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Underwriting · 6 min read

CPME explained: how Continued Personal Medical Exclusions actually work

CPME is the single most important concept when switching UK private medical insurance — and the one most people have never heard of until they sit down to switch. This guide explains exactly what it is, when it applies, and the situations to watch out for.

The one-line summary. CPME (Continued Personal Medical Exclusions) transfers your underwriting from your old insurer to the new one. Conditions covered on your current policy continue to be covered on the new one; conditions previously excluded remain excluded. You don't have to re-disclose your medical history or wait through fresh moratorium periods.
How CPME transfers your cover YOUR CURRENT POLICY Asthma — covered Knee surgery (2022) — covered Back condition — excluded Mental health — covered Cancer treatment — covered CPME Underwriting transfers across YOUR NEW POLICY Asthma — covered Knee surgery — covered Back condition — excluded Mental health — covered Cancer treatment — covered No fresh medical history form. No re-set moratorium clock. Conditions carry across exactly as they were.

What CPME actually means

"Continued Personal Medical Exclusions" is a mouthful, but the mechanism itself is straightforward. When you took out your current policy, the insurer assessed your medical history and decided which conditions to cover and which to exclude. CPME copies that assessment over to your new insurer. The new insurer doesn't re-underwrite you — they accept the existing terms.

That means:

  • Conditions covered on your current policy stay covered on the new one
  • Conditions excluded on your current policy stay excluded on the new one
  • You don't fill in a fresh medical history form
  • You don't reset moratorium clocks — periods of symptom-free time you've already built up carry forward

How CPME differs from full medical underwriting and moratorium

UK private medical insurance uses three main underwriting routes for new policies:

  • Full Medical Underwriting (FMU) — you disclose your full medical history at quote stage. The insurer specifies which conditions are covered, excluded or subject to special terms before the policy starts. Slower, but transparent.
  • Moratorium — no medical history form. Any condition you have had symptoms, treatment, medication or advice for in the last few years (usually five) is automatically excluded for a defined period (usually until you've been two years symptom-, treatment- and advice-free).
  • CPME — only available when switching from an existing PMI policy. Inherits the underwriting outcome of your current policy.

For most people switching, CPME is the simplest and fastest route. It's also the route that protects you most from accidentally losing cover for conditions you've previously had recognised.

When CPME is available

Most major UK insurers — including Bupa, Aviva, AXA Health, Vitality and others — accept new customers on CPME terms. There are some common conditions:

  • You'll usually need to have been continuously insured under your current policy for a minimum period (often 1–2 years)
  • Some insurers require recent claims history to be shared
  • Complex or recent medical history may need additional review
  • CPME is typically requested at quote stage, not after the policy starts

Our partners' advisers confirm CPME availability with the chosen insurer before any switch happens, so there's no risk of being declined after the fact.

Three situations that trip people up

1. Letting cover lapse before switching

If you cancel your old policy before the new one starts, you may lose access to CPME with the new insurer. The fix is simple: align the start date of the new policy with the end date of the old one so cover is continuous.

2. Switching mid-treatment

CPME transfers your underwriting, but continuity of care is a separate question. If you're in the middle of active treatment, switching can complicate matters. Often the right move is to complete the treatment under your current policy and switch at the next renewal.

3. Switching to a more restricted policy

CPME transfers underwriting, not benefits. If you switch to a cheaper policy with narrower benefits (for example, a more restricted hospital list or lower outpatient limit), those new limits apply even to your existing conditions. CPME doesn't make the new policy more generous than it is — it just stops the new insurer from re-excluding your conditions.

How to use CPME well

  1. Request CPME at quote stage. Not all insurers apply it automatically. Make it explicit.
  2. Check the new policy's benefit limits. Compare outpatient caps, mental health limits and hospital lists, not just headline price.
  3. Keep cover continuous. Align dates so the new policy starts the day your old one ends.
  4. Use partners who specialise. Our recommended FCA-regulated partners' advisers do this all day — they'll spot edge cases and confirm CPME before you commit.
Note on our role. This guide is general information about how CPME works in the UK market. Switch Health Insurance does not provide regulated financial advice. Specific advice on your medical history and whether CPME applies is given by our recommended FCA-regulated partners' advisers as part of the comparison.
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