Health Cash Plan
Claim back money towards everyday healthcare costs and manage your cash plan through Health Shield, available online and through the Breeze app.
Joining
- Staff are enrolled from the first of the month following their joining. For example, staff who join on the 2nd of one month will join the scheme from the 1st of the next month and then there may be a tax deduction in their second month payslip.
- To enrol you as a member, your first and last name, NTU email address and date of birth will be shared with Health Shield in accordance with our employee privacy notice and Health Shield's Privacy Policy.
Scheme Details
- Level one cover paid for by NTU for yourself and all your dependent children (up to age 21, or 24 in full-time education)
- You can upgrade cover for you and any dependent children or add a partner within the first month of being enrolled on to the scheme”
- Provided through Health Shield from April 2025
- Claim back money towards everyday healthcare costs such as dental, optical and physiotherapy
- NHS and private treatment providers
- Unlimited access to a 24/7 GP online and by phone
- Free cover for all dependent children (up to age 21, or 24 in full-time education)
- Taxable benefit by HMRC, for basic rate taxpayers, this will be £1 or less per month deducted from your payslip. More details in our FAQ documents.
- Manage your cash plan through Breeze, available online or as an app
Opt out
- You can also opt out during the scheme year if you have not made any claims but won't be able to re-join within the scheme year
- New colleagues may opt-out of the scheme within their first 2 months. There is no refund for any Benefit in Kind (BIK) tax. The next opportunity to join the scheme will be in April 2026, if the scheme is available again.
Quick FAQs
Take a look at the quick FAQs for answers to common questions.
Catch-up or watch again: Webinar and Q&A with Health Shield
Find out more
Find out more about the health cash plan in our full Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), including why NTU are introducing a health cash plan, how to register, and what it means for you that the plan is a 'taxable benefit'.
You can also watch the video by Health Shield or read the quick FAQs for a short introduction to the health cash plan.
More benefits you can take advantage of with health cash plan membership
- GP Anytime - Contact a qualified GP online or by phone to receive advice, reassurance or a private prescription. Available in the UK and abroad.
- SkinVision - Personalised skin cancer detection and health advisor. SkinVision is a medical service, delivered through a smartphone app, that allows users to self-examine their skin for signs of skin cancer. Provides you with insights powered by AI and skin health experts and can help detect skin cancers. If asked for a code use code: HShield
- Online Health Assessments - Online health and lifestyle analysis, focusing on areas such as nutrition, lifestyle, and fitness. To help you gain a better understanding of your own health and supporting better health choices.
- Home Assistance - Personal care after a hospital stay. Home Assistance provides practical, hands-on support to people following a pre-planned hospital stay of two nights or more. The service assists with personal care tasks as well as domestic chores.
- MyGymDiscounts - Offers savings on gym memberships at over 3,600 locations across the UK, as well as discounts on a variety of digital fitness subscriptions.
- PERKS - Offers savings on a wide range of products and services, including fashion, holidays, entertainment, car hire, health, beauty, and even weekly shopping from major supermarkets.
Opt out
- If you do not wish to join the Health Cash Plan, you can opt-out within the first two months of your employment, provided you have not made a claim or used any of the services provided by Health Shield
Upgrade your cover or add your partner.
To find out more about levels of cover and costs, click on My Membership Plan on the Health Shield Portal
You can upgrade cover for you and any dependent children or add a partner within the first month of being enrolled on to the scheme.
|
Plan |
Level 1 |
Level 2 |
Level 3 |
Level 4 |
|
Employee (monthly cost) |
Paid for by NTU |
£11.77 |
£24.89 |
£40.26 |
|
Add your Partner (monthly cost) |
£9.11 |
£32.66 |
£58.89 |
£89.62 |
Your cover
NTU pay for level one cover for all salaried employees and any dependent children up to age 21, or 24 if in full time education, allowing you to claim for everyday health costs up to the following annual limits
|
Treatment |
Claim up to |
|
|
Per adult |
Per child |
|
| Dental | £65 | £35 |
| Optical | £65 | £35 |
| Combined Physiotherapy | £150 | £75 |
| GP Anytime | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Chiropody | £50 | £25 |
| Prescriptions | 2 | Not covered |
| Health & Wellbeing | £85 | £45 |
| Health Screening | £100 | £50 |
| Vaccinations and inoculations | £15 | Not covered |
| Specialist Consultation, ECG, X-ray and Pathology | £200 | £200 |
| MRI, CT and PET Scans | £200 | £200 |
| Dental Accident | £200 | £100 |
These are some of the benefits covered by the scheme. Take a look at the ‘My Policy Document’ on the Health Shield Portal to find a complete list of treatments and services you can claim money back on.
Key benefits of cover
- All dependent children are included at no extra cost (up to the age of 21, or 24 if in full time education)
- All benefits are claimable over a 12-month period except where indicated by Health Shield
- No medical required to join and no GP referral required before having treatment
How to claim
-
You can make claims on any treatment you receive from the date when your cover starts. For colleagues with start dates prior to 1st of April who have not opted out, this is 1 April 2025. For new starters, this will be from the 1st of the following month from your start date”
-
Before making a claim, make sure to register with your customer number using the instructions in your welcome email.
- Once registered, you can start the claims process.
- For a treatment to be eligible for a claim, it must be completed by someone with a Health Shield recognised qualification or membership. Make sure to check the list of expected qualifications of practitioners before your treatment.
- Dentists and Opticians are exempt from this qualification list, and any UK-registered Dentist or Optician can be used.
- For more information on submitting claims, read Health Shield's guidance, or watch the video below.