Who is WPA Healthcare?
WPA is an award-winning, not-for-profit health insurer provider for individuals, families, and businesses of all sizes. You can choose from a flexible range of benefits to create your own package, meaning if a health issue comes your way, you and your family benefit from quicker access to private treatment.
What’s the Difference Between Personal Health Insurance, Business Health Insurance, and Corporate Cash Plans?
WPA Healthcare offer three very different types of protection:
- Personal Health Insurance
- Business Health Insurance
- Corporate Cash Plans
They all have “health” in the name, but they work in very different ways. Let’s break down what each does, who they’re for, and how to choose the right one.
Personal Health Insurance – For individuals and families
This is the classic private medical insurance most people think of. You pay a monthly premium to get fast access to private diagnosis and treatment if you fall ill or get injured.
Key points:
- Who it’s for: Individuals and families buying cover for themselves.
- Underwriting: You’ll either answer health questions (full medical underwriting) or take out a moratorium policy (pre-existing conditions excluded for a set period).
- What it covers: Hospital stays, surgery, specialist consultations, diagnostic scans/tests, and often optional extras like dental, optical, or mental health care.
- How claims work: You get pre-authorisation from WPA before treatment; WPA pays the hospital/consultant directly.
Best for: Anyone wanting personal control over their health cover without going through an employer.
Business Health Insurance – For employers and their teams
This is essentially private medical insurance for a group, purchased by an employer to cover staff. It works a lot like personal health insurance but is tailored for workplace needs.
Key points:
- Who it’s for: Employers with 2 or more staff living at separate addresses (and sometimes their dependents).
- Underwriting: Smaller groups may use standard or moratorium underwriting; larger groups can get Medical History Disregarded (MHD) – meaning pre-existing conditions may be covered right away.
- What it covers: The same private diagnosis and treatment as personal cover, plus corporate extras like Employee Assistance Programmes (EAPs), wellbeing hubs, and HR analytics tools.
- How claims work: Staff contact WPA directly for authorisation; some admin support comes from HR or a dedicated WPA account manager.
- Cost: Usually cheaper per head than buying equivalent personal cover; premiums are a business expense (but classed as a taxable benefit for employees).
Best for: Businesses wanting to attract and retain talent with a high-value employee benefit.
Corporate Cash Plans (NHS Top-Up Corporate) – Everyday healthcare made affordable
This isn’t private medical insurance. Instead, a cash plan reimburses employees for routine, everyday healthcare costs.
Key points:
- Who it’s for: Any employer, from small teams to large organisations.
- Underwriting: None – everyone’s covered immediately.
- What it covers: Dental check-ups, optical tests and glasses, physiotherapy, prescriptions, hospital parking, A&E visits – and more.
- How claims work: Employees pay for treatment, submit receipts, and WPA reimburses them up to annual benefit limits.
- Cost: From around £1 per week per employee – far lower than private medical insurance.
- Setup: You need to have 3 employees at 2 separate addresses to start a policy
Best for: Employers wanting to offer a widely used, low-cost perk that supports everyday health needs.
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | Personal Health Insurance | Business Health Insurance | Corporate Cash Plan |
| Main focus | Private treatment for illness/injury | Same as personal, for employees | Reimburses everyday healthcare costs |
| Who it’s for | Individuals/families | Employers (2+ employees) | 3+ employees at 2 separate addresses |
| Underwriting | FMU or moratorium | Can be MHD for large groups | None required |
| Payment | Paid from taxed income | Employer-funded | Employer-funded |
| Cost | Higher per person | Lower per person than personal | From ~£1/week pp |
| Covers | Acute medical care, diagnostics, surgery | Same + wellbeing extras | Dental, optical, prescriptions, therapies |
| Claim process | Pre-authorisation; WPA pays provider | Same with HR support | Pay upfront, claim back |
| Extras | Optional add-ons | Wellbeing hub, EAP, analytics | EAP included, optional modules |
| Best for | Personal control over cover | Staff retention & wellbeing | Low-cost, high-usage perk |
Which one should you choose?
- If you’re buying for yourself only – Personal Health Insurance is the way to go.
- If you’re a business owner wanting comprehensive treatment cover for staff – Business Health Insurance gives better group rates and corporate features.
- If you want an affordable, high-usage benefit for staff → Corporate Cash Plan is hard to beat.
Many businesses combine Business Health Insurance with a Corporate Cash Plan – so staff are covered for both big unexpected treatments and everyday healthcare costs.