Health Care and Medical Information – Freaksofcocks.info

Archive for December, 2011

Around 7 million people in the UK are covered by health insurance, the majority being covered through their employers. The problem is that few have really studied their policy documents and many misunderstand what is covered. And perhaps just as important, what isn’t. If you expect health insurance to pay all your health costs, you’re mistaken.

Health insurance is designed to provide protection for curable, short-term health problems and allow policyholders to jump the NHS queues to see consultants, be diagnosed, receive surgery or be treated. That sounds fine, but before you buy you need to appreciate the treatments and situations that fall outside the scope of the cover.

But first a word of warning. This article does not relate to any specific policy and the terms and conditions issued by individual insurers do vary. So please ensure you also check your policy documents. After reading this article, you’ll know what to look out for!

Sorry – it’s a chronic condition

If a condition can be cured and is not a long-term problem, your insurance company will classify it as acute and should meet the cost. If your problem is incurable or it’s a problem that, despite appropriate treatment, will be with you for a long time, then your insurance company will classify it as chronic – and no, you won’t be covered.

But drawing a firm line between what is acute and what is chronic is fraught with problems, and leads to the biggest area of conflict between insurer and policyholder.

Everyone agrees that diabetes and asthma are chronic conditions as you’re likely to suffer from them for the rest of your life. So those sorts of condition are not covered.

Problems arise when the medical team initially considers a patients’ illness to be curable, but the condition subsequently deteriorates and the doctors change their mind, it’s now become incurable. This can happen especially in the treatment of some types of cancer.

In these circumstances, the condition is initially defined as acute and is therefore insured, but deteriorates and becomes chronic – and outside the terms of cover. This is possible as insurers retain the right to reclassify a condition from acute to chronic during treatment.

Sorry – it’s too long term
The insurance company will not pay out for long term treatment. But you need to check your policy documents to see how they define “long-term”. You can find the situation where a course of drugs extends for say 12 months, but the insurer will only pay for ten months.

Sorry – it’s preventative
Your insurance is designed to pay for the treatment and cure of conditions when they arise. It is not designed to pay for treatments that are used to prevent an illness.

Again, the problem of definition arises. Sometimes it is arguable whether a treatment is preventative or a cure. Take the drug Herceptin for example. This drug can be used in the early stages of breast cancer. Research shows that Herceptin can halve the incidence of cancer returning for women who have a particularly virulent form of the cancer known as HER2. In this situation, is Herceptin offering a cure or is it a preventative?

Insurance companies are split on the debate. Norwich Union, WPA, BUPA and Standard Life Healthcare will pay for Herceptin for HER2 patients whereas Legal and General and Axa PPP will not.

Sorry – the drug is not approved
Two of the main attractions for taking out health insurance are: to jump the queues at the NHS, and to get the latest treatments and drugs. But there’s a rider.

Unless the drug has been approved for use by the NHS in England and Wales, by the Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence, your insurer is unlikely to approve its use. The problem is that the Institute’s brief is not simply to decide whether a drug works, but to carry out a cost/benefit analysis to ensure that the benefits to the nation outweigh the financial costs of using it in the NHS. Not an easy brief – and one that has placed the Institute under scrutiny for the extended delays in drug approval.

The compromise hit on by the Financial Ombudsman is that if a health policy won’t pay for the use of experimental treatments, then it should meet the cost of an approved conventional treatment with the policyholder footing the bill for the balance if the experimental treatment is more expensive.

Sorry – it’s a pre-existing condition

The basic principle is that if you are already suffering from a condition when you start a policy, then that condition “pre-exists” the policy and any claims for its treatment are invalid.

For this reason, insurance companies insist you complete an exhaustive questionnaire before they agree to insure you. After all they need a clear picture of your medical condition before they quote. For many applications, the insurer will, with your approval, also write to your GP for specific details of your medical history. They like to have a complete picture.

So lets say some years ago you injured your knee playing football. It appeared to recover but now it turns out that you have a torn cartilage and need an operation. The insurer could argue that this is a pre-existing condition and you have to pay for its’ treatment.

