The Exeter's Health+ blends PMI with everyday cash benefits from £34/mo. Our verdict — strongest for the self-employed, regional buyers and over-60s.
The Exeter Health Insurance Review — from £34/mo
The Exeter UK private medical insurance review — cover, hospital list, underwriting, claims and pricing from PremierPMI.
What The Exeter cover includes
Devon-based mutual friendly society — Health+ combines PMI with cash-plan-style everyday cover.
The Exeter is a mutual friendly society — like WPA, structurally aligned with members rather than shareholders. Its Health+ product is one of the more distinctive designs in UK PMI: it combines a full PMI proposition with an integrated cash plan for everyday health costs (dental, optical, physio, chiropody), which most other UK insurers only offer as a separate product. Age is not a bar to buying — The Exeter is one of the few UK PMI insurers that actively welcomes new members in their 60s and 70s, which matters if you're buying PMI for the first time later in life. For self-employed clients based outside London, The Exeter also tends to be one of the most competitively priced quotes we return.
The Exeter at a glance
- Established: 1927 as the Exeter Friendly Society.
- Head office: Exeter, Devon.
- Regulation: Authorised by the PRA and regulated by the FCA and PRA (FRN 205309).
- Best suited to: Self-employed; 50+ new PMI buyers; Clients wanting cash-plan + PMI in one wrapper
- Indicative starting premium: £34/mo
- PremierPMI broker rating: 4.5 out of 5
- PMI members (UK): Approx. 130,000 members across health and protection
- Corporate structure: Mutual friendly society — member-owned
- Flagship product: Health+ (PMI + integrated cash plan)
- Signature feature: Open to new buyers into their 70s — unusual in UK PMI
- Digital GP: Included via HealthWise app (24/7)
The Exeter plan tiers compared
| Plan | Positioning | Typical use / limits |
|---|---|---|
| Health+ Interim | Budget entry — inpatient/day-patient with basic outpatient allowance. | Cost-controlled starter cover. |
| Health+ Standard | Full outpatient plus integrated cash-plan benefits. | Most mainstream The Exeter recommendations. |
| Health+ Comprehensive | Full modules, higher hospital list, higher cash-plan limits. | Comprehensive individual cover. |
The Exeter hospital access and network
The Exeter uses tiered hospital lists including a Full UK list that covers the majority of UK private hospitals. It's typically stronger regionally than in central-London HCA cover.
| Hospital | City | List tier | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nuffield Health Exeter | Exeter | Full UK | The Exeter's local flagship — very fair pathway. |
| Spire Bristol | Bristol | Full UK | Regular Exeter pathway for the South West. |
| Nuffield Health Plymouth | Plymouth | Full UK | Strong regional option on The Exeter. |
| Nuffield Health Cambridge | Cambridge | Full UK | Popular East-Anglia pathway. |
| Spire Manchester | Manchester | Full UK | The Exeter's main North-West route. |
| The Wellington Hospital | London | Upgraded London list | HCA — available on the upgraded tier at premium. |
Underwriting basis
- Moratorium (2-year clear + 5-year lookback)
- Full Medical Underwriting
- CPME switch cover
Indicative The Exeter premiums by age
Illustrative desk figures, not quotes — every premium is individually underwritten.
| Age band | Core | Mid | Premier |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 | £30/mo | £44/mo | £62/mo |
| 40 | £40/mo | £58/mo | £82/mo |
| 50 | £58/mo | £82/mo | £115/mo |
| 65 | £118/mo | £152/mo | £205/mo |
Making a claim
Typical pre-authorisation turnaround: 24–72 working hours; member-owned model = less pressure to decline marginal claims.. App: HealthWise. Escalation route: Mutual friendly society structure means escalation rarely needed. PremierPMI has a direct contact at The Exeter for stuck files..
- 24/7 HealthWise digital GP and second-opinion service.
- Integrated cash plan claims — dental/optical/physio in the same app.
- Mental health triage inside HealthWise.
Cover detail our brokers check first
- Mental health: Mental health outpatient included on Health+ Standard and above with mutual-model open access.
- Cancer pathway: Comprehensive cancer cover on Health+ Standard and Comprehensive tiers; friendly society model = fair claims handling.
