Swine Flu & Health Insurance
Swine flu is now spreading in the UK at a fast rate. We have moved from 'prevention' status to 'treatment' status and yesterday the first person to have no underlying health conditions died from complications of swine flu. Your local GP and NHS Direct will be able to advise you about the best course of action should you contract the virus but if you have health insurance how will you be treated if you contract swine flu?
For most people swine flu will be treatable at home with the usual cold and flu remedies and plenty of rest. Most people across the world who have become seriously ill with swine flu have had underlying health problems. Vulnerable groups include those with respiratory complaints, heart, liver and kidney conditions. If you have a chronic, already existing health problem, the most likely situation is that you will not be covered for this condition anyway by your medical insurance and if this becomes exacerbated by swine flu you will not be able to receive private medical care unless you pay for it.
Additionally if you are taken ill and need to have emergency treatment then you will have to go to an NHS emergency department as emergency treatment is not covered under any health insurance policy. In fact private hospitals are not set up for emergency medical care at all. They tend to only cater for pre-planned hospital and out-patient consultations and treatments.
However, if you have been generally in good health and become seriously ill as a result of swine flu and are then stabilised in an NHS emergency department it is possible that you could then be transferred to a private hospital under your health cover.
New cases of swine flu are expected to rise to 100,000 a day in August. This will no doubt put a strain on the NHS which will overspill into the private sector. We will be monitoring the situation and reporting on any new developments and their effect on the private health care sector.
For most people swine flu will be treatable at home with the usual cold and flu remedies and plenty of rest. Most people across the world who have become seriously ill with swine flu have had underlying health problems. Vulnerable groups include those with respiratory complaints, heart, liver and kidney conditions. If you have a chronic, already existing health problem, the most likely situation is that you will not be covered for this condition anyway by your medical insurance and if this becomes exacerbated by swine flu you will not be able to receive private medical care unless you pay for it.
Additionally if you are taken ill and need to have emergency treatment then you will have to go to an NHS emergency department as emergency treatment is not covered under any health insurance policy. In fact private hospitals are not set up for emergency medical care at all. They tend to only cater for pre-planned hospital and out-patient consultations and treatments.
However, if you have been generally in good health and become seriously ill as a result of swine flu and are then stabilised in an NHS emergency department it is possible that you could then be transferred to a private hospital under your health cover.
New cases of swine flu are expected to rise to 100,000 a day in August. This will no doubt put a strain on the NHS which will overspill into the private sector. We will be monitoring the situation and reporting on any new developments and their effect on the private health care sector.
Labels: health cover, health insurance, private health care
posted by Insurance News at
3:10 AM
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