WPA announces second premium rebate to customers

24 June 2020

In April, WPA was the first UK insurer to pay customers a rebate to reflect the reduction in claims as a
result of COVID-19.

On June 22, reflecting an overall decrease in claims as a result of lockdown and reduced access to
elective care because of the NHS/private hospital contract, the company announced a second rebate to be paid before the end of the month.

Nathan Irwin, WPA’s Chief Executive, said: “The lockdown period from March to June restricted
healthcare in both the NHS and private sectors. This meant that customers with clinically urgent
requirements were still able to access care, but less serious procedures were postponed. To reflect
the reduced usage of WPA policies, we provided a first premium rebate in April and have announced
a second rebate will be paid to customers by the end of June.”

He continued: “Across all of our customers, the April payment totalled £3.7m and this latest payment
will be similar. With lockdown restrictions easing and private hospitals increasing the number of
routine procedures, we expect there to be a significant backlog of postponed treatments and claims
will begin to rise quickly. We remain committed to not profiting from this pandemic and will observe
claims levels over the coming months before determining whether any further rebates are
appropriate.”

The NHS/private hospital contract is due to finish at the end of June although NHS use of private
facilities is expected to extend into a second contract. On a practical level, it is likely that the
availability of private facilities will vary by hospital and by region over the coming weeks.

WPA is continually working with the private hospital networks to facilitate access for customers and has confirmed that COVID-19 antigen tests will be covered where this is required as part of a treatment plan.