If you've searched the net for health insurance that covers lupus then you are most likely for looking for established UK based health insurance companies that will cover your lupus.
Our advice when looking for private medical cover that covers lupus is to speak to a health insurance broker. Health insurance is extremely complicated and if you want absolute certainty that lupus is covered 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 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 postcodes? Some will give you a lower 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 condition and want to know which insurer offers the largest 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 lupus, 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 lupus and under what terms they do or don't cover it.
Lupus Information
Lupus is a complex and poorly understood condition that affects many parts of the body and causes symptoms ranging from mild to life-threatening.
There are some types of lupus that just affect the skin – such as discoid lupus erythematosus and subacute cutaneous lupus erythematosus. Some medications can also cause lupus-like side effects.
However, the term "lupus" is most often used to describe a more severe form of the condition called systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), which can affect many parts of the body, including the skin, joints and internal organs.
Symptoms range from mild to severe, and many people will have long periods with few or no symptoms before experiencing a sudden flare-up, where their symptoms are particularly severe.
Even mild cases can be distressing and have a considerable impact on a person’s quality of life.
The rest of this article will focus on SLE.
SLE can cause a wide range of symptoms, depending on the areas of the body that are affected. The most common symptoms are:
As the symptoms of SLE can be similar to a number of other conditions, many of which are more common, it can be difficult to diagnose.
If you have persistent or troublesome symptoms that you think could be caused by SLE, you should see your GP so they can try to determine the cause.
Read more about the symptoms of lupus and diagnosing lupus.
SLE is an autoimmune condition, which means it is caused by problems with the immune system. For reasons not yet understood, the immune system in people with SLE starts to attack and inflame healthy cells, tissue and organs.
As with other more common autoimmune conditions, such as rheumatoid arthritis, it is thought a combination of genetic and environmental factors may be responsible for triggering SLE in certain people.
Read more about the causes of lupus.
SLE is an uncommon condition where around 90% of cases occur in women. The condition is most common in women of childbearing age (between the ages of 15 and 50), but it can also affect people of other ages.
The condition tends to be less common in people of white European origin and more common in those of African, Caribbean or Asian origin.