There are two types of diabetes that most of us are all familiar with, Type 1 and Type 2.
More regularly now you could also be advised that you have Prediabetes. This is a new term for being borderline diabetic.
What is Type 1 diabetes?
Type 1 is not affected by your diet or lifestyle. Only 8% of people in the UK who have diabetes suffer with Type 1 diabetes. When you have Type 1 diabetes, your body attacks the cells in your pancreas that make insulin, so you are unable to produce any insulin at all.
People who have Type 1 diabetes will have to use either an insulin pump or inject insulin into their body.
What is Type 2 diabetes?
When you have Type 2 , your body still breaks down carbohydrate from your food and drink and turns it into glucose.
The pancreas responds to this by releasing insulin. But because this insulin can’t work properly, blood glucose (also called sugar) levels keep rising. So more insulin is released. For some people with Type 2 diabetes this can eventually tire the pancreas out, meaning their body makes less and less insulin. This causes even higher blood sugar levels.
Type 2 diabetes can be manages with diet and lifestyle adjustments. Many people can manage Type 2 diabetes by eating healthier, being more active and losing weight. Eventually however, they still may need to use medication to reduce their blood glucose levels down.
What is Prediabetes?
Prediabetes means that you have high blood sugar but it is not high enough to be diagnosed as Type 2 diabetes. If you are diagnosed with Prediabetes is means that you run a high risk of being diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes.
The above information has been sourced from https://www.diabetes.org.uk/ please follow this link for more information about Diabetes.
So; does private medical insurance cover treatment for Diabetes?
If you were diagnosed with diabetes of any type prior to buying your health insurance then the answer here is really no. Private medical insurance in the UK does not offer cover for chronic conditions of this type.
For people who have cover in place prior to any symptoms or diagnosis then your insurance would provide cover up to the point of diagnosis. Once a chronic condition has been confirmed, all routine monitoring and medication would be dealt with using the NHS. You may however be eligible for treatment for any flare ups of your condition.
There is one insurer in the UK that will offer an add-on benefit which gives a pot of £1000 per year which could be used for treatment of a chronic condition amongst other things.
The team at SMP Healthcare Ltd are all experienced in the UK health insurance market. We would be happy to discuss any options with you. We would need to discuss your medical history and we would then be able to let you know what policies would be most suitable for you.
Please do not hesitate to get in touch with us if you would like help from an independent broker.
Email: enquiries@smphealthcare.com
Telephone: 01245 929129 or 0800 047 0127