Some insurers try to accommodate these grey areas with a moratorium provision within your policy. These provisions typically say that so long as you have been symptom free for two years relating to any condition you’ve suffered from within the last 5 years, then they will pay for subsequent treatment. Not all policies have these moratorium provisions and the time periods do vary between insurers. You should carefully read your policy.

Sorry – its not covered

Health Insurance is an annual contract – just like your car insurance. So when it comes to renewal, your insurer is at liberty to review not only your premium but also change the conditions on which your cover is provided.

Therefore, if your policy comes up for renewal mid way through a course of treatment, it’s possible to find that your new policy no longer covers that particular treatment. This means that you will have to foot the bill for the balance of the treatment.

Furthermore, with ongoing advances in medical research, more and more conditions are becoming treatable. This progress has the effect of shifting back the dividing line between chronic and acute conditions.

This hits the insurers’ pocket in two ways. With more conditions being reclassified as acute, the number of claims is increasing. And there’s also a trend for new treatments to cost more – Herceptin being a good example. The net result is that the insurers are finding themselves having to pay out far more. This is inevitably passed back to you through increased renewal premiums. And in an attempt to reduce their risk exposure, insurers have a tendency to adjust their definitions and exclusions. This means that you must read your renewal notice closely before you decide to renew.

So when you are considering Health Insurance, be aware that everything is not always black and white. And if you’ve got insurance and need treatment, always contact your insurer without delay and get them to confirm that your treatment is indeed covered

Do you suspect that you have a food allergy?  If you do, you may be looking for ways to seek relief or at least tips on how you can manage your symptoms.  If this is information that you are looking for, you will want to continue reading on.

The first step is determining what you are allergic to.  If you can, visit a healthcare provider.  They may do tests or advise you on how to do these tests at home.  These tests usually involve eating certain foods to see how you react to them.  If you breakout in hives or have a full allergic reaction, you will now know what food or foods you are allergic to.  If you try your own tests at home, make sure that you do not do so alone.  You will want to have someone with you who can seek medical attention if you have a severe allergic reaction.

Once a diagnosis has been made, as to what food or foods you are allergic to, it will be much easier for you to move forward.  For example, you will find it easier to treat and manage your symptoms.  Speaking of which, some of the steps that you will want to take to do so are outlined below.

You will want to eliminate the food or foods that you are allergic to from your diet.  This is extremely important as food allergies tend to be more severe than others.  For example, those who suffer from peanut allergies can die if medication isn’t administered immediately or if medical attention isn’t quickly sought.  Unlike pet allergies, where you can simply just limit your exposure to pets, you don’t want to take any chances with a food allergy.  That is why the food or foods that you are allergic to should be eliminated from your diet.

As important as it is to hear that the food or foods that you are allergic to should be eliminated from your diet, it can be difficult for many to hear.  Although a large number of food allergies have been present since childhood, there are some adults who develop them later on.  This can be difficult for you if you are one of those individuals, but it is still important that you make the change.  If you must transition, instead of completely cut from your diet, it is advised that you do so with the guidance of your doctor.  Also, always make sure that you have your medication on hand or that those around you know what to do if you have an allergic reaction.

It is also important to know that there is hope.  For example, if you suffer from a pet milk allergy or a wheat allergy, there are a number of alternatives, also commonly referred to as substitutes, that you can use.  In fact, most foods have at least one substitute that you can use.  For wheat, you can use corn flour or rice flour.  You will likely get use to the taste in no time at all, if you even notice a difference.  You can easily find more information on food substitutes online.  You may even want to buy cookbooks or manuals that are designed for those who suffer from allergies.

As a reminder, it is also important that you read all food labels, whether or not you have officially been diagnosed as having a food allergy.  In all honesty, you never really know what is in some of the foods that you eat.  Reading all food labels is important for all food allergies, but it is especially important with wheat allergies and peanut allergies.  These are two common ingredients found in many foods.  Even when they aren’t present, you may still see a warning that reads “may contain wheat,” or “may contain nuts.”  Also, be sure to ask whenever you visit an establishment where your food is prepared for you.  These places include delis, bakeries, and restaurants.

Are you a pet owner who thinks that you may be allergic to your dog?  If you are, you may be looking for guidance.  After all, there is nothing worse than realizing that you are allergic to your beloved pet or pets.

