Bupa launches new patient cash plan

Bupa is the first health insurer to create a patient cash plan as an alternative to health insurance . The plan, which is available for any sized company, provides a range of the typical benefits from health insurance but in the form of a cheaper cash plan for patients.

There will be three separate levels of cover available for a fixed yearly charge, up to GBP400 per year for day-patient surgery in a hospital, up to GBP600 per year for consultations and up to GBP£2,000 per year for in-patient stays in a hospital. The plan will also provide cover of up to GBP600 per year for physiotherapy, osteopathy or homoeopathy .

The charge for the plan will depend on the number of staff covered, with a starting level of GBP93.50 for each employee per year for those companies that have over 250 employees.

All levels of cover provided by Bupa will include 24-hour access to their nurse helpline, which offers information and guidance on all the main healthcare issues.

The plan has no upper age limit, and can be a company funded, voluntary or flexible benefit, with no necessity for employees that are company funded to declare any pre-existing conditions or be underwritten.