The definitive guide to health cash plans
Everything you need to know

Health cash plan provider comparison

There are several different UK healthcare cash plan providers. To compare plans you must review each one carefully as the amounts they pay out will differ.

Unlike other health schemes, the reason you don’t find cash plans on most comparison sites is because they’re difficult to compare accurately. There are often small differences in things like the period over which your limit is set, what you can claim for and the period before you can claim. 

Take particular care over reimbursement amounts and benefit periods. Whilst some plans may look attractive, they may only pay back 50% of each claim or increase the length of time until your benefit allowance resets. Whichever health cash plan provider you choose, make sure you’re clear on these differences.

Ultimately, you need to decide which cash plan best suits your needs, and gives you the most value for money. 

What health and wellbeing services are included?

What is the right health plan cover level for me?

The right level of cover is the one you can afford to pay for each month, and where you can save the most money. For example, if you wear glasses you may want to opt for a higher level of cover that has a higher optical allowance. If you don’t wear glasses this will not be as important to you.

To find out the optimum cover level on our Good4you plan you can use the savings calculator.

Health cash plans vs. private medical insurance

A healthcare cash plan lets you claim back everyday healthcare costs and includes access to valuable health and wellbeing services. Most cash plans do not take age or lifestyle into account and do not require a medical.

Private Medical Insurance is a different type of private healthcare plan. It gives you quick access to private treatment, mainly for acute conditions. It allows you to ‘jump’ the queue and bypass NHS waiting times. The price does tend to vary according to your age and lifestyle e.g. whether you smoke or not. You don’t have to choose between the policies - you can have PMI and a health cash plan at the same time.

If this sounds more suitable, you can read more information on our Private Health Insurance plan. It’s similar to PMI but to keep premiums down it doesn’t take your lifestyle into account and doesn’t cover cancer or heart conditions.

How long before I can claim on a cash plan?

This will vary by provider. The waiting period will often be 26 weeks/6 months but can be longer for some benefits, such as paternity/maternity/adoption.

For our Good4you health cash plan we are currently offering immediate cover, so you can claim as soon as your cover starts. This excludes paternity/maternity/adoption where a 10 month qualifying period applies.

The period before you can claim can also be referred to as the no-claims period, qualifying period or waiting period. 

Are pre-existing conditions covered by a healthcare plan?

In general, most cash plans won’t cover pre-existing conditions, but some corporate plans - those offered to employees by their company - may do so.

This shouldn’t put you off getting cover though. You’ll be covered for everything else, you just won’t be able to claim for that specific issue.

How much does a cash plan cost?

The price of cash plan can vary greatly between providers and depends on the amount of benefits included and the amount of money available to claim back.

What will corporate cash health plans cover?

A corporate cash plan will cover much the same as one that’s available directly to consumers - you can find these above.

Some providers will allow you to customise cash plans to cover the things you think will be most valued by your employees.

How does a cash plan form part of a health and wellbeing strategy?

From improving the engagement and productivity of employees when they’re at work, to reducing the number of days and money lost to absence, employee health and wellbeing programmes deliver tangible benefits and a return on investment.

A health cash plan enables staff to take a proactive approach to their healthcare needs, helping to keep them happy and productive. It works well as part of a strategy that also includes solutions designed to evalute the needs of your business and its employees, and others to educate them on the reasons why they should make positive changes.

For more information on workplace health and wellbeing solutions you can get in touch and talk to one of our consultants.