WPA Health Insurance

The History of WPA

In 1901, a group of workers founded the Reading Work People's Voluntary Hospital Contributory Fund to support their members and cover their health care costs. In 1939, the fund merged with the Bristol Hospital Fund, and in 1949 they were renamed the Western Provident Association (WPA). In 1992, WPA moved from Bristol to a purpose-built building in Taunton, Somerset.

WPA was described by the World Health Organisation as leading the way for coinsurance or shared responsibility policies. Whereby, the patient pays a portion of the liability up to an agreed limit.

WPA Insurance Policy Review

WPA focus exclusively on health insurance and Flexible Health is their range of health insurance products. They offer three key levels of cover within Flexible Health:

Essentials
Premier
Elite

Here we will review below the Flexible Health Premier level of cover. This is the most popular WPA policy which over 62% of members choose. It is a mid-level policy offering enhanced cover as standard.

WPA Core Cover

Included as a base to your cover with WPA health insurance are the following benefits.

Benefit	Details
In-patient and day patient treatment	Including hospital fees, specialists’ fees, critical care levels 2 and 3, diagnostic tests and MRI, CT, PET scans, drugs and dressings, therapy, prostheses (passive and active) and post-operative consultations and tests.
Out-patient Treatment	Consultations with a Specialist and Diagnostic Tests (£150 in the six weeks prior to surgery), Specialist Referred Therapy (£200 within 90 days of surgery only) and Pre-admission Tests.
Remote GP Services	Private GP Helpline, Video Consultations, Private Prescriptions, Specialist Referral.
Telephone Counselling	Also with online Cognitive Behaviour Therapy Life Skills Course and Wellbeing and Health Information.
NHS Hospital Cash Benefit	£150 per night/day (less than three nights) £200 per night/day (three nights or more). NHS outpatient Diagnostics and Out-patient procedures £150 per day.
Home Nursing	Four our weeks
Private Ambulance	Full cover where medically necessary
Parent and Child	For accommodation charges made by the hospital for one parent to accompany a child patient (who is also a member of the Policy) when undergoing eligible treatment under the Policy and recommended by the specialist.

WPA Optional Extras

Additional optional extras are available to enhance your policy to suit your individual requirements:

Optional Benefit	Details
Extra out-patient cover	Consultations with a Specialist and Diagnostic Tests - GP Referred Diagnostic Tests (combined limit of either £1000 or £1500) Specialist Referred Therapy (combined limit of either £1000 or £1500) GP Referred Therapy - Up to 10 sessions (out of a combined limit of either £1000 or £1500) Self-referred Therapy - Up to four sessions of Chiropractic, Osteopathy and Physiotherapy (out of a combined limit of either £1000 or £1500)
Cancer Care	Diagnosis – Consultations with a Specialist including second opinions, diagnostic tests, scans and biopsies. Surgery. Radiotherapy/Chemotherapy. Targeted Cancer Therapies – Advanced anti-cancer treatment (Targeted Cancer Therapies) will be funded when given with curative intent, where not readily available on the NHS NHS Hospital Cash Benefit – Cancer (overall combined maximum annual benefit limit of £6,000) NHS In-patient or NHS Day-patient – £200 per night/day NHS Out-patient Complex Diagnostic Scans or NHS Out-patient Cancer Treatment or NHS Out-patient Procedure - £150 per day
Overseas Emergency Treatment	Overseas Emergency Treatment (not the USA and its dependencies) – 70 days per trip, maximum 180 days and £500,000
Dental Care	General Dental Treatment – £250 (£450 if you add both the Extra Out-patient and the Dental Care Optional Extras) Dental Emergencies – £250 per course of treatment in the UK or abroad, maximum four episodes and £1,000 per Policy year (A 14 day qualifying period applies) Dental Injuries – £20,000 (A 14 day qualifying period applies) Restorative Treatment as a direct result of Oral Cancer – £10,000 (A 14 day deferment period applies)
Premium Hospitals	Extend your choice of over 1,000 hospitals by adding Premium Hospitals – primarily based in Central London

Underwriting Options

The maximum age to join Flexible Health is 65 but you can renew the Policy each year thereafter. They offer three ways your policy can be underwritten:

Moratorium Underwriting You are required to satisfy joining criteria without the need to detail your medical history. More information may be required when you make a claim.
Full Medical Underwriting (FMU) Details of your past medical history are required.
Switch Terms For those transferring from another insurer. They’ll need to know about your existing insurance cover and any exclusions.

For more definitions of terms, please see our glossary.

Excess Options

WPA offer a 'Shared Responsibility' option on both their Premier and Elite cover. This is a method of co-payment that's a slightly different version of a traditional excess:

75% of each claim for eligible treatment is paid no matter how small

You share the cost of treatment by contributing 25% towards every eligible claim

Your contribution is 'capped' at a level chosen by you per policy year

WPA pay 100% of eligible claims once you reach you chosen level

Levels for Premier are: £250, £500, £1000, £1500 or £5000

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I still use the NHS if I have WPA insurance?

Yes! The NHS is available to all UK citizens with or without insurance. Any treatment for pre-existing and chronic conditions will still be treated by the NHS, as well as any emergencies. If you choose to have inpatient or outpatient treatment on the NHS, that you would be eligible to claim on your health insurance for, WPA will pay you an NHS cash benefit up to £4,500 per year. More on the relationship between NHS and PMI.

Can I choose where I am treated?

When setting up your policy with WPA, you will be able to choose from three hospital lists: Essential, Premier and Elite. This choice will impact the facilities at which you can be treated aswell as the premium you pay.

Do I need health insurance?

We are blessed in the UK to have a National Health Service, so health insurance is not a legal requirement. Health insurance provides the peace of mind however that should you require treatment you can access private health services and avoid NHS waiting times. We believe there is a policy to suit everyone. To read more, see our Guide to Health Insurance.

Do WPA offer cancer care cover?

WPA offer comprehensive cover on their Elite plans. They will cover the costs of diagnosis, surgery, treatment in full and advanced anti-cancer treatment where it is not yet available on the NHS. Cancer care can also be added to their Premier cover at an additional premium. More on Cancer Cover.

Can I tailor my cover?

Yes, you can add optional extras to your Premier plan at a premium. These include:

Extra Out-patient
Cancer care
Dental care
Overseas emergency treatment
Premium hospitals

Does WPA offer Family Health Insurance?

Yes! You can add your partner and children to your plan.

Why Compare Health & Life Insurance with us?

Here at Usay Compare, we can help you to compare prices and cover from the market leading UK health and life insurance companies such as Aviva, AXA and Bupa. Our service is completely free of charge and we are totally independent and impartial.

Our team of friendly, expert advisers are on the end of the phone, ready to guide you easily through the whole process. They will get to know your unique individual requirements, do all the hard work comparing prices and policies for you; then advise on the best and most cost-effective quote.

The History of WPA

WPA Insurance Policy Review

WPA Key Benefits

WPA Core Cover

WPA Optional Extras

What isn't covered?

Perks