Frequently Asked Questions

You use your judgement...

Essentially, we offer select advisory and preventative services which you can use straight away at any time; plus diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation services which you can request after you've been a member for six months. Should you want to take advantage of the latter services (with the exception of treatment for TB which is available on a non-discretionary basis), we ask that you consider how urgent your case is before contacting us, for instance, if you're very worried, or if waiting for the NHS will affect your quality of life. The reason for this is because we are not medical insurers so we cannot provide guaranteed services, instead we use our discretion.

...how we use our discretion

We use our discretion to consider your case based on your needs and available Society resources. For example, we will aim to step in if we feel your quality of life will suffer during a long wait on the NHS. This way, we can help those who are in real need and keep contribution rates affordable for all.

When you join Benenden Healthcare you are more that just a member. You are one of its owners. This is because we are mutually owned by our members.

We don't have any shareholders to claim dividends. So we put your contributions where it matters - improving services for members

Benenden Hospital offers a wide range of diagnostic and treatment services. Full details of the treatments and services can be found on the Benenden Hospital website.

Please visit the Benenden Health Cash Plan or Benenden Health Cash Plan 66+ website for full details of the FAQs.

Please visit the Benenden Over 50s Life Cover website for full details of the FAQs.

For information about the location of our regional treatment centres, please review our online RTC map.

Benenden Healthcare membership is now available if you currently or have previously belonged to any of the following groups:

Members of approved charities

Members of approved credit unions

Members of approved co-operatives

Employees of an approved registered charity

Public sector administrators

Police force employees

Armed forces employees

Public sector teachers

Emergency services employees

Local authorities employees

NHS employees

Civil Servants

Post Office employees

BT employees

And employees of other approved organisations whose aims and objectives are deemed compatible with ours:

Broadly-speaking, they fall into the categories of compatible organisations; building societies and mutual companies, not-for-profit organisation; credit unions; and friendly societies. Here are just a few of them:

• BBC
• Cancer Research UK
• Citizen's Advice
• Coops UK Group
• John Lewis Partnership
• National Trust
• Network Rail
• NSPCC
• Oxfam
• Prince's Trust
• RNLI
• RSPB
• Save the Children
• The Co-operative
• Unison
• Unite  

If you wish to join the Benenden Healthcare Society we offer a number of different options, including online join forms, phone applications or completion of paper application forms.

• If you are going to pay by Direct Debit, you can join now simply by calling us on 0845 052 5733* (lines open 8am - 5pm, Mon-Fri, excluding bank holidays), or you use our online application form. This is accessible from the right hand side of each page in the personal healthcare section of this webiste. Further information about how to join.
• If you want to pay by salary deduction, you just need to complete a paper application form. Please ensure that your organisation accepts this method of payment by viewing our list of eligible organisations (pdf).

When joining, you will need to have the following details to hand:

• Your personal details (your name, date of birth, address, telephone number and National Insurance number)
• The personal details of any family members you wish to add to your membership
• Your bank details
• You'll also need to ensure that you are eligible to join.

No. We always encourage our members to use Benenden Hospital in Kent for consultations and treatment, regardless of where you live. Alternatively we can agree for you to use our local consultation service, so you see a local consultant chosen by your GP.

However, it is important that you call us before going ahead and arranging any medical services, as we can only reimburse costs that have been previously authorised by us in writing. Simply contact our Member Services Department on 0845 052 5701* (Mon-Fri 8am – 8pm, excluding Bank Holidays) to discuss your healthcare needs.