One of the first things that you will want to do is make sure that you do have a pet allergy.  Sometimes, the symptoms of having a pet allergy can be caused by other allergies or by another medical illness, such as the flu or the common cold.  Those who suffer from pet allergies may experience a runny nose, sneezing, nasal congestion, postnasal drip, develop a skin rash, or have difficultly breathing.  If you experience severe allergy symptoms or if you would like conformation that you do have a pet allergy, schedule a visit with a healthcare professional.

As for how you can go about treating your pet allergies that are due to your dog, you can remove the dog from your home.  If you are unable to do so or if you choose not to, you will want to see if you can find it a good home.  Friends or family members who are willing to take your pet are often considered the best option.  Even if you want to keep your dog with you, there are still a number of steps that you can take to seek relief from some common dog allergy symptoms.

The best way to limit your allergy symptoms that can be attributed to your dog is to keep your dog or dogs out of your bedroom.  The bedroom is the room where we spend most of our time.  For that reason, your dog or dogs should be kept out of your bedroom.  Doing so, may limit the number of irritating symptoms you display.  It may also help to get you a good night of sleep.  In addition to the bedroom, it is also important to examine other rooms that you may spend a good portion of your time.  Consider keeping your dog or dogs out of that room as well.

Another great tip involves not letting your dog or dogs climb on your furniture.  This is particularly important if you like to lie down on your couch or rest in a reclining chair.  You do not want to have pet dander and hair in your face.  If you must, covers can be used.  There are a number of cloth style covers that can be used.  They are a great alternative to the unattractive plastic covers.  With that in mind, should you use cloth covers, be sure to wash them every few days or when too much pet hair accumulates.

Investing in an air purifier is another way that you can seek relief from a dog allergy, without having to find a new home for your beloved pet.  Air purifiers work by eliminating air particles, including pet dander.  It is best if you search online for air purifiers that are designed to help those with allergies.  These air purifiers can easily be found with a standard internet search.  Also, HEPA air filters and HEPA air purifiers are known for their amazing results.

Vacuuming as much as possible is another way to manage the symptoms that you may be experiencing due to having a dog allergy.  In addition to vacuuming often, be sure to take a good, close look at the vacuum cleaner you are using.  There are now vacuum cleaners that use HEPA filters and they come highly rated and recommended.  In fact, there are even some vacuum cleaners that are targeted towards and marketed towards pet owners.  You should examine these vacuum cleaners.

The above mentioned steps are a few of the many steps that you can take to seek relief from allergies that you may be suffering due to close contact with your dog.  As reminder, a doctor may be able to prescribe you prescription medication or recommend over-the-counter products that may work just as well.  With that said, remember that treating allergies, especially pets allergies, naturally is usually much safer.

Health Insurance is the only solution for increasing health care cost in todays world. It is an absolute necessity to have a good health insurance as it will help keep you and your family safe and insure that you do not get engulfed with health care bills if one of you should have an accident or have grave health issues.

Many people do not get insured because they think that it is a waste of money and consider health insurances to be very costly. But the fact is that it is not that costly and you can get health insurance for a fair amount of money.

The simplest and cheapest way of getting a good health care insurance is through your employer. But you must understand that when you leave that job you may lose the coverage. Other way of getting health care insurance is through a personal plan. Entrepreneurs & people whose employers do no offer coverage, acquire this kind of insurance. This kind of insurance policy will come out of your pocket, but the cost of insurance is much cheaper than bearing your own medical costs.

If you have to go with a personal health insurance then be sure to shop around to ensure you get the best coverage for the really best price. There are numerous insurance companies offering different health/medical insurance plans but before you choose one, you need to think of few important things like general state of your health, your age, any medical problem history, your boozing and smoking habit etc. If you are going for family cover, then your will need to find these details for each member and then think carefully what kind of coverage you want. Do not conceal any medical problem from insurance company as bearing a claim denied later because you had failed to disclose medical truth to the insurance company would be far more displeasing – and very expensive.

A careful study of above mentioned factors will help you decide the kind of coverage you need and where you can cut the expenses of premium. This might appear like a boring process, but it will assist you considerably in ascertaining appropriate and affordable health insurance and making sure your healthcare needs can be met by the medical insurance you select.