Hospital
Cash Plan
I'd like to know more...
Here are the answers to the most frequently asked questions about our Hospital Cash Plan cover.
Your questions
- What am I covered for if I take out this policy?
- Can I be covered for a higher amount?
- Would I be covered if ...
- What doesn't the policy cover?
- When does the cover commence?
- How long will the policy run for? Can I cancel the policy?
- Do I get any money back if I cancel the policy?
- When will I receive my free gift(s)?
- Who will get the money if there is a claim?
- Can I name a beneficiary?
- Can the money be paid into a trust?
- Can my partner/wife/husband be covered?
- Do I need to give their details to you?
- Can my children be covered?
- My partner is younger than me and I want to have cover for my children. Will his/her/their cover have to end when I am 65?
- I have a Hospital Cash policy with another company. If I take out your policy as well, will both pay out?
- I have a holiday home abroad. Can I still be covered?
- Am I covered whilst flying?
- I'm a member of the armed forces/police force. Can I take out this policy?
- Can you clarify 'active duty'?
- So when is a member of the armed forces covered?
- What if I'm posted overseas, will I still be covered?
- I am a journalist and will be working in a war zone. Am I covered?
- Will my premiums increase over time?
- What about Insurance Premium Tax?
- I can't pay by Direct Debit. Can I pay another way?
- Can I pay annually/on a specific date/on a specific day?
Our answers
1. What am I covered for if I take out this policy?
We will pay £20 or £40 for each 24 hours you spend in hospital, depending on whether you are there as the result of illness or accidental injury. We will pay double this where a policyholder and partner are confined to hospital at the same time. Payment on this policy is up to a maximum of £14,400 for each insured person.
- We will not pay out for hospitalisation resulting from an illness that you have received medical advice or treatment for in the 24 months before taking out the policy.
- We will not pay out for any illness that occurs within 30 days of you taking out the policy.
2. Can I be covered for a higher amount?
Not at present.
- I was taken into hospital abroad? No, this policy only provides cover for stays in UK hospitals
- I was taken into hospital after a suicide attempt? No. Hospitalisation resulting from attempted suicide or self inflicted injury is not covered.
- I was injured in a terrorist attack? Yes, incidents like the London bombings are covered. A terrorist attack would be classed as an accident so you would receive £40 for each 24 hours spent in hospital.
- Someone attacked me? Yes, this would be classed as an accident and you would receive £40 for each 24 hours spent in hospital.
- I had a stroke/heart attack? Yes, medical conditions are covered and you would receive £20 for each 24 hours spent in hospital. However, we would not pay out for hospitalisation resulting from an illness that you have received medical advice or treatment for in the 24 months before taking out the policy. Nor would we pay out for any illness that occurs within 30 days of you taking out the policy.
- I already have a medical condition (diabetes, epilepsy, angina, etc)? If you have received medical advice or treatment for your medical condition in the 24 months before taking out the policy then you won't be able to claim for a hospital stay related to it. You can claim for hospital stays not related to it. If you reach a point after taking out the policy where you have been without medical advice or treatment for the condition for 24 months, then it would be covered. For example: your treatment for kidney stones ends in July 2007 and you take out a policy in January 2008. If you receive no further advice or treatment for kidney stones, then this condition would be covered from July 2009 onwards - but not before.
4. What doesn't the policy cover?
Briefly, the exclusions are hospitalisation connected with:
- war or civil uprising (but hospitalisation resulting from terrorism is covered).
- ionising radiation or connected with nuclear explosions or waste.
- HIV or AIDS.
- sexually transmitted diseases.
- any physical defect, infirmity, medical condition or chronic sickness that exists at the commencement of the policy or during the 24 months before that. (Please note: as soon as you have been free from medical advice or treatment for these for 24 months then you are covered).
- attempted suicide or intentional self-injury.
- wilful exposure to danger, unless you were trying to save someone's life. For example, if you are a builder and fall off scaffolding in the course of your work, that's a valid claim even though of course you were in a dangerous situation (it would be paid at the £40 rate). However, if you were on a building site and deliberately went through a barrier saying 'No entry - danger, unstable scaffolding' and it all fell down on you, then you have wilfully exposed yourself to danger and a claim would be turned down.
- you committing a criminal act (eg falling off a roof while committing a burglary you could not claim for your hospital stay.)
- pregnancy, childbirth, miscarriage or abortion.
- flying other than as a fare-paying passenger on a licensed aircraft.
- certain hazardous pursuits: ballooning, caving, diving, hang gliding, hydro-planing, motorcycling (as a rider or pillion passenger), mountaineering, parachuting, pot-holing, racing of any kind (other than on foot), rock or cliff climbing, white water rafting or canoeing and any sport as a professional, winter sports.
- anyone serving on active duty in any armed force.
- hospitalisation caused by or resulting from your use of alcohol or drugs.
- time spent in a psychiatric ward, nursing, convalescent or residential care home, hospice, rehabilitation centre or any establishment used primarily for the treatment of alcohol or drug addiction.
5. When does the cover commence?
Provided you have given us valid bank details from which we will be able to collect your premiums, your cover is in force from the next working day, following the submission of your application.
6. How long will the policy run for? Can I cancel the policy?
The policy can run until the end of the month before your 65th birthday. You can cancel it at any time before then by contacting us and cancelling the Direct Debit at your bank.
