If you've searched Google for health insurance that covers venous leg ulcer then you are probably for looking for trusted UK based health insurance providers that can cover venous leg ulcer.
Our advice when looking for private medical cover that covers venous leg ulcer is to speak to a insurance broker. Health insurance is incredibly complicated and if you want absolute certainty that venous leg ulcer is covered by your policy you should consult with a 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 biggest by far is that you're using their expertise 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 live in many different areas? 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 critical 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 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 on the market and ask if they cover venous leg ulcer, 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 venous leg ulcer and under what terms they do or don't cover it.
Venous Leg Ulcer Information
A leg ulcer is a long-lasting (chronic) sore that takes more than 4 to 6 weeks to heal. They usually develop on the inside of the leg, just above the ankle.
The symptoms of a venous leg ulcer include pain, itching and swelling in the affected leg. There may also be discoloured or hardened skin around the ulcer, and the sore may produce a foul-smelling discharge.
See your GP if you think you have a leg ulcer, as it will need specialist treatment to help it heal.
Your GP will examine your leg and may carry out additional tests to rule out other conditions.
Read more about how a venous leg ulcer is diagnosed.
A venous leg ulcer is the most common type of leg ulcer, accounting for over 90% of all cases.
Venous leg ulcers can develop after a minor injury, where persistently high pressure in the veins of the legs has damaged the skin.
Read more about the causes of venous leg ulcers.
Venous leg ulcers are estimated to affect around 1 in 500 people in the UK, although they become much more common with age. It's estimated that around 1 in 50 people over the age of 80 has one.
You're more at risk of developing one if you've previously had deep vein thrombosis (DVT) or find it difficult to walk because of a problem such as:
You're also more at risk if you've recently had an operation on your leg, such as a hip replacement or knee replacement.
People with varicose veins (swollen and enlarged veins) also have a higher risk of developing venous leg ulcers.
Most venous leg ulcers heal within 3 to 4 months if they're treated by a healthcare professional trained in compression therapy for leg ulcers. However, some ulcers may take longer to heal, and a very small number never heal.
Treatment usually involves:
Antibiotics may also be used if the ulcer becomes infected, but they don't help ulcers to heal.