Information for intermediaries during coronavirus (COVID-19)
Keep up to date with what’s available for your customers during this time, and how we’re adapting the way they access our services.
Stay informed with
COVID-19 updates from Bupa
The coronavirus situation changes continually. To keep you up to date, we release regular information about what we’re doing to support you, your clients, and their employees during these challenging times.
COVID-19 and your clients: consumers, businesses and employees
Bupa from Home: remote services
All of our remote services are now under a single banner, which is ideal for people working from home or who can’t get to a clinician. Depending on the cover, Bupa from Home can include:
- 24/7 access to nurses and GPs via Bupa Anytime HealthLine
- Specialist support for mental health, cancer, and muscle, bone and joint conditions
- Our Family Mental HealthLine for children’s mental health
- Dental reviews
Our Digital GP and Anytime HealthLine services won’t affect the excess if included within your customers’ cover.
A guide to working from home
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, many people worked from home from time to time, but never to the extent we’ve seen recently.
Adjusting to this new way of working can be tricky, so we’ve developed a simple guide with hints and tips to help employees make a success of it.
COVID-19
at home PCR tests
COVID-19 tests We now offer COVID-19 PCR home-testing tests for individual and business customers, which can tell you if you’re currently infected with COVID-19. You’ll receive a testing kit within 36 hours of ordering, and get your result within 48 hours of the lab receiving your swab.†
COVID-19 rapid antibody tests We also offer COVID-19 rapid antibody tests in selected health centres. This means that within 15 minutes, individuals could find out if they have detectable antibodies to the virus.††
Contact our intermediary teams
Consumer intermediary team
Got a question? Please contact us or speak to your account manager. We’re here to help.
Call 0800 33 2000 and select option 2
Lines are open on Monday to Friday 8am to 5pm. We may record or monitor calls.
SME intermediary team
If you have a query, just call us or speak to your account manager.
Call 0800 33 2000
Lines are open on Monday to Friday 8am to 5pm. We may record or monitor calls.
Corporate intermediary team
Please give us a call or get in touch with your account manager.
Call 0345 303 0830
Lines are open on Monday to Friday 8am to 5pm. We may record or monitor our calls.
Bupa’s pledge to our UK health insurance customers during the coronavirus pandemic
Our Bupa UK Insurance CEO, Alex Perry, has pledged a range of measures to help our customers during this period. These include new and expanded services, rebates, support for customers hospitalised with COVID-19, and more.
Frequently asked questions
All live quotations have had to be cancelled because we can’t accept new customers at this time, unfortunately.
We’ve had to suspend new business applications until further notice. We’ll provide updates as the situation develops.
We are continually working to bring you coronavirus testing services. The situation is evolving all the time, so please check with us regularly.
We now offer a range of COVID-19 testing to look for current infection, including:
- polymerase chain reaction (PCR) home testing kits
- Rapid antigen testing with lateral flow devices, providing a result within 30 minutes. These aren’t available as one-off tests, but are designed to be part of an asymptomatic corporate screening programme.
COVID-19 testing could be a helpful addition to your clients’ return to work strategy. Please refer to COVID-19 testing for businesses, and there’s more about testing for the coronavirus on our general FAQs page.
Selected Bupa health centres also offer rapid COVID-19 antibody testing, which in 15 minutes could let you know if you have detectable antibodies to COVID-19. If you do, it would suggest you’ve previously been infected with COVID-19. The test cannot confirm when you had it or how long any antibodies may last.
At this time, the national focus is quite rightly on ensuring that the coronavirus vaccine is provided first to those who are most in need. That’s why, currently, vaccination is only being done by the NHS. We’re working closely with our suppliers, so when the time is right we plan to offer the vaccine to our corporate customers – just as we do already with the flu vaccine.
Yes, please get in touch using the same telephone numbers and email addresses. However, due to a very high volume of calls, it would be a big help if you could use email or Bupa Connect in the first instance.
We foresee no changes to your key contact. However, if they’re unavailable, we have a support network in place which means that someone else will step in. We also have a clear structure which means queries can be escalated to the appropriate commercial manager.
No, it will continue to be kept up to date and we don’t foresee any disruption to the service. Visit Bupa Connect.
Questions about pre-authorisation and treatment?
Find out how COVID-19 has affected pre authorisation and treatment for your clients.
Questions about Bupa health centres during COVID-19?
Our health centres are open, but we’ve adapted the way they’re used. We explain what your customers can expect.
For more general questions about how we’re responding to the coronavirus:
Expert advice and tips from our
COVID-19 articles and videos
Browse our collection of articles and videos offering advice and guidance from Bupa's medical experts. They cover a range of coronavirus topics including risk factors, long COVID, how to cope when shielding, mental health concerns, and much more.
To protect everyone during COVID-19, we’ve changed how they access our products and services.
Health insurance
Here’s how to talk to our nurses, doctors, specialists and more.
Cash plans
Hospital treatments, dental care, physiotherapy and health checks.
Travel insurance
What are you covered for, and what do you need to do before claiming?
Dental services
We’ve adapted our services to ensure you get the help you need.
Health centres
Our centres are still open, thanks to our COVID safety measures.
Care homes
How are we keeping your loved ones safe, and what about visiting?
Bupa Global
Information for our international health insurance customers.
Cromwell Hospital
Information for Cromwell Hospital patients.
Useful information
The situation around COVID-19 changes continually. For up-to-date information and guidance for employers and businesses, please check Working Safely During Coronavirus (COVID-19), published by the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport.
Public Health England provides guidance for how to clean your workplace, including which cleaning fluids to use. Please visit COVID-19: cleaning in non-healthcare settings outside the home. This includes advice for if you’ve had a confirmed case of the coronavirus on your premises
The very latest information, advice and guidance is also available from the following websites:
World Heath Organization Statistics, situation reports, myth-busting, vaccine news and much more from the WHO’s coronavirus hub.
NHS Information about prevention, symptoms, testing, treatment and vaccination.
Gov.uk − Coronavirus (COVID‑19) The government’s coronavirus hub, with the latest facts and figures, announcements, advice and guidance − including for businesses.
Gov.uk − Travel information Travel advice and checklists, consular help, country guides and more from the UK government.
† Please note that Bupa can’t be held responsible for delays with Royal Mail deliveries.
†† A positive result from the COVID-19 rapid antibody test would suggest, but cannot confirm, that an individual may have been infected in the past. It also cannot tell them how long those antibodies may last or whether they offer any immunity.
Bupa health insurance, dental insurance, cash plan and travel insurance are provided by Bupa Insurance Limited. Registered in England and Wales No.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 No. 3829851. Bupa Health Assessments and Occupational Health services are provided by Bupa Occupational Health Limited. Registered in England and Wales No.631336. Registered office: 1 Angel Court, London, EC2R 7HJ.
Bupa Health Assessments are provided by Bupa Occupational Health Limited. Registered in England and Wales No. 631336. Registered office: 1 Angel Court, London, EC2R 7HJ
Bupa health trusts are administered by Bupa Insurance Services Limited. Registered in England and Wales No. 3829851 Registered office: 1 Angel Court, London EC2R 7HJ.
