A cheap health cash plan in the UK starts from around £7.50 to £10 per month and pays set cash amounts back toward everyday healthcare costs such as dental check-ups, glasses and physiotherapy. Entry-level plans carry modest annual caps, typically £50 to £100 per benefit, so they suit people whose healthcare spend is small and regular rather than large and unexpected.
We arrange cash plans for individuals, families and employers across Cheshire and the wider UK. This page sets out what the cheap end of the market looks like in 2026, what you give up at those price points, and when a budget plan is a false economy.
What a cheap cash plan costs in 2026
Premiums are set by the level of plan and the age band of the lead policyholder, not by your health or your claims history. These are the typical monthly price bands across the main UK providers:
| Plan level | Typical monthly cost | What you usually get |
|---|---|---|
| Entry level | £7.50 to £12 | Around £50 to £100 a year back on dental and optical, small physio allowance |
| Mid level | £15 to £25 | Roughly £150 to £300 on dental and optical, fuller physio and therapy cover |
| Comprehensive | £30 to £60 | Higher caps, wider therapy lists, hospital stay money, wellbeing benefits |
| Family plan | From around £15 | Children usually included at no extra cost up to age 18, or 24 in full-time education |
What the cheapest plans leave out
The trade-off at the budget end is the annual cap, not the list of benefits. Entry-level plans still cover dental, optical and physiotherapy in principle, but the caps are small enough that one course of physiotherapy or a full set of dental work can use up a year's allowance in a single claim. Most plans also apply a waiting period of one to six months on dental and optical benefits when you first take the policy out, so the check-up you book for next month may not be claimable yet.
A cash plan at any price does not cover private surgery, cancer treatment or specialist consultations for serious conditions. That is Private Medical Insurance territory. If you are weighing up the two, our guide to how health cash plans compare with PMI sets out the difference side by side.
When a cheap plan is worth it
A budget plan earns its keep when you already spend on the things it reimburses. If you pay for a dental check-up, an eye test or a physio session in a normal year, the cash back offsets money you were spending anyway. Many families find the mid-level plans are the sweet spot, because the annual caps outgrow the premium by a comfortable margin.
The plans with the weakest value are the ones bought for benefits the policyholder never uses. Before taking any plan, total what you spent on dental, optical and therapy in the last twelve months, then check the caps and the waiting periods against it. That five-minute exercise answers the cheap-versus-worthless question better than any comparison table.
How The Broking Group prices a cash plan
We are whole-of-market across the main UK cash plan providers, including the mutual insurers Simplyhealth, Westfield Health, Health Shield, BHSF and Medicash. We match the level of plan to what you actually claim, not the most expensive policy on the shelf, and the advice costs you nothing. Call 01270 694939 or request a quote and we will come back with the numbers in plain English.