If you've searched online for private medical insurance that covers osteoporosis then you are probably for looking for trusted UK based health insurance companies that will cover osteoporosis.
Our advice when looking for private medical insurance that covers osteoporosis is to speak to a insurance broker. Health insurance is incredibly complicated and if you want complete certainty that osteoporosis is covered by your policy you should consult with a health 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 by you so it costs you no extra to use their brokering services.
- Do you reside in many different postcodes? Some will give you a cheaper 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 vital 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 you can find and ask if they cover osteoporosis, 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 policy providers on the market cover osteoporosis and under what terms they do or don't cover it.
Osteoporosis Information
Osteoporosis is a condition that weakens bones, making them fragile and more likely to break. It develops slowly over several years and is often only diagnosed when a minor fall or sudden impact causes a bone fracture.
The most common injuries in people with osteoporosis are:
However, they can also occur in other bones, such as in the arm or pelvis. Sometimes a cough or sneeze can cause a rib fracture or the partial collapse of one of the bones of the spine.
Osteoporosis isn't usually painful until a fracture occurs, but spinal fractures are a common cause of long-term (chronic) pain.
Although a fracture is the first sign of osteoporosis, some older people develop the characteristic stooped (bent forward) posture. It happens when the bones in the spine have fractured, making it difficult to support the weight of the body.
Osteoporosis affects over three million people in the UK.
More than 500,000 people receive hospital treatment for fragility fractures (fractures that occur from standing height or less) every year as a result of osteoporosis.
Losing bone is a normal part of the ageing process, but some people lose bone density much faster than normal. This can lead to osteoporosis and an increased risk of fractures.
Women also lose bone rapidly in the first few years after the menopause (when monthly periods stop and the ovaries stop producing an egg). Women are more at risk of osteoporosis than men, particularly if the menopause begins early (before the age of 45).
Many other factors can also increase the risk of developing osteoporosis, including:
Read more about the causes of osteoporosis.
If your doctor suspects you have osteoporosis, they can make an assessment using an online programme, such as FRAX or Q-Fracture.
These tools help to predict a person's risk of fracture between the ages of 40 and 90. The algorithms used give a 10-year probability of hip fracture and a 10-year probability of a major fracture in the spine, hip, shoulder or forearm.
They may also refer you for a DEXA (DXA) scan to measure your bone mineral density. It's a short, painless procedure that takes about five minutes, depending on the part of the body being scanned.
Your bone mineral density can be compared to the bone mineral density of a healthy young adult and someone who's the same age and sex as you. The difference is calculated as a standard deviation (SD) and is called a T score.