If you've searched the internet for private health insurance that covers acute lymphoblastic leukaemia then you are probably for looking for established UK based health insurance providers that can cover acute lymphoblastic leukaemia.
Our advice when looking for health insurance that covers acute lymphoblastic leukaemia is to speak to a insurance broker. Health insurance is incredibly complex and if you want complete certainty that acute lymphoblastic leukaemia is covered by your policy 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 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 by you so it costs you no extra to use their services.
- Do you reside in many different postcodes? Some will give you a cheaper 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 policy this year would it be cheaper to separate you both onto two different insurance 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 so much time and effort.
You can call around every health insurance provider you can find and ask if they cover acute lymphoblastic 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 far far quicker to speak to one medical insurance broker which will know which providers on the market cover acute lymphoblastic leukaemia and under what terms they do or don't cover it.
Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia Information
Leukaemia is cancer of the white blood cells. Acute leukaemia means the condition progresses rapidly and aggressively and requires immediate treatment.
Acute leukaemia is classified according to the type of white blood cells affected by cancer. There are two main types:
These pages focus on acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, which is cancer of the lymphocytes. The following other types of leukaemia are covered elsewhere:
Symptoms of acute lymphoblastic leukaemia usually begin slowly before rapidly getting severe as the number of immature white blood cells in your blood increases (see below for an explanation of this). Symptoms include:
Read more about the symptoms of acute lymphoblastic leukaemia
All of the blood cells in the body are produced by bone marrow – a spongy material found inside bones.
Bone marrow produces specialised cells called stem cells which have the ability to develop into three important types of blood cells:
The bone marrow usually produces stem cells which are allowed to fully develop before being released into the blood. But in acute leukaemia, bone marrow starts releasing large numbers of immature white blood cells known as blast cells.
As the number of blast cells increases there is a drop in the number of red blood cells and platelet cells. This drop causes the symptoms of anaemia, such as tiredness, and increases the risk of excessive bleeding.
Also, blast cells are less effective than mature white blood cells at fighting bacteria and viruses, making you more vulnerable to infection.
Around 8,600 people are diagnosed with leukaemia each year in the UK. In 2011, 654 people were diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia.
Despite being uncommon overall, acute lymphoblastic leukaemia is the most common type of cancer to affect children. Approximately one in every 2,000 children will develop it. About 85% of cases occur in children aged under 15, mostly between the ages of two and five years old.
The cause or causes of acute leukaemia are uncertain, but known risk factors include:
Read more information about the causes of acute lymphoblastic leukaemia
The outlook for children with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia is usually good. Almost all children will achieve remission (a period of time where they are free from symptoms) from their symptoms, and 85% will be completely cured.