- Digital GP: HealthWise 24/7 GP video service included on all plans.
- Dental & optical: Integrated cash plan — the standout feature. Dental, optical, physio, chiropody all inside the PMI wrapper.
- Family options: Family Health+ cover with per-member modules and the integrated cash plan applied to each life.
- International cover: UK-focused; travel cover included but not full international PMI.
Where The Exeter stands out
- Integrated cash plan — one policy, one direct debit, dental/optical/therapy pay-outs included.
- Accepts new PMI applicants into their 70s — genuinely rare in UK PMI.
- HealthWise 24/7 GP, second-opinion service and mental health triage included.
Watch-outs before you buy
- Central-London HCA hospital access is available but at premium — better fit for regional / suburban clients.
- Cash-plan limits are useful but not extravagant — always check the schedule if dental/optical spend is high.
- Smaller consultant network than Bupa/AXA — verify your preferred specialist is covered.
Switching to The Exeter
| Switching from | What to check |
|---|---|
| Aviva Healthier Solutions | Clean CPME. Clients switch typically for the integrated cash plan and mutual model. |
| First-time PMI buyer (60+) | The Exeter is often the ONLY UK PMI insurer that will accept new applicants in this age bracket. |
| WPA | Both mutual — WPA edges consultant choice, The Exeter edges integrated cash plan and later-life acceptance. |
The Exeter for businesses and groups
| Company size | Positioning | Broker note |
|---|---|---|
| Sole trader / director-only | The Exeter priced as a personal PMI policy paid via the limited company where allowable — treated as a P11D benefit in kind at HMRC's discretion. | For most single-director firms we place personal cover and route the invoice through the company. Speak to your accountant on the BIK treatment. |
| 3–20 lives (small SME) | The Exeter group scheme — one master policy, one renewal date, medical history disregarded (MHD) usually available at 5+ lives. | This is the sweet spot for growing businesses. MHD from day one removes the biggest friction point for new hires. |
| 20–500 lives (mid-market) | The Exeter corporate — bespoke plan design, dedicated account manager, wellness and claims MI reporting typically included. | PremierPMI runs a full tender at renewal — we do not accept 'roll the incumbent' pricing without a market check. |
PremierPMI broker desk notes
- The Exeter is our first call for anyone in their 60s or 70s taking out PMI for the first time — most competitors will decline or price it out.
- For self-employed clients living outside the M25, The Exeter's Health+ Standard is regularly the best net-value quote we return.
- Because it's a friendly society, The Exeter has a similar 'calm renewal' reputation to WPA — worth factoring into 5-year total cost.
The Exeter compared with other insurers
| Versus | Broker verdict |
|---|---|
| WPA | Both mutual. WPA edges consultant choice; The Exeter edges integrated cash-plan design and 60+ acceptance. |
| Aviva | Aviva slicker digitally; The Exeter cheaper regionally and more member-friendly at renewal. |
| Vitality | Very different propositions — Vitality for engagement, The Exeter for member-owned simplicity. |
Broker verdict
The Exeter is the mutual friendly society we recommend when the client is self-employed, regionally based or buying PMI in later life — three brackets where the mainstream Big Four often price uncompetitively or decline outright.
Best for: Best for self-employed, regional and 60+ first-time buyers.
The Exeter is a UK mutual friendly society private medical insurance provider founded in 1927, distinguished by its Health+ product which integrates PMI with a cash plan for everyday dental, optical and physiotherapy costs. It is one of the few UK PMI insurers accepting new applicants into their 60s and 70s. PremierPMI places The Exeter for self-employed, regional and later-life first-time buyers, with cover from around £34 per month.
- Value: 88/100
- Speed: 80/100
- Depth of cover: 84/100
Common questions
Is The Exeter Health+ any good?
The Exeter Health+ is one of the most distinctive UK PMI products — a mutual friendly society that combines PMI with an integrated cash plan and accepts new members into their 70s. For regional clients, self-employed buyers and later-life first-time PMI buyers, it's frequently our top recommendation.
How much does The Exeter Health+ cost?
The Exeter Health+ Interim for a healthy 30-year-old typically starts from around £32–£40 per month; the Standard tier with the integrated cash plan lands around £45–£60. Illustrative and medically underwritten.