7. Do I get any money back if I cancel the policy?
If your policy is cancelled within the first 14 days and a premium has been paid, this premium will be refunded to you. If you cancel the policy later on, there is no surrender value and no money is due to you as this insurance is a protection product and not an investment product.
8. When will I receive my free gift(s)?
Your policy documents and gift will be sent to you within 5 working days, after we receive your application.
9. Who will get the money if there is a claim?
The money would usually be paid to you. In the event of your death before payment is made, it would be paid to the executor or administrator of your estate. Claims in respect of anyone under 16 years old will be made to the policyholder.
No. See previous answer.
11. Can the money be paid into a trust?
Under the terms of the policy the money would be paid to you or in the event of your death before payment is made, to the executor or administrator of your estate. If arrangements have been made to pay the proceeds into a trust, we will do our best to honour this. Our policy wording states we will not be bound by any trust, charge or transfer and at the time of a claim, we would rely on the advice of our lawyers as to whether we could comply with your wishes.
12. Can my partner/wife/husband be covered?
Yes, we can provide the same cover for your partner/wife/husband on the policy and the premium would be doubled.
13. Do I need to give their details to you?
No, provided they live at the same address as you and share financial responsibilities then they qualify for cover as your partner under the terms of the policy. We can check these things in the event of a claim if there is any doubt. Please note, same-sex partners can be covered but family members and business partners do not qualify as 'partners'.
14. Can my children be covered?
Yes they can, provided they are unmarried, dependent on you and aged between 6 months and 20 years. This includes stepchildren, legally adopted children and those at boarding school, college or university. There is no limit to the number of eligible children covered. For you and all eligible children, the monthly premium is £3.19 and for full family cover (you, partner and all eligible children) the monthly premium is £5.18. We do also have a special children's policy called Tots to Teens that provides Accidental Death, Accidental Disability and recuperation benefit. There is also free unlimited access to helplines which offer confidential help and advice on all sorts of child related issues.
15. My partner is younger than me and I want to have cover for my children. Will his/her/their cover have to end when I am 65?
Yes, when you reach 65 all cover under the policy ceases and we will write to tell you this. If you have cover on the policy for a younger partner, we will invite your partner to reinstate the policy in their own name if they want to.
16. I have a Hospital Cash policy with another company. If I take out your policy as well, will both pay out?
At Norwich Union Direct, we will pay out regardless of any other Hospital Cash policies you hold. However, we suggest you also check with your other insurer as their terms and conditions may be different.
17. I have a holiday home abroad. Can I still be covered?
Cover is provided as long as you are permanently resident in the UK. For this policy, we define permanent residency as not being out of the country for more than 12 weeks in any 52 week period. If you are abroad for longer than that, the policy will need to be cancelled but it can be reinstated if you return to live in the UK. You are not covered for hospitalisation outside of the UK.
18. Am I covered whilst flying?
All fare-paying passengers on a licensed aircraft are covered. However crew members, such as pilots, co-pilots, flight engineers or flight attendants are not covered unless fare-paying passengers.
19. I'm a member of the armed forces/police force. Can I take out this policy?
Yes, service personnel are eligible for cover except while on active duty. Police personnel are eligible although there will be no cover if you are involved in policing a serious civil commotion on the scale of an uprising.
20. Can you clarify 'active duty'?
If any serviceman/woman is sent to serve in a war zone such as Iraq or Afghanistan in any capacity they will not be covered. This includes all frontline and combat operations as well as all rear echelon support duties under the command of the British Armed Forces, NATO and/or the United Nations.
21. So when is a member of the armed forces covered?
Cover would operate while stationed in the UK, on military exercises in the UK or on military exercise in all non-war zone classified areas overseas (for example Germany, Norway or Brunei). Cover would not operate while stationed in a war zone.
22. What if I'm posted overseas, will I still be covered?
You are covered as a member of the Armed Forces whilst posted abroad as long as you still maintain a property in the UK, the posting is not in a recognised war zone and you will not be overseas for more than 12 weeks in any 52 week period. If the posting exceeds 12 weeks your policy will lapse however it may be reinstated on your return to the UK.
23. I am a journalist and will be working in a war zone. Am I covered?
Cover does not apply in any war zone, regardless of occupation.
24. Will my premiums increase over time?
Over time, Hospital Cash Plan premiums have been stable and our prices have not changed for a number of years. Of course, we cannot guarantee to keep them at this level forever, however if premiums do increase we will advise you in advance and you will have the chance to cancel your policy before any premiums at the increased rate are collected.
25. What about Insurance Premium Tax?
Our premiums include Insurance Premium Tax at the current rate (5%).
26. I can't pay by Direct Debit. Can I pay another way?
No. Unfortunately, we can only collect premiums for this sort of policy by monthly Direct Debit which is one of the reasons we are able to keep the premiums so low. We cannot accept payment by any other means. We can however accept a Direct Debit from a family member or friend and the policy will still be issued in your name. They need to call us on 0800 051 8998 to set up this Direct Debit. (For our joint protection, calls may be recorded and/or monitored.)
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27. Can I pay annually/on a specific date/on a specific day?
No. Unfortunately, we can only collect premiums by Direct Debit on the first working day of each month. This is one of the reasons we are able to keep the premiums so low.
