Obesity & Health Insurance
Obesity puts you at risk of developing several health problems: heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure and, it is thought, some types of cancer. Health insurance companies take your weight into consideration when they calculate your insurance premium. If you weigh well above your health BMI it is possible that you will pay more for your insurance compared to someone who is within a lower range. You present a greater risk to the medical insurance company.
Private medical insurance companies try to encourage people to get healthy. Their websites feature ways to live a more active lifestyle and eat well balanced meals and some even reward you with cheap health insurance when you fulfil certain health enhancing criterion. PruHealth Vitality scheme is an example of this. You can increase your status from Bronze to Silver, Gold and finally Platinum if you live a healthier lifestyle.
"By taking part in our Vitality programme and making an effort to actively look after your health throughout the year, this no claims bonus could increase to 50%, 75% or even 100%"
The government also tries to improve the nations health with initiatives that have varying levels of success. The current one is Change4Life. Last month Lord Darzi who resigned as health minister said that he would like to see overweight doctors and nurses being encouraged to live a healthy lifestyle:
'I would like to see more momentum pushing how we can get health and wellbeing for our own staff in the health service — for them to be ambassadors of prevention and wellbeing and how we get that message across the NHS.
'This is not just about public health doctors, but all the hundreds of thousands of people in the NHS who deliver care. They should all be public health ambassadors.'
There is call for private medical insurance to cover obesity treatment in the form of gastric bypass and gastric banding. This would allow people to obtain a healthy weight which would mean fewer claims in the future.
Spire Healthcare's Clinical Services Director, Jean-Jacques de Gorter, has spoken up:
'There are a growing number of patients being treated with weight-loss surgery and currently they are either self-funded or paid for by the NHS.
We believe that the private healthcare industry is missing an opportunity to differentiate itself by extending PMI cover to include funding of weight loss surgery. This would have the double benefit of both extending the value of PMI to insured patients and helping manage the risk of excessive healthcare costs arising from the consequences of obesity.'
Private medical insurance companies try to encourage people to get healthy. Their websites feature ways to live a more active lifestyle and eat well balanced meals and some even reward you with cheap health insurance when you fulfil certain health enhancing criterion. PruHealth Vitality scheme is an example of this. You can increase your status from Bronze to Silver, Gold and finally Platinum if you live a healthier lifestyle.
"By taking part in our Vitality programme and making an effort to actively look after your health throughout the year, this no claims bonus could increase to 50%, 75% or even 100%"
The government also tries to improve the nations health with initiatives that have varying levels of success. The current one is Change4Life. Last month Lord Darzi who resigned as health minister said that he would like to see overweight doctors and nurses being encouraged to live a healthy lifestyle:
'I would like to see more momentum pushing how we can get health and wellbeing for our own staff in the health service — for them to be ambassadors of prevention and wellbeing and how we get that message across the NHS.
'This is not just about public health doctors, but all the hundreds of thousands of people in the NHS who deliver care. They should all be public health ambassadors.'
There is call for private medical insurance to cover obesity treatment in the form of gastric bypass and gastric banding. This would allow people to obtain a healthy weight which would mean fewer claims in the future.
Spire Healthcare's Clinical Services Director, Jean-Jacques de Gorter, has spoken up:
'There are a growing number of patients being treated with weight-loss surgery and currently they are either self-funded or paid for by the NHS.
We believe that the private healthcare industry is missing an opportunity to differentiate itself by extending PMI cover to include funding of weight loss surgery. This would have the double benefit of both extending the value of PMI to insured patients and helping manage the risk of excessive healthcare costs arising from the consequences of obesity.'
Labels: cheap health insurance, health insurance, medical insurance, private medical insurance
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