Can I get The Exeter health insurance in my 60s?
Yes — The Exeter is one of the few UK PMI insurers that actively accepts new individual applicants in their 60s and 70s. Underwriting terms will reflect medical history but the door is genuinely open, which is unusual in this market.
Is The Exeter a mutual?
Yes — The Exeter is a mutual friendly society, member-owned, with no external shareholders. Any surplus is reinvested for the benefit of members.
What is Health+ from The Exeter?
Health+ is The Exeter's flagship PMI product, unique in the UK market for integrating a cash plan (dental, optical, physiotherapy, chiropody pay-outs) into the same policy as the full PMI cover. One policy, one direct debit, both benefits triggered inside one member app.
Can I get PMI in my 70s with The Exeter?
Yes — The Exeter is one of the very few UK PMI insurers that actively accepts new individual applicants in their 70s. Underwriting terms reflect medical history but the door is genuinely open, which is unusual in this market.
What does The Exeter health insurance cover?
The Exeter Health+ is positioned around straightforward cover, fair renewals, guided hospital options and useful everyday support through HealthWise. The migrated content is now organised into cover decisions rather than shown as a long scrape.
The Exeter is often sensible outside central London where guided hospital access can still include the client’s nearest practical private hospitals. For London HCA expectations, we check the upgraded list first.
- Health+ can include inpatient, day-patient, outpatient, diagnostics, mental health and therapies depending on the selected options.
- The Exeter is often considered for clients who want pricing stability and a less noisy policy experience.
- Hospital-list choice ranges from guided nearby hospitals to broader private hospital and London HCA access.
The Exeter Health+ core cover
The Exeter’s core policy is built around hospital treatment first, with optional outpatient and wider support benefits added as needed.
- Inpatient treatment — The migrated content referenced no-fee inpatient treatment for as long as necessary under the relevant Health+ terms, without a set cap on nights.
- Day-patient treatment — Day-patient surgery and medical care can be fully covered where eligible and authorised.
- Specialist choice — Clients may pick their own specialist or use a guided shortlist, with medical second opinions referenced in the old content.
- Eligibility fit — The migrated content positioned The Exeter for adults and families under 80 seeking inpatient and specialist care with optional outpatient and mental-health benefits.
The Exeter cancer, NHS cash and recovery benefits
The Exeter’s migrated cancer and recovery benefits are useful, but they needed to be separated from unrelated text.
- Cancer cover — The old page referenced extensive cancer care across diagnosis, surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy and eligible ongoing treatment, subject to policy wording.
- NHS cash benefit — The migrated content referenced £150 per night for NHS hospital stays or certain NHS treatments for up to 30 nights.
- Home nursing and ambulance — Home nursing after hospital stay or illness and private ambulance support were referenced as core support benefits.
- Parent accommodation and child speech therapy — The legacy page referenced parental accommodation and six speech-therapy sessions for a child under 14 experiencing developmental delay.
The Exeter outpatient and HealthWise support
The Exeter can be built into a fuller outpatient policy, but each add-on increases premium and should be chosen deliberately.
| Area | Migrated detail | Adviser note |
|---|---|---|
| Outpatient cover | Specialist fees and diagnostic testing such as X-rays, ECGs and pathology tests were referenced. | Check whether diagnostics are guided, limited or unlimited. |
| Mental health | Psychiatric treatment costs for psychiatrists, psychologists and cognitive behavioural therapists were referenced. | Useful where mental-health access is a priority. |
| Therapies | Physiotherapy, osteopathy, acupuncture and speech therapy add-ons were referenced. | Important for musculoskeletal or family policies. |
| HealthWise app | Virtual GP, prescription delivery, patient records, physiotherapy exercises and mental-health support were referenced. | A good everyday support layer, but not a replacement for full outpatient cover. |
The Exeter hospital-list choices
The previous page’s hospital-list text is now a simple decision table.
