More people are recognising the importance of keeping healthy. One part of keeping healthy is having check-ups, paying for preventative care, and routine maintenance of your body.
Everyday health expenses are increasing. These can include dental and optical bills and physiotherapy charges. There is a wide range of alternative treatments and complementary medicines that are becoming popular - but these are not cheap.
If you go into hospital there are a host of expenses that are not met by the NHS or private medical expenses.
What is a health cash plan?
A Health Cash Plan is a low cost health plan that pays cash sums towards the cost of a wide range of treatments. Cash sums are paid if you have to go into hospital, see a specialist, visit the dentist or optician, give birth or require alternative therapies such as homeopathy, acupuncture or physiotherapy. They are geared towards the day-to-day health expenses we all have to meet.
They encourage you to seek and receive early medical investigation and treatment. Helplines and health screening are increasingly common inclusions. Some now offer discounts at selected health clubs. Some offer more specialised benefits which may be tailored towards your particular needs such as benefits for illness at home, aftercare and home help.
Premiums are collected monthly, usually by direct debit.
A low cost health plan may also include or offer other insurance such as critical illness insurance, funeral benefits, and accidental death benefits.
Typical advantages of a cash plan
- No medical required before joining
- Can be used towards the cost of dental and optical treatment plus many other categories
- Children are usually included free of charge where one or more of the parents are covered
- Premiums do not increase with age
They are not private medical insurance
Private medical insurance pays for treatment and operations performed privately. Health cash complements NHS or private treatment by paying for everyday health treatments. Some people choose cash plans when they would not consider private medical insurance. Some have both.
Health cash plans were once just Hospital Cash Plans, but they have evolved so much into offering a wider variety of healthcare benefits that it is important to dovetail your health cash and private medical insurances.
Types of cover
There is a huge variety of low cost health plan products. Each provider has their own ideas of what to offer as a basic package and what options to provide. A range of benefit levels is usual so they can meet every pocket.
There are five main categories:
- Packages
Where you have a fixed range of cover, with limited choice. - Limited cover
Where cover is for a small number of health expenses. - Dental
Where cover is limited to dental care -sometimes also including optical care. - Plans for the over 50s
Where cover is tailored for those who are aged over 50. - Business
For small businesses and the self employed
Get a quote
You can either "Get a Quote" direct from the health insurance provider or let us submit "Your Enquiry" to up to 3 providers of health cash plans in the UK on your behalf.
When buying affordable health insurance, you may want to ask some questions. BUPA have prepared a list of key questions to ask your medical health insurance provider, when choosing your affordable health insurance scheme.