How to get recognised by Bupa as a therapist and by the other insurers

How insurer recognition works

A health insurer only pays for treatment from practitioners it recognises. Once you are recognised, the pattern is broadly the same everywhere:

1. The patient contacts their insurer, which checks their cover and gives them an authorisation number.
2. You treat them and send the invoice to the insurer, usually electronically, quoting that number.
3. The insurer pays you at its agreed rates, and the patient pays any excess on their policy.

Recognition also gets you listed in the insurer's directory. Bupa says its Finder directory receives over 100,000 visits a week. Like any directory, it works best alongside your own listings, which we compare in our guide to therapy directories.

Two things are worth knowing before you apply. First, Healthcode's Private Practice Register is now the front door for most insurers: Aviva only accepts new registrations through it, and AXA Health and Vitality applications go through it too. Second, recognition and referrals are not the same thing. Aviva's own FAQ suggests physiotherapists also register with IPRS Health, HCML or Vita Health Group, and mental health practitioners with Onebright or Vita Health Group, to give themselves the best chance of referrals.

What Bupa asks for

Psychologists, counsellors and psychotherapists

Bupa's mental health and wellbeing network recognises each therapist individually. You need:

• Accreditation with the right body for your field: HCPC for psychology, BACP, UKCP or NCPS for counselling and psychotherapy, BABCP for CBT, and dual AFT and UKCP accreditation for family therapy
• At least three years' post-qualification experience full time, or five years part time (at least two days a week), plus a reference from your supervisor. Psychologists need one year full time or three part time.
• A clean record with your professional or regulatory body
• Indemnity insurance at the level your body advises, and an enhanced DBS check (or the Scottish or Northern Irish equivalent) from the last three years
• Agreement to invoice Bupa online, be paid by BACS and not invoice Bupa customers yourself

Bupa says the online application takes under an hour and it aims to reply within five working days. Do not treat Bupa patients until you have its confirmation, because it will not fund sessions before that.

Physiotherapists

Bupa's physiotherapy network recognises the practice, not the individual. The practice needs a named lead clinician registered with both the CSP and the HCPC, with at least five years' full-time post-qualification experience. Every physio who treats Bupa customers must also be CSP and HCPC registered, insured, DBS checked and have a clean record. Note the CSP requirement: an HCPC-registered physio who is not a CSP member does not meet it.

Consultants

Bupa's consultant criteria start with a substantive NHS consultant post or a Ministry of Defence post, current or previous. You also need a GMC or GDC licence, a place on the Specialist Register with no previous hearings or investigations, a Certificate of Completion of Training, indemnity insurance, and agreement to charge in line with Bupa's agreement and invoice it directly. Without one of those posts, Bupa asks for your CV and three references, including one from your Responsible Officer and one from a Bupa-recognised consultant in your specialty.

AXA Health, Aviva, Vitality and WPA compared

What each insurer publishes, checked October 2026. Where a cell says not published, we could not find the criteria on the insurer's public pages.

A few details stand out. The AXA Health recognition page lists osteopaths and chiropractors (one year's GOsC or GCC registration) and HCPC dietitians, and says that if your specialty is not listed, it is not currently taking applications in that area. AXA requires practising privileges for most consultant specialties, while WPA does not ask for an NHS post at all. On counselling, both AXA and WPA want accredited membership, not just registered membership, which rules out many newly qualified counsellors.

Healthcode registration and billing

Healthcode runs two separate things that insurers rely on:

• The Private Practice Register (PPR): a profile holding your registration, insurance and bank details, which insurers check. Registering is free.
• The Clearing Service: electronic invoicing to insurers. From April 2026 it costs £9.20 a month per payee provider plus a per-transaction fee of 27p to 54p, plus VAT. You can use it through Healthcode's own ePractice software or through compatible practice management software.

Payment timing varies. Aviva says it aims to pay within 7 to 10 working days, with a 30-day payment term. Vitality aims to pay Healthcode invoices within 30 days. We did not find a published payment target for individual providers at WPA.

One admin detail catches people out: procedure codes. Insurers use CCSD codes, and Vitality points out that you need your own CCSD licence to use them in your business.

Fee schedules, caps and your self-pay rate

Recognition almost always means accepting the insurer's fees as the most you can charge its customers. The rules differ in the details:

• Bupa therapists and physios agree not to invoice Bupa customers at all, and consultants agree to charge in line with Bupa's agreement.
• Aviva requires practitioners to charge its published fees and no longer lets anyone move off "fee assured" status. It also pays therapies per session, one session per patient per day, whatever the length.
• Vitality publishes its therapist rates: £35 for physiotherapy, £45 for osteopathy, chiropractic and psychotherapy, £50 for dietetics, £55 for podiatry and £80 for psychology.
• WPA publishes fee maxima. Providers who choose "fee agreed" status cannot charge more. Others can recover a shortfall from the patient, but only if they told the patient the fee in writing in advance.

Put those numbers next to your self-pay rate. If you charge more privately, every insured session is a discount, and the question is whether the extra volume is worth it. Our guide to how much to charge per session helps you set the self-pay side properly first.

Self-pay vs insured patients: the real trade-offs

For a new practice, insured work can fill early gaps in the diary, especially for physiotherapy and psychology, where many employers provide cover. The cost is a lower rate, slower cash and more admin per session. Practices that do well with both usually treat insurance as one source among several rather than the business model, and keep enough self-pay work to stay in control of their prices.

How to show self-pay and insured options on your website

Most practices that take both explain one and bury the other. Set out both clearly:

• Publish self-pay prices on a fees page, so people who are not insured do not have to ask.
• List the insurers you are recognised by in plain text. Check an insurer's rules before using its logo, and never list one you are not currently recognised by.
• Explain the insured steps: contact your insurer first, get an authorisation number, check whether your policy needs a GP referral, and know that any excess is paid to us.
• Say what happens with shortfalls, if your insurer arrangements allow you to charge them.
• Keep your details consistent across your website, your Google Business Profile and insurer directories, including the name, address and phone number.

See how we approach websites for therapists and physiotherapy websites, including fees pages that answer the insurance question before anyone has to email.