If you've searched the net for private medical insurance that covers acute myeloid leukaemia then you are probably for looking for established UK based health insurance providers that can cover acute myeloid leukaemia.
Our advice when shopping around for health insurance that covers acute myeloid leukaemia is to speak to a insurance broker. Health insurance is incredibly complicated and if you want complete certainty that acute myeloid leukaemia is covered by your policy you should consult with a broker who can explain which providers will cover this medical condition and which will not.
There are many advantages to using a insurance broker but the largest by far is that you're using their industry experience at no cost. They are paid by the insurer (Aviva or Bupa etc) rather than you so it costs you no extra to use their services.
- Do you live in many different areas? Some will give you a lower premium than offers. A broker will be able to advise whats best.
- Do you have a hobby that may invalidate your insurance claim? A broker will know this vital information.
- If you are a couple and one of you has claimed on your insurance policy this year would it be cheaper to separate you both onto two different policies?
- You've lean't you're at risk of developing a certain condition and want to know which insurer offers the biggest amount of cover for it. A broker will know this instantly saving you huge amounts of time and effort.
You can call around every health insurance provider on the market and ask if they cover acute myeloid leukaemia, however this will be a very time consuming process. Each insurer will ask for your medical history because its not normally a simple yes or not if a medical condition is covered or not.
Its much quicker to speak to one medical insurance broker which will know which providers on the market cover acute myeloid leukaemia and under what terms they do or don't cover it.
Acute Myeloid Leukaemia Information
Leukaemia is cancer of the white blood cells. Acute leukaemia means it progresses rapidly and aggressively, and usually requires immediate treatment.
Acute leukaemia is classified according to the type of white blood cells affected. The two main types of white blood cells are:
This topic focuses on acute myeloid leukaemia (AML), which is an aggressive cancer of the myeloid cells. The following types of leukaemia are covered separately:
The symptoms of AML usually develop over a few weeks and become increasingly more severe. Symptoms can include:
In more advanced cases, AML can make you extremely vulnerable to life-threatening infections or serious internal bleeding.
Read more about the complications of AML
You should see your GP if you or your child have possible symptoms of AML. Although it's highly unlikely that leukaemia is the cause, these symptoms should be investigated.
If your GP thinks you may have leukaemia, they'll arrange blood tests to check your blood cell production. If the tests suggest there's a problem, you'll be urgently referred to a haematologist (a specialist in treating blood conditions) for further tests and any necessary treatment.
Read more about diagnosing AML
AML occurs when specialised cells called stem cells, which are found in the bone marrow (a spongy material inside the bones), produce too many immature white blood cells. These immature cells are known as blast cells.
Blast cells don't have the infection-fighting properties of healthy white blood cells, and producing too many can lead to a decrease in the number of red blood cells (which carry oxygen in the blood) and platelets (cells that help the blood to clot).
It's not clear exactly why this happens and, in most cases, there's no identifiable cause. However, a number of factors that can increase your risk of developing AML have been identified. These include:
Read more about the causes of AML
AML is a rare type of cancer, with around 2,600 people diagnosed with it each year in the UK.
The risk of developing AML increases with age. It's most common in people over 65.