Quick Answer · Updated 2026-07-17
The best options for outpatient cover in July 2026, ranked by our research:
- #1 WPA — not-for-profit with the best published claims record and no maximum joining age. quote-only pricing.
- #2 AXA Health — modular cover with the shortest pre-existing look-back (3 years vs the usual 5). £42.05/mo (AXA's April 2026 example, age 30).
- #3 The Exeter — mutual with unlimited in-patient treatment and uncapped cancer cover in core. quote-only pricing.
- #4 National Friendly — the highest joining age in UK PMI (85) and unusual 5-year fixed terms. quote-only pricing.
Rankings weigh provider-published pricing, verified cover terms and audience fit; every figure is dated and checked against the provider's own documents. Reviewed by Ben Darke, PMI Experts.
Outpatient cover — consultations, scans, tests before anyone admits you — is where NHS waits actually bite (diagnosis is the queue) and where insurers hide their cleverest limits. The good news: at most insurers, MRI/CT/PET scans are paid in full outside your cap. The differences live in consultation fees and referral rules.
Key Facts · 2026-07-17
- MRI/CT/PET paid in full regardless of outpatient cap: confirmed at Bupa, Vitality, WPA and The Exeter (own documents, July 2026).
- WPA covers complex scans in full even when GP-referred — most insurers require specialist referral (brochure, March 2026).
- Outpatient allowance ladders: Bupa £500/£750/£1,000/full; Vitality £500–£1,500/full; Aviva reduce-options £0/£500/£1,000; The Exeter £500/£1,000/unlimited (all July 2026).
- Self-pay comparison: a private MRI runs £249–£360 and an initial consultation £145–£250 (provider-published, July 2026) — one diagnostic episode ≈ a year of the premium difference between capped and uncapped cover.
Compared (July 2026)
| Provider | Published price | Standout |
|---|---|---|
| #1 WPA | quote-only pricing | 97% of claims authorised (at 31 Dec 2025) |
| #2 AXA Health | £42.05/mo (AXA's April 2026 example, age 30) | 3-yr moratorium look-back |
| #3 The Exeter | quote-only pricing | 90% of claims paid in 2025 |
| #4 National Friendly | quote-only pricing | entry up to age 85 |
Provider-published figures with stated bases, verified July 2026. Confirm current terms before relying on them.
Top picks in detail
#1. WPA
The GP-referred-scans-in-full rule is unique and underrated — no waiting for a specialist appointment before your MRI is covered — and Fast Track Skin Support adds unlimited virtual dermatology.
#2. AXA Health
The only big-four insurer selling outpatient diagnosis as a standalone module: unlimited specialist-referred scans and tests, and an unlimited-consultations option for heavy users.
#3. The Exeter
The unlimited-diagnostics upgrade is elegant: pair a £500 consultation cap with diagnostics covered in full — most of the benefit at a fraction of unlimited-everything pricing.
#4. National Friendly
Level 1 is effectively an outpatient-only policy (£2,000 or £5,000/year including private GP consultations, MRI/PET/CT and minor surgery) — the purest diagnosis-speed product on the market.
What to avoid
- £0-outpatient options (Aviva's C2 reduce option, inpatient-only builds) put your entire diagnostic journey back on the NHS — the very queue you're paying to escape.
- Watch consultation-fee caps hiding under 'unlimited scans' headlines — National Friendly Level 2, for instance, covers tests but not consultation fees.
- Therapies (physio, osteo) usually sit inside the outpatient cap or a separate one — check which before assuming 10 sessions fit.
How we ranked these
Rankings combine each provider's published pricing examples (with their stated bases), verified policy terms from provider documents, published claims statistics where they exist, and fit for this specific audience. This is editorial research, not advice — formal recommendations come from an independently FCA-authorised adviser.
Frequently Asked Questions
Specialist consultations, diagnostic tests and scans, minor outpatient procedures and usually therapies — everything before hospital admission. Insurers cap it (£500–£1,500 typical) but most pay MRI/CT/PET in full outside the cap (verified across providers, July 2026).
Usually only for known heavy users. The smarter middle: The Exeter's unlimited-diagnostics upgrade on a £500 consultation cap, or WPA's core (scans in full, £250 consultation contribution, extendable). One private MRI self-pays at £249–£360 (July 2026) — price the gap against that.
The step from £500-capped to unlimited outpatient cover typically moves a healthy 30-something's premium by £10–£20/month on provider examples — against self-pay consultation costs of £145–£250 each (July 2026 published prices).