Health insurance

[lauralessa]

Hallo.

I am from Brazil and moving to London on September. I am thinking about doing a health insurance because I am afraid that a appointment with a Lupus doctor takes too long.

Would you recommend me some health insurance? Do they cover pre-existing conditions?

It is a little bit hard to find out what to dont have my treatment interrupted. So, I really appreciate your advice.

best,
Laura

[Zoi]

Hey Laura

Here's a list of some insurance companies that have accepted lupus patients in the past, according to the St. Thomas' lupus trust:

Fish Insurance – 01772 724442
J&M Insurance Services – 020 7446 7626
Bishopscourt – 0870 7779339
Tesco Insurance – 0845 3008800
Go Travel Insurance services 0870 1525840
Direct Travel – 01903 893333
SAGA Insurance – 0800 505606
Freedom Travel Insurance 0870 774 3760
Nationwide Building Society - 0500 30 20 16

Link: http://www.lupus.org.uk/article.php?i=234

Hope you're doing ok,

Zoi

[lauralessa]

Thanks, Zoi!

I really appreciate that. It is hard to find valuable information when you are going to a foreign country and have such a specific condition (Lupus, with a huge nephritis).

I will take a look!

best wishes,
Laura

[tortoise]

I can't imagine health insurance covering a pre-existing condition. As I said elsewhere I got an appointment at St Thomas's in one month. Otherwise you could go privately ie paying yourself, to the London Lupus Centre http://www.londonlupuscentre.co.uk/ but I don't know if you'd get in there much quicker than a month.

[shelly21]

my diagnosis is undetermined at the moment, but i was changing health insurances and wanted to ensure that they would cover whatever i needed in case i do get a diagnosis whilst under them.

PPP - very good about it all
HSA - bit more expensive but pay for treatment also

dont have numbers for them, but they are very well known insurances

[lauralessa]

Thank you, Zoi, Shelly and Tortoise.

I have been doing some research about medical insurances for Lupus patients and actually the insurance companies don't cover Lupus and any pre existing diseases.

The links that Zoi posted are more like travel insurances and the compnaies indicated by Shelly are very clear about pre existing conditions.

If you have any advice, please let me know.

best,
Laura

[Zoi]

Hey Laura,

The only company I can think of is BUPA. I had called them last year (this was prior to lupus diagnosis) to get a quote with a diagnosis of severe anemia (at the time we were looking to see what, if any, underlying condition was causing it). I told them about it and they said they didn't have a problem covering it even though I was been treated for it at the time, because I would be transferring insurance by going to them (my greek private insurance) and they could see I hadn't used my existing private insurance for any treatment...

I tried finding information on their site about coverage for pre-existing conditions and the only thing I could find was a paragraph saying that they cover moratorium conditions if you haven't been treated for them in the last two years (and that's not the case with you obviously). Nonetheless, I don't know if that goes for all plans though or just the standard plan...Have you looked into them at all?

Zoi

Ps. I apologize for the list I posted. I got it off the St. Thomas' Trust website and as they list them under "Insurance" I honestly thought they meant health and not travel insurance...My mind must have not been working so well at the time...

[lauralessa]

Hey, Zoi.

Thank you so much for your kind advice. I will take a look at BUPA because I am still looking for a private insurance that covers Lupus at UK.

Cheers,
Laura :-)

[Clare.T]

Hello Laura

I wonder if you have tried an insurance broker. The premium is likely to be very high given the state of your health but each case is assessed separately. It might be less if it is short term coverage.

http://www.the-insurance-surgery.co.uk/life_insurance.php

Did you manage to get in touch with the London Lupus Centre and fix an appointment ?
I'm supposing that your immigration papers are in absolutely in order and you know that you need to register with a GP. Dependants of people who are lawfully in the UK and intend to settle ( stay there for a length of time, maybe six months but I'm not sure ) are entitled to free health care at a primary level and hospitalisation costs. Emergency care is free to all.

Do you have a 'permanent' address already or will you be in hotel accommodation asking just because you want a GP near to where you'll be living.

I have moved a lot, from country to country and know very well how nerve racking it is, getting new doctors establishing oneself in a new system. I live in a London suburb - let me know if I can be of any help

Best of Luck :)

Clare