordable. While a health insurance policy with a lower excess will have a higher premium.
What is the benefit of health insurance excess?
The benefit of having an excess with your health insurance policy is that it allows you to take control over your monthly premium.
Not every private health insurance policy will have the same kind of excess, so it’s important to understand how and when your excess applies to your health insurance policy, and if you’re happy with the amount you need to pay should you need to claim.
How does excess apply to a Bupa health insurance policy?
We understand having flexibility in health insurance policies is important in order to suit your personal needs, that’s why we have a range of excess options available for you to choose from. We have two different levels of private health insurance cover: Comprehensive cover and Treatment and Care cover. With both of these options you can choose an excess of £0, £100, £150, £200, £250 or £500.
On our policies you’ll need to pay your excess (if applicable) on your first eligible claims of each membership year. You’ll only need to pay the total amount of your excess once per policy year, even if you make more than one claim for a condition. However, if your treatment starts in one policy year and continues into the next, it could apply twice to a single course of treatment.
You can amend your level of excess at each annual renewal. Again, if you choose a higher excess you can help to reduce your monthly premiums.
Learn more about private health insurance
Our useful guides are here to help you understand the fundamentals of health insurance. We also cover a number of key health topics – such as looking after yourself as a parent and taking care of your children’s health.
Getting health insurance when you’re self-employed
If you’re self-employed you may be considering health insurance to help give you peace of mind for your business.
In-patient vs. out-patient cover
When you’re looking at health insurance policies you may come across terms like in-patient and out-patient cover and not fully understand what these include.
Do I need private health insurance?
If you’re considering private health insurance, you may be weighing up if you need it or not. We’ve broken down the benefits so you can see if it suits your personal needs.
Private health insurance exclusions
Before you take out health insurance, it’s important that you have a thorough understanding of what is and isn’t covered.
Call us
Need some help with health insurance? Give us a call on 01134950976.
Lines are open Monday to Friday 8am to 8pm. We may record or monitor our calls.
Bupa health insurance is provided by Bupa Insurance Limited. Registered in England and Wales with registration number 3956433. Bupa Insurance Limited is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority. Arranged and administered by Bupa Insurance Services Limited, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Registered in England and Wales with registration number 3829851 . Registered office: 1 Angel Court, London, EC2R 7HJ.
