We've had members ask us if we are covering PPE costs incurred during plan-covered treatment. The simple answer is yes. Read on for our full statement and how you can claim:
Simplyhealth is committed to supporting our customers through the frequently changing environment we find ourselves in and are adapting our approach accordingly.
As practitioners have started to re-open we have seen an increase in charges for Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). We recognise that we need to be flexible in making sure our customers are able to use their wellbeing plans as they need. In order to give customers the choice, we have committed to pay the PPE costs associated with treatment covered by their plan and carried out under the existing benefit limits.
For example, if a customer has an Examination, and the total cost is £75 but is charged £25 for PPE when the customer makes a claim we will reimburse the £25 for the PPE out of the Examination benefit up to policy limits. Customers may not wish to claim for PPE and instead use the benefit for treatment which is why we’ve taken this flexible approach. The customer will need to provide a receipt as normal and specify how much they are claiming. In this example, it would be either £50 for the examination or £75 for the examination and PPE charge.
Customers do not need to supply a receipt with the PPE charge itemised as we know that not all practitioners are able to do this but they do still need to provide a receipt for the treatment with the PPE included.
We will continue to reimburse PPE claims within benefit limits (where separately itemised and requested by customers) until 30 September 2021, when this initiative will be reviewed in line with the current climate.