A percentage share of every claim rather than a flat first slice — and only one UK insurer in our set offers it.

What the policy documents actually say

WPA's Shared Responsibility asks the member to pay 25% of eligible treatment up to a chosen ceiling, as an alternative or addition to a conventional excess. Every other insurer whose wording we hold uses a flat excess only.

The two behave very differently. A £1,000 excess costs you £1,000 on a £1,200 claim and £1,000 on a £15,000 claim. A 25% share with a £1,000 ceiling costs you £300 on the first and £1,000 on the second. For small claims the percentage model is cheaper; for large ones the ceiling makes them converge.

The behavioural intent is different too. A flat excess discourages small claims entirely; a percentage share keeps you exposed to a slice of every claim, which insurers argue keeps costs down and members argue is a second premium.

Bupa's worked example shows the flat-excess mechanic for contrast: a £100 excess against £250 of physiotherapy means the insurer pays £150 and the member pays £100 direct to the physiotherapist, with no further excess that policy year.

If you claim rarely but significantly, a high flat excess is usually better value. If you expect several modest claims, the percentage model can cost less overall — which is exactly the pattern a cost-conscious buyer should model before choosing.

Questions to put to the insurer or broker

  • What is the ceiling on the shared percentage?
  • Does it replace the excess or sit alongside it?
  • Which model is cheaper for the claims I actually expect?

Related questions

Sources

  • Source: Bupa policy guide — Bupa By You health insurance (BINS 14718) (2024), read 4 September 2026.
  • Source: WPA — Private Medical Insurance — Insurance Product Information Document (Complete Health) (2025-11), read 4 September 2026.

The limit behind every answer here

None of this reaches a condition you already have. Cover is written for problems that arise after it starts, so anything you have symptoms of when you apply is excluded — permanently under full medical underwriting, or until a symptom-free period has passed under a moratorium. Chronic conditions are excluded by every insurer whose wording we hold. Figures quoted come from current policy documents and change at renewal, so check the document you are actually offered.

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