| Route | How it works | Best fit |
|---|---|---|
| Guided hospital route | The Exeter can refer to the three closest suitable hospitals. | Clients who want to reduce premium and are flexible on hospital. |
| Essential list | Includes major hospital groups and NHS private patient units. | Cost-conscious clients with acceptable local options. |
| Broader private list | Broadens the Essential list to include additional independent hospitals and clinics. | Clients with a preferred local consultant or facility. |
| London / HCA access | The old page referenced access to most private hospitals and clinics including London HCA hospitals on the wider route. | Central London clients who specifically need HCA. |
The Exeter excess and no-claims discount
The old page included useful examples showing how excess affects claim payments and premium. These are now labelled clearly.
| Feature | Migrated detail | Adviser note |
|---|---|---|
| £250 excess example | If treatment costs £1,000, the client pays £250 and The Exeter pays the eligible balance. | Simple illustration only, not a quote. |
| Claim below excess | If treatment costs £200 and the excess is £250, the client pays the full £200. | Important for outpatient-heavy users. |
| Once per policy year | The old page stated the excess is charged once per policy year, per covered member. | We verify the live schedule before application. |
| High excess | Examples such as £1,000–£5,000 were referenced as lower-premium, higher-claim-contribution choices. | Useful for clients buying protection against large events. |
| No-claims discount | Claim-free years can move the client up a level and increase discount. | Medical inflation and age can still raise the renewal. |
The Exeter underwriting options
The old page mixed underwriting types together. This is the clean version we would explain before application.
- Full medical underwriting — The Exeter assesses medical history before cover starts and confirms exclusions up front.
- Moratorium — Recent medical history is not fully assessed upfront, but pre-existing conditions may be excluded until clearing rules are met.
- Switch underwriting — Clients moving from another insurer may be able to preserve existing exclusions rather than start again.
- Medical history disregarded — Usually relevant to eligible company schemes rather than standard individual cover.
The Exeter cash benefits and included extras
The Exeter's positioning is calm cover, stable renewals and useful everyday support through HealthWise. The included extras below sit across the Health+ range.
Cash-benefit amounts change at product refresh; PremierPMI verifies the live The Exeter schedule at quote.
- NHS cash benefit — £150 per night for eligible NHS hospital stays or NHS treatments for up to 30 nights, per the migrated content — one of the higher per-night rates in the market.
- Home nursing after discharge — Home nursing after a hospital stay or eligible illness, where specialist-advised — helps recovery without repeat hospital visits.
- Private ambulance — Private ambulance support included on most Health+ plans where medically necessary.
- HealthWise app — Virtual GP, prescription delivery, patient records, physiotherapy exercises and mental-wellbeing support included at no additional cost — a strong everyday layer.
- HealthWise rewards — Wellbeing programme with rewards and discounts for engaging with app-based challenges — lighter-touch than the biggest rewards-led insurer in the market, with no compulsion to engage.
- Parent accommodation & child speech therapy — Parental accommodation for an insured child in hospital, plus six speech-therapy sessions for a child under 14 experiencing developmental delay, per the migrated content.
- Family discount — The Exeter applies a family-band structure so additional dependants are less expensive per head than a standalone policy.
The Exeter NHS options and premium levers
The Exeter's premium levers include guided hospital route, high excess, no-claims discount ladder and — where offered on the plan variant — NHS-linked options.
- Guided hospital option — The Exeter's guided route restricts hospital choice to the three closest suitable facilities in exchange for meaningfully lower premium — the single biggest lever for cost-conscious clients happy on hospital.
- NHS cash instead of private — For eligible NHS treatment, The Exeter's £150-per-night NHS cash benefit (up to 30 nights) offsets out-of-pocket costs — often material where NHS treatment is fast.
- Overseas emergency treatment — Emergency treatment abroad is covered on eligible trips up to the schedule limit — confirm the current per-trip day cap on your live schedule.
How PremierPMI works with you on The Exeter
PremierPMI has placed thousands of The Exeter Health+ policies over 40+ years of trading. Everything below is our service standard on The Exeter placements — it sits alongside the insurer's own policy terms.
Placement figures and claims-turnaround statements reflect PremierPMI's own experience across recent The Exeter cases — not The Exeter service-level guarantees.
- Free, whole-of-market advice — PremierPMI advice is free to you. We are paid a standard commission by the insurer on placement — no client fees, no hidden charges, no tie-ins.
