Health Insurance No-Claims Discounts Compared (2026)

A no-claims discount (NCD), often called a no claims bonus (NCB) in car insurance, reduces your private health insurance premium from the insurer’s base price. It does not fix what you pay at renewal. Each private medical insurance (PMI) product has its own NCD scale, claim bands and period for counting claims. Compare these rules as well as the price and benefits.

Four published approaches

Selected individual products. Unprotected discounts; ladder limits and policy-specific exceptions apply.
Product	Published effect of relevant claims	Source
Bupa By You	No claims: up one level. £0.01–£300: unchanged. More than £300 but less than £1,200: down two. The September 2026 leaflet diagram shows £1,200 or more: down three; see the boundary note below.	NCD leaflet, September 2026, pages 1–2
The Exeter Health+	No claims: up one. £0.01–£300: unchanged. £300.01–£1,000: down one. £1,000.01–£2,000: down two. Over £2,000: down three.	Product guide, printed page 8
WPA Complete Health (March 2026 brochure)	No claims: up one. £0.01–£250: unchanged. £250.01–£750: down two. Over £750: down three.	Brochure, printed page 20
AXA Personal Health	No relevant paid claim: up one. A relevant paid claim of any amount: down three levels, stopping at the bottom of the scale. Specified benefits do not count.	Personal Health handbook, section 5.5

Checked 7 October 2026. This is not a ranking of every insurer. The table summarises the named documents. Moving up a level is subject to the maximum discount on each scale. Read the two version notes below before applying the Bupa or WPA thresholds to your policy.

WPA version difference: on 7 October 2026, WPA’s live calculator showed one level down for £250.01–£500 and two levels down for £500.01–£750. Its linked March 2026 brochure, summarised in the table, still shows two levels down across £250.01–£750. Confirm which scale applies to your quote or renewal. Both give a two-level reduction for the £600 example. The live calculator is linked in the sources below.

Bupa boundary note: the September 2026 leaflet diagram places exactly £1,200 in the three-level band, while Bupa’s intermediary FAQ includes it in the two-level band. Ask Bupa to confirm the treatment of exactly £1,200 for your policy. Both sources agree that a £600 relevant claim means two levels down.

What would a £600 claim change?

A £600 relevant claim moves unprotected NCD down two levels with Bupa, one with The Exeter and two with WPA under the cited documents. AXA Personal Health moves down three levels. — This hypothetical example uses the insurer documents linked below. View full size

Assume the insurer counts £600 of claims in the period it uses to assess the discount. The claimed benefit must affect NCD, and the discount must not be protected. Under the cited rules, Bupa would drop two levels, The Exeter one and WPA two. AXA Personal Health would drop three. These drops stop at the bottom of each scale.

That does not prove which renewal will be cheapest. Your position on the NCD scale, the percentages at each level and the underlying price all affect your future premium.

A five-point discount change can mean more than a 5% price rise

This is a simple sum, not an insurer quote. Start with an annual base premium of £2,000. A 70% discount leaves £600 to pay. A 65% discount leaves £700. The discount falls by five percentage points, but you pay £100 more: a rise of 16.7%.

A change in the underlying £2,000 base premium would alter the final price again.

Which claims count towards the next renewal?

Check which months the insurer counts and whether it uses payment or approval dates.

WPA’s brochure uses the first nine months in year one. After that, it generally uses the previous year’s last three months and the current year’s first nine.

Bupa’s September 2026 leaflet uses claims approved for payment. For the first renewal, it counts the first ten months. Later, it uses the previous year’s last two months and the current year’s first ten. It excludes the member’s excess, even if you choose a higher excess. A late bill may therefore affect a later renewal than you expect.

AXA Personal Health uses the date a claim is paid. It works out the discount up to three months before renewal. Ask for a claims statement instead of using your appointment dates. Also check whether the insurer leaves out your excess payment or a particular support benefit. If you use physiotherapy or other therapies, ask whether claims through that service affect your NCD. Do not assume that all treatment routes have the same rules.

Does NCD protection stop your premium rising?

No. A protected no claims discount does not freeze the whole price of your PMI policy. AXA's guide says protected NCD does not prevent changes driven by factors such as age and treatment costs. Aviva's terms also describe protection of the no-claims discount level. Ask what it costs to protect your NCD and what the protection preserves. For an Aviva policy, check the protection terms in your policy wording.

Should you avoid claiming to preserve the discount?

Do not put off care you need to protect a discount. If you may pay for care yourself, ask which costs affect NCD and what you must tell the insurer. Ask if you can repay a claim to protect the discount. Your current discount percentage alone cannot tell you what you would save at future renewals.

Use the renewal checklist to compare private medical insurance (PMI) offers. If you may switch, check how the new insurer would treat your medical history and pre-existing conditions. A better discount scale is not worth losing cover you need.

Common questions

Will my premium stay the same if I have a claim-free year?

Not necessarily. A no-claims discount and the underlying premium are separate parts of the calculation. Other pricing factors can change at renewal.

Does every benefit affect my no-claims discount with all insurance companies?

No. Insurers identify benefits that do not affect the calculation. Policyholders should check the rules for their exact PMI product and service. Before booking physiotherapy or other therapies, ask whether using that benefit could move you down the NCD scale.

Does a larger discount mean a cheaper policy?

Not by itself. A larger percentage taken from a higher underlying premium can still produce a higher final price. Compare the actual premium and cover.

Sources and policy scope

Insurer documents checked on 7 October 2026. Your quotation, policy documents and membership certificate determine your cover. Product versions and renewal terms can differ.

The information provided on this website is for general information purposes only and does not constitute advice. Insurance options may vary depending on individual circumstances.

Health insurance no-claims discounts: compare the rules