If you've searched the net for health insurance that covers reactive arthritis then you are probably for looking for trusted UK based health insurance companies that will cover reactive arthritis.
Our advice when looking for health insurance that covers reactive arthritis is to speak to a health insurance broker. Health insurance is very complicated and if you want absolute certainty that reactive arthritis is covered you should consult with a medical insurance broker who can explain which policy providers will cover this medical condition and which will exclude it.
There are many advantages to using a 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 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 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 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 so much time and effort.
You can call around every medical insurance provider you can find and ask if they cover reactive arthritis, 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 health insurance broker which will know which policy providers on the market cover reactive arthritis and under what conditions they do or don't cover it.
Reactive Arthritis Information
Reactive arthritis, formerly known as Reiter's syndrome, is a condition that causes inflammation (redness and swelling) in various places in the body.
It usually develops following an infection, and in most cases clears up in a few months without causing long-term problems.
The three most common places affected by reactive arthritis are:
However, most people will not experience all of these problems.
Read more about the symptoms of reactive arthritis.
Reactive arthritis usually develops within four weeks of an infection, typically after a sexually transmitted infection (STI) such as chlamydia, or an infection of the bowel.
For reasons that are still unclear, the immune system (the body's defence against infection) appears to malfunction in response to the infection and starts attacking healthy tissue, causing it to become inflamed.
Read more about the causes of reactive arthritis.
See your GP if you have swollen and painful joints, especially if you have recently had symptoms of an infection such as diarrhoea or pain when passing urine.
There is no single test for reactive arthritis, although blood and urine tests, genital swabs and X-rays may be used to check for infection and rule out other causes of your symptoms.
Your GP will also want to know about your recent medical history, such as whether you may have recently had a bowel infection or an STI.
There is currently no cure for reactive arthritis, but most people get better in around six months. Meanwhile, treatment can help to relieve symptoms such as pain and stiffness.
Symptoms can often be controlled using non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and painkillers such as ibuprofen.
Severe symptoms may require more powerful steroid medication (corticosteroids) or disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs).
Read more about treating reactive arthritis.