subject: Taking care of everyday family health costs with a cash plan [print this page] Taking care of everyday family health costs with a cash plan
If you live in the UK, everyday health costs could account for a large chunk of your annual expenditure. These costs could include trips to the dentist, the optician, prescription charges and other therapies that are not covered by the NHS. However, a health cash plan could be the ideal solution for individuals and families. A cash plan is different from a health insurance policy in that it covers everyday health costs rather than private hospital treatments, and may be a financially sensible option for people that feel they are spending too much on their family's basic healthcare.
A basic health cash plan will cover optical and dental costs. Depending on your level of cover, you could recoup costs of up to 150 per year - a significant amount if you have recurring minor dental problems or you wear glasses. Cash plans may also cover prescription charges up to a specified annual amount. This benefit is particularly valuable to people that live in England and Scotland where, unlike in Wales and Northern Ireland, free prescriptions are not available to all.
In addition to these basic health costs, health cash plans may also provide cover for treatments like chiropody, physiotherapy, osteopathy, acupuncture and chiropractic consultations. While not usually essential for everyday health, the knowledge that these therapies are covered should they be needed is a popular reason for taking out a cash plan. The most comprehensive cash plans will also cover the cost of a health assessment, either annually or every two or three years, and being able to undergo this kind of basic check-up could play a vital role in detecting hidden problems like high blood pressure or cholesterol.
Most health insurance companies allow couples to enjoy cover on the same cash plan at a slightly higher premium. However, if you're part of a large and busy family, what is a cash plan going to mean to you? Luckily, most comprehensive cash plans will allow children that are under 18 and living at home to be included in a policy, though there may be a limit on the number of children that can be covered. Some will permit the inclusion of children aged under 21 if they are in full-time education and still resident at the same address as the policyholder, and others may cover a partner's dependent children that are not also the children of the policyholder as long as they are a UK resident.
Applying for a cash plan is generally simpler than making an application for a health insurance policy. You will need to be aged 16 or over and be a UK resident, and you usually won't need to take a medical test before approval.
The author of this article is a part of a digital blogging team who work with brands like Bupa Insurance. The content contained in this article is for information purposes only and should not be used to make any financial decisions.
