
Optical, Dental & Physio Cover
Plus other treatments – the top healthcare cash plans
You can get cheap dental, optical or physio treatment with a healthcare cash plan, possibly saving £100s, and some can pay out more than you pay in. We explain how they work and how to find the best schemes.
Who's this guide for? Anyone looking for a healthcare cash plan, where you just want to claim back optical, dental or physio costs.
Alternatively, if you are looking for private medical treatment in comfort and at a time and place that suits them, see our Private Medical Insurance guide.

What are healthcare cash plans?
Healthcare cash plans are insurance policies that instead of covering you for unforeseen events like most other types of insurance, help you pay for the cost of routine healthcare such as going to the dentist, opticians or the physio.
They're totally different to private medical insurance and can be a cheap way of paying for everyday healthcare costs.
You pay a monthly premium, depending on how much cover you want, and when you receive treatment, you pay upfront and the insurer reimburses you.
Your eight healthcare cash plan need-to-knows
Many people don’t understand how they work so here are eight need-to-knows to help you decide if it is for you and where to find the best cover at an affordable rate.
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It's all about the maths. Work out how much you'll pay in and what you'll get back
It's important to make sure you're getting the maximum cash payout from your plan. For example, let's take a plan that costs £240/year that includes £300 for optical costs and £300 for dental:
- If you've maxed out both you'd be paid £600. Take away what you've paid and you're £360 up at the end of the year.
- However, if you don't use the optical part and only £50 of dental you'd only get £50 from the plan and be £190 out of pocket factoring in the plan cost
Therefore, always check what you're likely to use compared to how much you'll be paying each month. Our best buys below have full details.
- If you've maxed out both you'd be paid £600. Take away what you've paid and you're £360 up at the end of the year.
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You may already be covered by your employer, so check first
Cash plans are a popular staff perk so check whether your employer provides the cover for free, or for a small amount each month.
If your employer does pay, you'll pay the tax on it as it's a perk known as a 'benefit in kind'. So, if it costs £20 per month, and you're on a 20% tax rate, that's £4 per month, deducted from your wages, you'll have to pay for. Still a much cheaper option than paying the full amount yourself.
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Different plans cover different things, so pick the right one for your needs
There are lots of different plans available so it's important to pick one that's right for you. If you have perfect vision, you're not going to need a huge allowance for optical cover and similarly if your teeth are pearly white you probably won't need a policy with a big dental allowance.
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Only buy one if you’ll claim each time – otherwise they're a waste of money
Just because people can claim for the cost of healthcare through a cash plan, doesn't mean they do. Many people forget to send in their claim forms, so there's no payout at all.
Cash plan providers rely on apathetic customers with direct debits dripping from their bank accounts to keep the coffers healthy. So this is OUR CLARION CALL...
Cash plans are only great value if you'll make claims. If you won't, it's like throwing money down the drain.
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Self-insuring means you'll still have the cash if you don't claim
If you're young and healthy (eg, 20:20 vision and not a single filling), self-insuring may be a better option. Instead of paying, say, £300 a year for a cash plan, pay £25 a month into a high-interest savings account or into an interest-paying current account.
Should you need any minor treatment or consultations, simply dip into your own insurance fund. If you don't touch it you'll get to keep your 'premiums' with the interest on top.
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You could get free cover for your kids and partner but check limits
You can cover an individual or two adults on a policy and most policies then let you add children at no extra cost, which effectively makes it a family plan. The level of benefits for the children on the policy either get their own allowance per child, have a shared allowance between children or share the adult allowance.
For example, each child may get £100 towards dental costs per year, all children on the policy may have a shared allowance of £300 for dental – or each parent has a limit of £500 per year for dental which the children can also use.
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You could even claim for tooth whitening, pedicures or massages
Along with optical, dental and physio there may be complementary treatments included in your cash plan. This could be anything from an aromatherapy massage for stress, cosmetic tooth whitening or a medical pedicure.
For example, if you choose a level one plan with Health Shield for £11.95 per month you'd get £65 per year towards 'health and wellbeing', which includes an aromatherapy massage or even allergy testing. You'd also get £125 towards 'physiotherapy, chiropractic, osteopathy, acupuncture and homoeopathy'.
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Make a note of the policy end date so you don't miss out claiming
When you sign up to a cash plan you'll be given an allowance of money per policy year to claim back to pay for your routine healthcare costs. This is a 'use it or lose it' policy so at the end you won't be able to access it anymore.
If it ends in June, for example, check your existing cash allowance in April and if you've still got money to claim, book an appointment and claim back the cash.
Best buys: The top cash plan policies

