A health cash plan refers to

health insurance Health insurance or medical insurance (also known as medical aid in South Africa) is a type of insurance that covers the whole or a part of the risk of a person incurring medical expenses. As with other types of insurance, risk is shared among ma ...

products in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

and

Republic of Ireland Ireland ( ), also known as the Republic of Ireland (), is a country in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe consisting of 26 of the 32 Counties of Ireland, counties of the island of Ireland, with a population of about 5.4 million. ...

that helps people cover any everyday healthcare needs by providing cashback on a range of health benefits including dental and optical.

Overview

Health cash plans are an affordable way to manage the increasing health costs that can affect a family. Health cash plans are generally available via an employee benefits system, but can also be signed up to on an individual basis based on one's personal needs. The treatments available for cashback on health cash plans can vary depending on the provider, but generally can include

eye test An eye examination, commonly known as an eye test, is a series of tests performed to assess vision and ability to focus on and discern objects. It also includes other tests and examinations of the eyes. Eye examinations are primarily performed b ...

s, new prescription glasses, dental check-ups, and

physiotherapy Physical therapy (PT), also known as physiotherapy, is a healthcare profession, as well as the care provided by physical therapists who promote, maintain, or restore health through patient education, physical intervention, disease preventio ...

treatments.

Schemes

Most health cash plans will allow people to cover themselves, their partners and any dependent children for free and allow them to claim cash back up to their annual allowance based on the monthly amount they pay in. There are a number of schemes available depending on the

company A company, abbreviated as co., is a Legal personality, legal entity representing an association of legal people, whether Natural person, natural, Juridical person, juridical or a mixture of both, with a specific objective. Company members ...

, and the annual allowance is related to the amount paid in.

Claiming

Claiming varies between companies, but they are usually no quibble, which means clients only need a receipt from a registered practitioner and enough balance on their annual allowance.

Performance

Over half a million people in the UK in 2020 were members of a retail cash plan, with 60% of those plans being with

Simplyhealth Simplyhealth is a provider of health cash plans in the United Kingdom. The scheme is an amalgamation of a number of schemes, with the earliest dating from 1872. Members can claim back cash costs from various services from the NHS or private provi ...

. The corporate market was around three times that size.

References

External links