Health cash plans offer you money back on your everyday healthcare costs such as dental check-ups, eye tests, and physiotherapy. You can claim back different amounts depending on the level of cover within your cash plan.
A health cash plan is a type of health insurance that covers the cost of everyday healthcare treatments, such as dentist fees, glasses, and much more. Some health cash plans, including Medicash, also include digital health tools such as virtual GPs, health trackers, and mental health support.
Anyone can have a health cash plan, with different health plans available depending on how you pay. Medicash offer two main types of plan; individual health cash plans, for individuals and their family members, and corporate health cash plans. A corporate health cash plan is arranged by your employer and can be paid for either by them directly as an employee benefit or access exclusive rates available to you as part of a salary sacrifice scheme.
A health cash plan works like most types of health insurance. You (or your employer) pay a monthly fee and claim back the money that you spend on everyday healthcare treatments, up to your annual allowance.
A health cash plan, while a type of health insurance, is very different from private medical insurance (PMI). Your health cash plan provides cashback on everyday healthcare costs such as your dentist appointments, osteopathy, or contact lenses. When you claim on your health cash plan, you’ll receive your cashback directly – provided it’s within your annual allowance – after you’ve paid for your treatment.
Private medical insurance (PMI) typically covers the cost of more serious medical conditions and procedures such as private diagnoses, surgery, or specialist care. Your PMI provider will usually pay for these treatments directly, instead of reimbursing your cost. As such, premiums for PMI are typically much higher than premiums for health cash plans.
| Health Cash Plan | Private Medical Insurance | |
|---|---|---|
| Focus | Everyday healthcare costs | Major medical treatment |
| Payment method | Claim cashback | Covers cost direct |
| Cost | Low monthly premiums | Higher premiums |
| Preventative care | Yes | Sometimes |
There are many benefits to taking out a health cash plan – not least on your wallet! It’s estimated that people in the UK spend over £900 on their healthcare every year (ONS, 2024), which can easily be reduced with a health cash plan.
Your health cash plan allows more control over your spending by claiming cashback on your everyday healthcare bills.
By covering the cost of routine treatments, your health plan can support a proactive and preventative approach to health. Many health cash plans, such as those offered by Medicash, also include digital tools that can support preventative care by improving access to many forms of treatment.
Whether you’re an employer looking for a corporate health cash plan as a solution for your workplace wellbeing, or are looking for a better way to support your family’s everyday health, health cash plans offer an affordable and flexible way to manage everyday wellbeing.
With health plans available from just £4.65 per employee per month* for corporate health cash plans, or £7.20 per month for individuals, a health cash plan provides the security that your health is covered exactly when you need it.
*Pricing shown is based on businesses with 100+ employees. For companies with fewer than 100 staff, plans start from £5.00 per person, per month for 25–99 employees, and £5.75 for 10–24 employees.
Yes, you may be able to use your health cash plan to cover the costs of paid NHS treatments such as dentist fees or prescriptions, provided your plan covers these. You can see what’s included on our individual plans here, or browse our employee health cash plans here.
No, you don’t need to have private medical insurance – you can still get a health cash plan without it. Some plans also cover your PMI excess, which can offer better value to people with PMI.
You can claim on your Medicash health plan by using our free My Medicash app, or by visiting the Make a Claim page on our website.
Most benefits on a health cash plan can be used for pre-existing conditions, such as covering eye tests when you already wear glasses. However, some benefits within your health plan may exclude pre-existing conditions, such as hospital stay cover – you can find out more by contacting our team directly.
Yes, many employers across the country now offer an employee health cash plan as a workplace health benefit. If yours hasn’t yet joined the thousands of companies nationwide offering Medicash to their team, ask your HR department to get in touch with us.
No – much like with a health cash plan vs private health insurance, capitation schemes are quite different from your cash plan. With schemes such as Denplan you will pay a fixed monthly rate for your dental care, arranged directly with your dentist. With a health cash plan, you pay for your treatment upfront and claim back your costs via your health cash plan provider. Some of our plans, however, allow you to use some of your dental benefit to pay off dental schemes – simply check your Terms & Conditions or get in touch to find out more.
