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Our health cash plans and health insurance

What's the difference between a Bupa health cash plan and health insurance? Hide

Bupa Health Cash Back and Bupa Additional Health provide cash payments to help with everyday health care costs such as optical and dental fees. Whereas, health insurance covers the cost, or pays towards, the cost of eligible private medical treatment.

Bupa Patient Cash offers some of the benefits usually associated with medical insurance (for example, the Consultation benefit) in the form of a low-cost cash plan. It has been designed to help people get prompt diagnosis and treatment for symptoms of illness.

I already have Bupa health insurance. Is it worth me having a Bupa health cash plan as well? Hide

Bupa health cash plans are designed to supplement health insurance by providing cash back towards a variety of everyday health care costs that might not be covered under traditional health insurance schemes. If you’re looking to increase what you are entitled to claim, Bupa Additional Health can complement an existing private health insurance scheme.

A Bupa Patient Cash scheme offers some of the usual benefits associated with medical insurance in the form of a low-cost cash plan. It has been designed to help you get prompt diagnosis and access to certain treatments so you would not need to have both products.

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Our health cash plan schemes

Who can apply for membership? Hide

You can apply for membership of the Bupa Additional Health scheme if you are aged 16 or over and are a UK resident. You can also apply to include your partner and your children if they are under 18, or 21 if in full-time education, unmarried, not in a civil partnership and resident at the same address.

You can apply for Bupa Health Cash Back membership if you’re aged between 16 and 69 inclusive and a UK resident. You can include your partner and a maximum of three dependant children if they are under 18, unmarried and not in a civil partnership. Any children and partner covered must live with you at your address.

You can apply for membership of Bupa Patient Cash if you’re aged between 16 and 79 inclusive and a UK resident. You can apply and pay for membership of Bupa Patient Cash for your children if they are aged over one and a UK resident.

Will I need to have a medical? Hide

No you will not require a medical to take out a health cash plan.

However, there are certain criteria that must be met in order to join which are listed in the question ‘Who can apply for membership?'

How many children can be covered on each scheme? Hide

On the Bupa Additional Health scheme there are no restrictions on the number of children you can add to each scheme.

On the Bupa Health Cash Back scheme, you can add up to a maximum of three of your or your partner’s dependant children.

On the Bupa Patient Cash scheme you can apply and pay for any number of your or your partner’s dependant children, each member will have their own membership.
 

Can I cover my teenage children, even though they've left school? Hide

On our Bupa Additional Health scheme you can also apply to include your children if they are under 18, or 21 if in full-time education, unmarried, not in a civil partnership, and resident at the same address.

On our Bupa Health Cash Back scheme, you can cover a maximum of three children up to the age of 18 who live with you at your address, are unmarried and not in a civil partnership.

On our Bupa Patient Cash scheme you can apply and pay for any number of your or your partner’s dependant children as long as they are a UK resident. They do not have to live at the same address as you or be in full time education.

Do I have to sign up for a minimum length of time? Hide

No. You can cancel your membership for any reason within 21 days of receiving your membership letter, and as long as you haven’t made a claim we’ll refund any unused subscription for that year.

You can end your membership or the membership of any of your dependants at any time by providing us with 30 days’ prior written notice to: Member Services Manager, Bupa health cash plans, Dale Buildings, Cook Street, Coventry, CV1 1JH.

Is my personal information secure? Hide

If you apply online for our Bupa Health Cash Back scheme then your personal information is secure on our website. We do not pass your personal information details onto any other third party.

The confidentiality of member information is of paramount concern to the companies in the Bupa Group. To this end, we fully comply with Data Protection Legislation and Medical Confidentiality Guidelines. Bupa sometimes uses third parties to process data on its behalf. Such processing, which may be outside of the EEA, is subject to contractual restrictions with regard to confidentiality and security in addition to the obligations imposed by the Data Protection Act.

You can view our legal notices here. 
 

What happens when I have completed my Bupa Health Cash Back online application? Hide

We will then process your application, and if you are accepted, we'll post you a pack containing:

• your welcome letter
• details of how to make a claim
• where to find your Membership guide and policy summary
• a claim form

We aim to respond to your application by post within seven working days. If you don't hear from us, please call us on 0845 606 6003.

How easy is it to join? Hide

It’s simple to join our Bupa Health Cash Back scheme. You can simply apply online in a few easy steps. Apply online here.

To join our other schemes you can download the Bupa Patient Cash application form (pdf, 247Kb) or the Bupa Additional Health application form (pdf, 101Kb) and return it to us at Bupa health cash plan, Dale Buildings, Cook Street, Coventry CV1 1JH Or call us on 0500 000 125 quoting ref 3948.

How can I pay? Hide

For our Bupa Health Cash Back scheme we accept Direct Debit monthly payments. You will be asked to provide your direct debit details as part of your online application. If you're not the account holder, or more than one person is required to authorise debits from the account, we can't complete your application online. Please call us on 0500 000 125.

