If you've searched the net for private health insurance that covers idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis then you are probably for looking for established UK based health insurance companies that will cover your idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.
Our advice when looking for private medical cover that covers idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis is to speak to a insurance broker. Health insurance is extremely complicated and if you want complete certainty that idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis is covered by your policy you should consult with a medical insurance 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 insurance training 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 brokering services.
- Do you live in many different postcodes? 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 policy? A broker will know this vital information.
- If you are a couple and one of you has claimed on your 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 policy provider offers the biggest amount of cover for it. A broker will know this instantly saving you so much time and effort.
You can call around every medical insurance provider you can find and ask if they cover idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, 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 idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and under what terms they do or don't cover it.
Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis Information
Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a condition in which the lungs become scarred and breathing becomes increasingly difficult.
It's not clear what causes it, but it usually affects people around 70-75 years of age and is rare in people under 50.
Several treatments can help reduce the rate at which IPF gets worse, but there's currently no treatment that can stop or reverse the scarring of the lungs.
The symptoms of IPF tend to develop gradually and get slowly worse over time.
Symptoms can include:
Many people ignore their breathlessness at first and blame it on getting old or being out of shape. But eventually even light activity such as getting dressed can cause shortness of breath.
See your GP if you've struggled with your breathing for a while or have had a cough for more than three weeks.
These symptoms aren't normal and shouldn't be ignored.
If your GP thinks you could have a lung condition such as IPF, they can refer you to a hospital specialist for tests such as:
Read more about the tests for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.
In people with IPF, the tiny air sacs in the lungs (alveoli) become damaged and increasingly scarred. This causes the lungs to become stiff and means it's difficult for oxygen to get into the blood.
The reason this happens isn't clear. Idiopathic means the cause is unknown.
IPF has been linked to:
But it's not known whether some of these factors directly cause IPF.
There's currently no cure for IPF, but there are several treatments that can help relieve the symptoms and slow down its progression.