- Broker-only pricing — On several The Exeter Health+ variants we can access broker-only terms and discounts not available going direct. We show you both sides at quote.
- Named claims escalation — Complex claims are escalated by our Head of Claims Liaison to a named senior contact at The Exeter — same-day acknowledgement, typical decision inside 24–48 working hours in our experience.
- FCA regulated — PremierPMI is a trading style of Tesha Family Ltd, authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FRN 1029667). Companies House registration 11417747.
What The Exeter typically excludes
These exclusions are the practical customer-facing version of the old page's mixed wording, extended with the additional exclusions PremierPMI walks clients through before application.
- Pre-existing conditions — May be excluded or only reconsidered after the relevant underwriting period.
- Routine check-ups — Routine dental, eye tests and general preventative care are not normally core PMI benefits unless added separately.
- Cosmetic or elective treatment — Plastic surgery, cosmetic dentistry and lifestyle procedures are usually excluded.
- Ageing and wear-and-tear costs — Items such as hearing aids and glasses are normally outside PMI unless a specific benefit applies.
- Chronic kidney dialysis — Chronic (ongoing) kidney dialysis is excluded as long-term chronic treatment — acute short-term dialysis linked to an eligible acute episode may be covered subject to wording.
- Self-inflicted injury — Treatment for deliberately self-inflicted injury is excluded, though associated mental-health treatment may be covered where the mental-health option is included.
- HIV / AIDS (subject to wording) — Historical exclusion — modern The Exeter wording has narrowed this and can cover HIV-related treatment in certain circumstances. Always check the live schedule with us before assuming exclusion applies.
- Alcohol or drug misuse — Treatment arising directly from alcohol or drug misuse is excluded, subject to the wording on the current schedule.
- Routine pregnancy and childbirth — Routine maternity is not covered. Complications of pregnancy may be treated differently by wording.
- Treatment without required referral — Consultations and treatment that bypass the required GP or specialist referral pathway are typically not covered — pre-authorise every claim through The Exeter first.
- Professional or hazardous sports — Injuries from professional sport or hazardous activities need checking before assuming cover applies.
The Exeter plan variants at a glance
The legacy PremierPMI page referenced several distinct Exeter product routes rather than one policy. They are preserved here so buyers can see the full range before we recommend a specific plan.
Product names and inclusions reflect the migrated legacy content and The Exeter's current published range at time of writing. PremierPMI verifies the live schedule at quote.
| Product | What it is | Best fit |
|---|---|---|
| Health+ Full Cover | Comprehensive private medical insurance with core inpatient, day-patient and full outpatient benefits, cancer cover and HealthWise app access. | Individuals and families wanting fuller cover with fewer restrictions on consultant and hospital choice. |
| Health+ Guided Cover | Same core PMI structure but treatment is routed through The Exeter's approved network to keep premiums lower. | Budget-focused buyers happy for the insurer to steer them to a recognised consultant and hospital. |
| Interim Cover | Short-term private medical cover option referenced in the legacy content, aimed at clients bridging a gap. | Clients between jobs, waiting for corporate cover to start, or short-term UK residents. |
| HealthWise (included service) | Everyday-health app: virtual GP, mental health support, physio, second opinions and personalised health plans — included with Health+. | Every Exeter policyholder — usable without needing to claim on the main policy. |
Price basis: Illustrative new-business monthly premium for a healthy non-smoker aged around 30 on the insurer's entry cover tier with a moderate excess and a mid-range hospital list. Every premium is medically underwritten — age, postcode, cover level, excess and modules all change the figure.
PremierPMI is a UK private medical insurance broker specialising in whole-of-market placement across 10+ leading UK health insurers including Bupa, AXA Health, Aviva, Vitality, WPA, Freedom Health, The Exeter, General & Medical and National Friendly. FCA regulated (Tesha Family Ltd, FRN 1029667). Speak to a broker on 020 4525 0884, WhatsApp 020 8064 2273, or email contact@premierpmi.co.uk.
Ask a broker whether this insurer is the right fit for you
PremierPMI's brokers are available Monday to Friday 9am to 5:30pm. Call 020 4525 0884, message us on WhatsApp 020 8064 2273, or email contact@premierpmi.co.uk. You can also request a callback or meet our team.