WPA rolls out online platform to help members find specialists

WPA has launched a new online tool designed to make it easier for its health insurance customers to find private healthcare consultants. 

The new facility, called Healthcare Finder, is powered by the third-party reviews platform Doctify and will allow policyholders to search for and compare medical specialists near them, read patient feedback, and, in many cases, check their availability and book an appointment. 

Live bookings will be possible for consultants based with Spire and Ramsay hospitals, with Nuffield and Circle to be added shortly. WPA plans to add Cleveland and HCA hospitals in Q2 2025. 

Helping to navigate consultant choice

WPA said that its new platform is aimed at helping patients navigate a process that can often be confusing, particularly when trying to compare consultants or understand the costs. 

Members can search by symptom, condition, speciality or hospital to find the consultants that practice near them. The tool includes profiles for WPA-registered consultants that list their areas of expertise, the treatments they offer and reviews from other patients, so individuals can decide which specialist is right for them. According to WPA, 99% of the specialists registered with them have profiles, which the consultants maintain.

Healthcare Finder will initially only enable customers to find specialists, but in time, WPA said it hopes to be able to add therapists to the platform.

Greater price transparency

One feature of the platform is its focus on price transparency, so members can find a specialist within WPA’s fee schedule. WPA highlights which consultants have agreed to adhere to its “Customary and Reasonable” fee limits, an internal pricing framework the insurer uses to cap the amount it will pay towards certain procedures.

Consultants who meet these criteria will be marked as “Fee Agreed” on the platform.

Kathryn Vellacott, Business Development Manager at WPA, said: “Where customers choose a specialist that charges above our reimbursement rates, we ask that specialists make sure that their patient is aware before they commence treatment.”

Healthcare Finder also indicates whether a consultant works at a “Premium Hospital,” an additional benefit that some policyholders looking for the widest choice of treatment may have selected.

Chris Steele, founder and editor of myTribe Insurance Experts, said:

“The freedom to choose a consultant is a great benefit for health insurance customers, but individuals often don’t know who they want to see. Tools like this can better guide health insurance customers so that they feel more empowered when choosing a specialist.”

Streamlining the claims process

In a further change, WPA has also streamlined its claims process. Its members will no longer need to name their healthcare provider when seeking initial approval for treatment. Instead, health insurance policyholders can use Healthcare Finder to select a consultant when their claim is authorised or at a later date, a move which WPA believes should make the process quicker and more flexible. 

The new tool is accessible to customers when they claim via WPA’s website, mobile app or by phone. If members use the online booking system, their choice of provider is automatically linked to their claim.

Further reading: WPA Health insurance review (2025)

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