Health Shield or health cash plans generally

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anyone got one? I suspect this is the wrong topic but wasn't sure where to put it!

These workplace thingys where you pay in monthly, you can then claim cash back for various tretaments and procdures. Just wondering if its worth it? Would you recommend?

I have one. Nothing to do with work though.

I opened a Birmingham Hospital Cash plan when I was 25 and I'm now 46

I claim back as much as I can. So all the optical covers a few months of contact lenses, two or three dental appts, I've just used £480 of therapies - osteo, physio, podiatry, I saw a consultant and claimed back £130.

I get back far more than it costs me each year.

I always keep track of how much I have left to claim so I don't let the year lapse.

Now waiting for my next therapy year to start so I can go back to the osteopath.

I get 75% back.

We were with Health Shield for years at a ridiculously low rate,then moved jobs and the premium changed and doubled over night so we didn't bother. It was good though as we all had new glasses every year, I had a long hospital stay and we had a payment of 4k, we had a maternity pay out too.

Oh yes, counselling and lots of physio/osteopath too.

Oh yes I forgot I had £350 when I had each child. Which paid for the NHS side room!

I had a cash plan with WPA and it was useful when I was doing lots of sport for physio but then when I stopped I realised I wasn't using more than I paid out so stopped. This has reminded me to get a quote and reconsider as I now need glasses which I didn't before plus I'm back running again so bound to need physio at some point and it may be worth getting again.
If you want to spread the load and have a few therapy options it's great but if stumping up £150 for some glasses or £60pw for physio doesn't faze you, then I wouldn't bother.

Thanks all. Did you find the form filling and admin annoying?

I'm wondering how often they turn down claims, as presumably that is how they make their money.

That's amazing. I'd have assumed they'd have a clause stopping you from claiming back more than paid in.

The benefit is the benefit. It's defined benefit and every time I claim, the amount remaining adjusts.

I suspect the majority of people don't claim everything every year.