For our Bupa Additional Health and Bupa Patient Cash schemes we accept monthly or annually Direct Debit payments. Please fill in a Bupa Additional Health application form (pdf, 101Kb) or a Bupa Patient Cash application form (pdf, 247Kb), including your direct debit details and send this back to us.

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Questions about our benefits and cover

Are pre-existing conditions covered? Hide

Pre-existing conditions are covered for all Bupa Additional Health and Bupa Health Cash Back benefits. For more information, please call 0500 000 125 and speak to one of our advisers.

Pre-existing conditions are not covered for any benefits on our Bupa Patient Cash scheme for the first 12 months of your membership. For more information, please call 0500 000 125 and speak to one of our advisers.

Can I claim for the full cost of my treatments and services? Hide

We will pay benefits up to the maximum benefit allowance for your chosen level of cover. You can only claim benefits for treatments and services that you or your dependants have received.

For details of the different levels of cover and the refund percentages, please refer to the Bupa Health Cash Back Membership Guide (pdf, 286 Kb), Bupa Additional Health Membership Guide (pdf, 241Kb) or the Bupa Patient Cash Membership Guide (pdf, 204kb).

Am I covered for NHS and private hospital stays? Hide

The Bupa Health Cash Back scheme will not cover you for in-patient hospital stays in either NHS or private hospitals. However, we will refund 75 percent, up to benefit limits, on private consultations or diagnostic scans. Terms and conditions apply so please refer to the Bupa Health Cash Back Membership Guide (pdf, 286 Kb).

The Bupa Patient Cash scheme offers a cash benefit within a set amount for each night in hospital ((up to a total of 20 nights and up to the maximum as set out for your membership level), regardless of whether you choose to stay in an NHS or private hospital. Terms and conditions apply so please refer to the Bupa Patient Cash Membership Guide (pdf, 204Kb).

 

What can I claim for on the optical benefit? Hide

We will refund 100 percent, up to benefit limits on Bupa Additional Health levels 2 and 3, of the money you spend on routine sight tests, prescription glasses and contact lenses, up to the maximum benefit amount for your chosen level of cover. For details of the different levels of cover and the refund percentages, please refer to the Bupa Additional Health Membership Guide (pdf, 241Kb).

We will refund 100 percent, up to benefit limits, on Bupa Health Cash Back of the money you spend on routine sight tests, prescription glasses and contact lenses, up to the maximum benefit amount for your chosen level of cover. For details of the different levels of cover and the refund percentages, please refer to the Bupa Health Cash Back membership guide (pdf, 123Kb).

What can I claim for on the dental benefit? Hide

We will refund 100 percent, up to benefit limits on Bupa Additional Health levels 2 and 3, of the money you spend on dental services provided and treatment up to the maximum benefit amount for your chosen level of cover. For details of the different levels of cover and the refund percentages, please refer to the Additional Health Membership Guide (pdf, 241Kb).

We will refund 100 percent, up to benefit limits on Bupa Health Cash Back of the money you spend on dental services provided and treatment up to the maximum benefit amount for your chosen level of cover. For details of the different levels of cover and the refund percentages, please refer to the Bupa Health Cash Back membership guide (pdf, 123Kb).

How do I make a claim? Hide

To make a claim you must use the claim form we provide. If you don’t have a claim form, please call us on 0845 602 1092. To help reduce the time it takes to reimburse you, send us your fully completed claims form and original receipt(s) as soon as possible following treatment. Your claim needs to be submitted to us within 90 days of treatment unless it is not reasonably possible to do so.

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Got an existing health cash plan with a different provider?

How do I switch to Bupa from my existing cash plan provider? Hide

Moving from your existing cash plan scheme to Bupa Additional Health or Bupa Patient Cash couldn’t be more straightforward. Call 0500 000 125, quoting 3948 and one of our advisers will be happy to answer any of your questions.

If you apply for our Bupa Health Cash Back scheme our full terms and conditions, benefit limits and qualifying periods apply for all new members. You can only apply to join this scheme online.

What happens if I'm already receiving hospital treatment for a pre-existing condition? Hide

If you’ve already claimed for hospital benefits relating to a pre-existing condition on a different cash plan scheme, you would be able to continue to claim on our Bupa Patient Cash scheme after the qualifying period for pre-existing conditions which is 12 months. For more information, please call 0500 000 125 and speak to one of our advisers.

Can I claim for all benefits straight away if I transfer from my current provider? Hide

There is no waiting period for our Bupa Additional Health scheme if you’re transferring from another health cash plan and have completed the qualifying period with that provider. You’ll just need to provide proof of your current health cash plan membership.

If you apply for our Bupa Health Cash Back or Bupa Patient Cash schemes our full terms and conditions, benefit limits and qualifying periods apply for all new members.
 

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