The Exeter Health+ Essentials Review: Pros, Cons & What's Included

At a glance: From £27/month · Basic tier · Best for: lower-cost entry to The Exeter's underwriting flexibility · Excess options: £250–£500

What is The Exeter Health+ Essentials?

Essentials is the budget entry point into The Exeter's range, retaining the insurer's core strengths — severity-based disclosure for complex medical histories and a protective no-claims discount structure — at a lower price than the full Health+ Comprehensive plan, in exchange for a reduced outpatient limit and moderate rather than full mental health cover.

Who this plan is actually for

• Budget-conscious buyers who still want The Exeter's underwriting approach for complex medical histories, even at the entry tier
• People who don't expect frequent outpatient consultations and are comfortable with a lower annual limit
• Anyone comparing entry-tier policies across insurers who values a protective no-claims discount structure over the absolute lowest headline price

Pros

• Retains The Exeter's severity-based disclosure approach, which can be more accommodating for buyers with a more complex medical history than a flat exclusion list
• Full cancer cover maintained even at the entry tier — this isn't reduced to diagnosis-only or capped the way some other insurers' budget plans handle cancer cover
• One of the more affordable ways into a specialist insurer's range with a track record of strong independent ratings on affordability and underwriting transparency
• The protective no-claims discount structure carries through from the Comprehensive tier, so smaller claims may not hit your renewal price as hard as with some competitors

Cons

• Outpatient cover is capped at £500/year, a meaningful reduction from the Comprehensive tier's £1,000 plus included scans
• Mental health cover is described as moderate, not full, at this tier — if ongoing support matters, the Comprehensive tier is the better comparison
• Therapies and dental/optical are not included, consistent with the budget positioning
• Fewer excess options (£250 or £500 only) than the Comprehensive tier's wider range

What's included as standard

Benefit	Coverage
Cancer cover	Full
Mental health	Moderate
Outpatient cover	£500/year
Therapies (physio etc.)	Not included
Dental & optical	Not included
No-claims discount	Available — protective structure carried through from Comprehensive tier
Excess options	£250, £500

What it costs

Indicative pricing starts from around £27/month, a meaningful saving versus the Health+ Comprehensive tier. The trade-off is mainly around outpatient access — if you're confident you won't exceed £500/year in outpatient costs, this tier delivers The Exeter's underwriting approach at a genuinely lower price.

How it compares

This sits below Health+ Comprehensive in The Exeter's own range — see that full review for the fuller-cover alternative, particularly if included diagnostic scans matter to you.

Should you choose this plan?

This plan suits you if you want The Exeter's underwriting flexibility and protective no-claims discount at the lowest possible entry price, and you don't expect to need extensive outpatient access. If diagnostics or ongoing mental health support are priorities, it's worth comparing the cost difference against the Comprehensive tier directly.

A whole-of-market broker can see this plan alongside every other option on the table, including ones that might suit you better once your full circumstances are taken into account — which is why speaking to one before you buy is usually worth the five minutes it takes.

Speak to an adviser

Prefer to go direct? Get a quote from The Exeter's own site →

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Prices and features in this review are indicative and based on publicly available product information. Your actual premium will depend on your age, postcode, medical history and chosen cover options. This article is for general information only and is not financial or insurance advice — always confirm current terms with The Exeter or a regulated broker before purchasing.