Short answer: You pay the first £X of eligible treatment costs in a policy year; the insurer pays the rest. At most UK insurers the excess applies once per person per policy year — not per claim — so a second claim in the same year usually costs you nothing extra. Options range from £0 to £5,000 (Aviva, The Exeter), and a bigger excess is the single most effective premium-cutter (verified July 2026).
For who: buyers using the excess to control their premium.
Reviewed by: Ben Darke, PMI Experts · Last updated: 2026-07-17
Reviewed by: Ben Darke, PMI Experts · Last updated: 2026-07-17
Key facts
| How it applies | Once per person per policy year at Bupa, Aviva, WPA, The Exeter, National Friendly; Vitality lets you choose per-year or per-claim (July 2026) |
| Available ranges | Bupa £100–£2,000; Aviva £100–£5,000; The Exeter £0–£5,000; Vitality £0–£1,000; WPA £0–£500; National Friendly £0–£1,000 |
| Compulsory cases | Freedom Essentials: £100 compulsory; WPA joiners aged 66+: £500 minimum |
| What skips the excess | Digital GP everywhere; Bupa dental benefit and Direct Access assessments; WPA Fast Track benefits (July 2026) |
| Renewal trap | Treatment spanning renewal can trigger the excess twice (Bupa and AXA both state this) |
| Discount example | Freedom's 2020 brochure showed 10–35% premium reductions for £100–£1,000 excesses — current percentages vary by insurer |
Sources
Provider excess documents: Bupa IPID (Jan 2026), Aviva T&Cs (April 2025), AXA excess explainer (Nov 2024), Vitality cover options, WPA brochure (March 2026), The Exeter policy document — all verified July 2026.