Health Insurance That Covers Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

A Buyers Guide To Health Insurance For Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

Posted by Greg Jones on January 24, 2020

If you've searched the web for private medical insurance that covers autistic spectrum disorder (asd) then you are most likely for looking for established UK based health insurance providers that will cover your autistic spectrum disorder (asd).

Our advice when looking for health insurance that covers autistic spectrum disorder (asd) is to speak to a insurance broker. Health insurance is incredibly complex and if you want absolute certainty that autistic spectrum disorder (asd) is covered you should talk with a broker who can explain which providers will cover this medical condition and which will exclude it.

There are many advantages to using a insurance broker but the biggest 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 by you so it costs you no extra to use their services.

  • Do you live in many different areas? Some will give you a cheaper policy premium than offers. A insurance broker will be able to advise whats best.
  • Do you have a hobby that may invalidate your insurance claim? A broker will know this critical 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 insurance policies?
  • You've developed a certain medical condition and want to know which policy provider 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 medical insurance provider you can find and ask if they cover autistic spectrum disorder (asd), 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 policy providers on the market cover autistic spectrum disorder (asd) and under what terms they do or don't cover it.

Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Information

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD), usually called autism, is something you’re born with. Autism means that the way you think about and experience the world is different to most people. This means you can behave differently to most people, and have different strengths and difficulties. For example, some autism characteristics (things you think, feel and do) can make it hard to express yourself in social situations, but you may also be particularly knowledgeable and passionate about topics that interest you.

Read more about characteristics of autism here

Autism is highly variable – the word ‘spectrum’ refers to how autism is experienced differently by different people. Autism is considered a spectrum because it’s different for every autistic person – some autistic people might need more support than others to live the lives they want to lead. The way autism affects you can change as you grow and develop, and experience different environments.

Read more about support here

Many people who have been diagnosed with autism prefer using the term ‘autistic’ to describe themselves – this is known as identity-first language (for example, “I’m autistic”). They consider autism to be part of their identity, not a condition to be treated.

For a long time people used the term ‘person on the autism spectrum’, known as person-first language (for example, “I’m on the autism spectrum”), and some people still prefer this.

In this guide, we’ll mostly use the term ‘autistic’.

If in doubt, you can always ask an autistic person what term they’d prefer.

In the past, autism was broken down into several different diagnoses, including:

Because these diagnoses all had the characteristics of autism, they were removed and replaced with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), or autism for short. People also use the term ‘autism spectrum condition’ (ASC).

Learn more about autism from autistic people

At least 1 in 100 people in Scotland are autistic. Currently, between 1 in 3 and 1 in 4 people diagnosed with autism are assigned female at birth.

Read more about autism and gender

Autism is always present from birth, but it might not be recognised or diagnosed until adulthood. Early intervention, in the form of support for their individual needs, can be helpful for autistic children.

Even if you aren’t diagnosed until adulthood, getting a diagnosis can be very helpful for identifying your strengths and the things you struggle with, and finding support.