If you've searched Google for private medical insurance that covers sickle cell disease then you are most likely for looking for trusted UK based health insurance companies that can cover sickle cell disease.
Our advice when shopping around for health insurance that covers sickle cell disease is to speak to a insurance broker. Health insurance is incredibly complicated and if you want complete certainty that sickle cell disease is covered by your policy 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 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 brokering services.
- Do you reside in many different areas? Some will give you a cheaper policy 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 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 insurance policies?
- You've lean't you're at risk of developing 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 medical insurance provider on the market and ask if they cover sickle cell disease, 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 providers on the market cover sickle cell disease and under what terms they do or don't cover it.
Sickle Cell Disease Information
Sickle cell disease is the name for a group of blood disorders. The most severe is sickle cell anaemia. These disorders are inherited, meaning they are passed on through your genes.
You can have a blood test at any time to find out if you carry the gene for sickle cell disease, or if you have sickle cell disease.
Sickle cell disease affects how your body produces red blood cells. Normal red blood cells are round – red blood cells affected by sickle cell disease harden and become sickle-shaped, like a crescent moon. This causes them to die too quickly and block blood vessels, leading to symptoms that are often painful.
People from particular ethnic backgrounds are more likely to have sickle cell disease or carry the gene. You are more likely to have sickle cell disease if you are from one of these ethnic backgrounds:
There are treatments to manage sickle cell disease, but no cure yet – it's a lifelong condition.
Find out about symptoms and diagnosis
Find out about treating sickle cell disease
Find out about living with sickle cell disease
Find out about screening to see if you're a sickle cell carrier
The main symptoms of sickle cell disease are sickle cell crises (very painful episodes affecting different parts of the body), infections, and anaemia.
There are a number of serious problems that can appear suddenly as a result of sickle cell disease. If you experience any of the following symptoms, you should get medical advice immediately:
If you develop any of the symptoms listed above, phone your GP or care team immediately. If you can't contact your GP or care team, go to your closest Accident and Emergency (A&E) department. Dial 999 for an ambulance if you aren't able to travel yourself.
It's important to make sure that the medical team looking after you know that you have sickle cell disease.
Episodes of pain known as sickle cell crises happen when the blood vessels that go to one part of your body become blocked. The pain can be severe.
Sickle cell crises are one of the most common symptoms of sickle cell disease and, on average, occur once a year and last up to seven days. Some people have sickle cell crises every few weeks – others experience them less than once a year.