Cash plans have different prices, cover and limits, so they're a nightmare to compare. To help we've based our best buys on a variety of scenarios.
We've analysed policies and worked out our best by those which pay back the most compared to how much they cost. To pick the top we've divided the total amount you can claim per year with how much you'll pay out per year and given it a score. For example, a policy that pays out £300 and costs £100 a year would score a three.
TOP CHEAPEST POLICIES | ||||
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Company | Plan name | Cost | Annual payout | No-claim period |
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Green | £8.06/mth | £690 (1) | 13 weeks |
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Red | £4.63/mth | £360 (1) | 13 weeks |
![]() BHSF |
Core plan (age 18-34) | £7.53/mth | £390 (2) | 13 weeks |
Note: Claim amount: at least £50 towards each of dental, optical and physio treatment. The price level is up to £10 a month per adult. Correct as of April 2018. (1) It pays out 100% optical and 50% dental/physio. of each claim. (2) It pays out 100% dental, 75% optical and 50% physio. of each claim. |
The best value policies
These policies are a step up from our basic top picks. As you're getting a better level of cover, the price is more and as always, the aim is to find a policy with a range of cover and a good payout rate. The policies listed as best value meet a minimum criteria of; £125 for dental, £125 for optical and £200 for physio. If you go for a cheaper policy, like those above, you won't be able to get the same level of cover.
Best value policies for individuals - from £15/mth
TOP VALUE POLICIES FOR AN INDIVIDUAL | ||||
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Company | Plan name | Cost | Annual payout | No-claim period |
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Bonus plan (age 18-34) | £14.78/mth | £760 (1) | 13 weeks |
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Bonus plan (age 35-44) | £16.97/mth | £760 (1) | 13 weeks |
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Level 3 | £16.38/mth | £645 (2) | 0 weeks |
Note: Claim amount: at least £125 towards each of dental, £125 for optical and £200 for physio treatment. The price level is up to £20 a month per adult. Correct as of April 2018. (1) It pays out 100% optical and 50% dental/physio. of each claim. (2) It pays out 50% for dental, optical and physio. of each claim. |
Best value family policies from £27/mth
As each provider has a range of tariffs, for a family (two adults and two kids) a policy of up to £40 was used and unless stated the upper age limit is 65. With all policies, always remember to check the cover levels suit your needs before buying.
As you're covering two adults and two children the price for these plans is higher along with the amount you could be paid back. The aim is still to find a policy with a range of cover and a good payout rate.
TOP VALUE FAMILY POLICIES | ||||
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Company | Plan name | Cost | Annual payout (entire family) | No-claim period |
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Level 3 | £32.76/mth | £2,580 (1) | 0 weeks |
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Bonus plan (age 18-34) | £27.18/mth | £1,520 (2) | 13 weeks |
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Bonus plan (age 35-44) | £31.22/mth | £1,520 (2) | 13 weeks |
Note: Claim amount: at least £125 towards each of dental, £125 for optical and £200 for physio treatment. The price level was up to £40 a month per plan. Correct as of April 2018. (1) It pays out 50% for dental, optical and physio. of each claim. (2) It pays out 100% optical and 50% dental/physio. of each claim. |
TOP POLICIES FOR OVER-65S | ||||
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Company | Plan name | Cost | Annual payout | No-claim period |
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PL19 (max age 69) | £19/mth | £800 (1) | 3 months |
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PL15 (max age 69) | £15/mth | £630 (1) |
3 months |
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Level 3 (max age 75) | £16.38/mth | £645 (2) | 0 weeks |
Another option is BHSF (if aged 75+) | Bonus plan (up to age 99) | £27.27/mth | £760 (3) | 13 weeks |
Note: Claim amount: at least £125 towards each of dental, £125 for optical and £200 for physio treatment. Correct as of April 2018. (1) Max pay out over a two-year period. (2) It pays out 50% for dental, optical and physio. of each claim. (3) It pays out 100% optical and 50% dental/physio. of each claim. |
Healthcare cashplans FAQ
How to complain about your insurance provider
The insurance industry doesn't have the best customer-service reputation and while a provider may be good for some, it can be hell for others. Common problems include claims either not being paid out on time or at all, unfair charges, or exclusions being hidden in small print. It's always worth trying to call your provider first, but, if not, then…
Free tool to help you complain
This tool helps you draft and manage your complaint. It's totally free to use, and it's offered by Resolver, a firm we work with to help people get complaints justice.
RESOLVER – FREE COMPLAINTS TOOL*
If the company won't help, Resolver also helps you escalate your complaint to the free Financial Ombudsman Service.

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