Westfield Health Scheme

Getting older is an expensive luxury. Your eyesight may begin to fail, or teeth which nature designed for a lifespan of 40 years and a diet low in sugar begin to rot. If you do not qualify for free dental treatment, NHS work can cost up to £300 a time. If you go private, (and you may not have a choice in many areas) there is no limit to the cost. So, how do you deal with the various medical bills that our not so free healthcare systems dish up? Well, through my employer (although available generally too), I pay a monthly premium to the Westfield Healthcare scheme who gives me money when I get a bill! Sounds too good to be true! Well, it ...

I first became aware of the Westfield Health Scheme when I moved to a job in Sheffield in the mid 90's. My employer promoted the scheme through the payroll ( and since I was planning for a second child the maternity benefit was appealing!). I joined and have been contributing and claiming ever since. Founded in 1919, the Westfield Health is a non-profit making organisation 'dedicated to providing cost effective health care schemes for the benefit of its contributors' i.e. the scheme is basically mutual insurance to pay for the more minor aspects of personal healthcare, such as dental, optical and hospital costs. It describes itself as 'working hand in ...