If you've searched Google for private medical insurance that covers crohns disease then you are most likely for looking for trusted UK based health insurance companies that will cover your crohns disease.
Our advice when shopping around for health insurance that covers crohns disease is to speak to a health insurance broker. Health insurance is extremely complicated and if you want absolute certainty that crohns disease is covered you should consult with a health insurance 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 largest by far is that you're using their expertise 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 policy 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 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 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 medical insurance provider you can find and ask if they cover crohns disease, 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 far far quicker to speak to one health insurance broker which will know which providers on the market cover crohns disease and under what terms they do or don't cover it.
Crohns Disease Information
Crohn's disease is a long-term condition that causes inflammation of the lining of the digestive system.
Inflammation can affect any part of the digestive system, from the mouth to the back passage, but most commonly occurs in the last section of the small intestine (ileum) or the large intestine (colon).
Common symptoms can include:
People with Crohn's disease sometimes go for long periods without symptoms or with very mild symptoms. This is known as remission. Remission can be followed by periods where symptoms flare up and become particularly troublesome.
Read more about the symptoms of Crohn's disease and diagnosing Crohn's disease.
The exact cause of Crohn's disease is unknown. However, research suggests a combination of factors may be responsible. These include:
Read more about the possible causes of Crohn's disease.
There's currently no cure for Crohn's disease, so the aim of treatment is to stop the inflammatory process, relieve symptoms (induce and maintain remission) and avoid surgery wherever possible.
The first treatment offered to reduce symptoms is usually steroid medication (corticosteroids). If this doesn't help, medication to suppress the immune system (immunosuppressants) and medication to reduce inflammation may be used.
In some cases, surgery may be needed to remove the inflamed section of intestine.
Once your symptoms are under control (in remission), further medication may be needed to help maintain this.
Crohn's disease is a relatively uncommon condition. There are currently at least 115,000 people living with the condition in the UK.
Crohn's disease can affect people of all ages, including children. However, most cases first develop between the ages of 16 and 30.
A large number of cases also develop between the ages of 60 and 80.
It affects slightly more women than men, but in children more boys are affected than girls.