The main aim of a Health Cash Plan is to keep you as healthy and happy as possible by ensuring it’s easier and more cost-effective to access timely and expert care from a professional.
Whether it’s your physical, mental, emotional, or financial wellbeing, Health Cash Plans help to open up a wide range of both reactive and proactive professional services to help you take care of your holistic health and wellbeing.
There are a wide range of plans and schemes available, and these will vary across the board in terms of cover, cashback amounts available, and of course, cost. At Paycare, for example, we have plans designed for individuals and two types of Corporate Plan, depending on whether they’re being paid by the employer or the team member.
While the exact details of your plan will differ, the basic premise remains the same: you (or your employer) will pay a small amount each month and in return, you’ll receive access to a variety of support services as well as the ability to claim back the cost of certain medical and wellbeing treatments. This cover usually includes optical and dental allowances, plus a wide range of other services including acupuncture, chiropody and physiotherapy.
At Paycare, we understand you’ll want to shop around before deciding if our Health Cash Plans are the best for you – but, because we genuinely want you to access a Plan which is going to boost your health and happiness, here are some questions you might want to consider during that process:
- What can you access as part of your Health Cash Plan? The maximum value you can claim back on specific benefits and how quickly you can start claiming should be made absolutely clear before you sign up to a Policy – as should any limitations on how many times you can access additional wellbeing services such as GP access and counselling. On top of all the day-to-day health cover we provide such as optical and dental, Paycare includes a dedicated Employee Assistance Programme (EAP), GP App which is accessible worldwide 24/7, plus our very own Paycare Perks platform which provides discounted rates and offers on everyday purchases such as gym memberships and cinema tickets. These alone can almost cover the cost of a plan, so it’s worthwhile seeing what (if any) added-value benefits are included in yours.
- What is the Health Cash Plan claims process? We were proudly one of the first providers to digitalise our claims process, meaning Policyholders can submit their claims via their mobiles and laptops (although we’re still more than happy to receive your claim by post if you’d prefer). It means that no matter where you are or what you’re doing, you have access to everything all in one place – to make a claim, check your previous or pending claims, access all of your wellbeing services and Paycare Perks, or find out all about the work we do within our communities. Overly complex or long-winded claims processes aren’t ideal, so it’s worth checking you know how easy claiming will be once you sign up.
- How long does a Health Cash Plan claim take? Just like the process of making a claim should be straight-forward and quick, you also don’t want to be waiting a long time for the cashback to get to you. In 2023, 90% of successful claims made were paid in just 48 hours – something we’re hugely proud of. So, it’s worth asking for the HCP provider’s average or target turnaround time to ensure you’re not caught out with lengthy pay-outs.
- How can you contact your Health Cash Plan provider? If you’ve got a question about your plan, your claim, or anything else, you want to know there’s an easy way to reach out to the provider. We have an amazing team of humans at Paycare who LOVE to speak to people and who will go above and beyond to help. There are no lengthy queues on the phone, and absolutely no limit to how long you can chat with us so you’ll never feel rushed off. Plus, of course, our staff turnover is extremely low, so it won’t be long before the people you speak to become familiar voices.
- Are their policies and documentation clear and easy to understand? It’s important to understand what you can claim for, and ensure you gain fair value from your plan. Making sure your provider speaks (including all and any documentation) in simple terms and that’s easy to understand is vital, particularly with an insurance product. At Paycare we’re hugely proud to have received a ‘Clear and Simple Mark’ from Fairer Finance, an independent ratings agency which works to help people make better financial decisions and ensure you receive optimum value from your insurance products. The accreditation recognises excellence in transparency and communication, and is awarded to organisations’ documents and websites that are written in simple language and which are clearly designed.
- How do they look after your community? Did you know that most Health Cash Plan providers are not-for-profit, so you are also doing your bit to make a positive impact further afield, too? But, before you commit, it’s important to consider how they specifically help the community, and whether it resonates with you personally. As we celebrate our 150th year in business in 2024, we’re proud to reflect on some of the support we’ve provided to individuals, families, and employees over this time, helping millions of people claim back cash on everything from optical and dental appointments to physiotherapy, diagnostic tests, and wellbeing treatments.
Just this year alone we’ve won the 2024 Small Business Award for Most Positive Impact / CSR and have been recently selected as a finalist in the Community and Best Business Leader categories at the Great British Business Awards.
Alongside supporting our Policyholders, we’ve also raised in excess of £2.5million which has been distributed to good causes and charities across the region and beyond – supporting everything from grassroots sports clubs to accessible entertainment, arts projects and food banks, domestic abuse charities and talented students.
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This blog is one of a series of Your Questions Answered post which are designed to support you in choosing the right Health Cash Plan for you, and making the most of your Policy once you’re signed up. If there are any questions you’d like to see answered on the blog, do reach out to us on social media or via the contact form on the website and we’ll do our very best to ensure we include them!