If you've searched the internet for private health insurance that covers oesophageal cancer then you are most likely for looking for established UK based health insurance providers that can cover oesophageal cancer.
Our advice when looking for private medical cover that covers oesophageal cancer is to speak to a health insurance broker. Health insurance is extremely complicated and if you want complete certainty that oesophageal cancer is covered by your policy you should consult with a broker who can explain which policy 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 brokering services.
- Do you reside 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 policy? 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 policies?
- You've developed a certain condition and want to know which policy provider 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 medical insurance provider you can find and ask if they cover oesophageal cancer, 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 oesophageal cancer and under what terms they do or don't cover it.
Oesophageal Cancer Information
Oesophageal cancer is a type of cancer affecting the oesophagus (gullet) – the long tube that carries food from the throat to the stomach.
It mainly affects people in their 60s and 70s and is more common in men than women.
Oesophageal cancer doesn't usually cause any symptoms in the early stages when the tumour is small. It's only when it gets bigger that symptoms tend to develop.
Symptoms of oesophageal cancer can include:
Read more about the symptoms of oesophageal cancer
See your GP if you experience:
The symptoms can be caused by several conditions and in many cases won't be caused by cancer – but it's a good idea to get them checked out.
If your GP thinks you need to have some tests, they can refer you to a hospital specialist.
Read about how oesophageal cancer is diagnosed
The exact cause of oesophageal cancer is unknown, but the following things can increase your risk:
Stopping smoking, cutting down on alcohol, losing weight and having a healthy diet may help reduce your risk of developing oesophageal cancer.
Read more about the causes of oesophageal cancer
If oesophageal cancer is diagnosed at an early stage, it may be possible to cure it with:
If oesophageal cancer is diagnosed at a later stage, a cure may not be achievable.