Health Insurance News Articles

The chairman of the National Institution for Health and Clinical Excellence says the attitudes of the health insurance industry mean Huntington's Disease may be far more prevalent than official figures show.

Professor Sir Michael Rawlings says the fact that insurers can charge higher premiums for those at risk of contracting the disease means many potential sufferers may have gone unrecorded.

The child of a Huntington's sufferer has a 50% chance of inheriting the disease, which usually takes effect in people's 30s and 40s. Because this proportion is so high, insurers treat it as an exception to the general principle of not adjusting medical insurance to take account of genetic risks.

Official figures estimate 7 people per 100,000 suffer from the Full Story

Almost 50,000 people complained to the Financial Ombudsman Service about payment protection insurance providers last year. The news come shortly after the Competition Commission announced a major restriction on the way such cover is sold.

The FOS said payment protection was by far the biggest problem among consumers, making up 30% of all complaints over financial products. The next-biggest problem, current accounts, was responsible for barely half as many complaints.

Complaints over PPI are dealt with on a case-by-case basis as there is currently no blanket policy on what counts as unfair behavior by sellers. The FOS also noted that that consumers can contact them directly without using a third Full Story

A soldier says he may lose part of a £25,000 medical insurance payout after walking on to the pitch at Wembley.

Private Dave Tatlock claimed on a specialist armed forces policy after being paralysed by shrapnel in Afghanistan. He defied doctors' expectations by being able to walk again with the aid of a stick, but remains afflicted and has lost the full use of his left foot.

Tatlock made his appearance as a guest of honour in February during the Manchester United-Aston Villa Carling Cup final and carried the trophy on to the pitch. He now says he has been informed the claim is under review as a result of being seen on television by a representative of the insurers.

Insurers Abacus Cover say the claim is made up of several parts, all but one of which Full Story

Bupa has been voted Health Insurance Company of the Year at the 2009 Health Insurance Awards.

The annual industry event was held at the Grosvenor House in London on 22nd October with a number of awards given to celebrate the achievements of insurers and brokers in the UK health insurance arena.

Some of the awards and winners were:

Best Individual Private Medical Insurance Provider

National Friendly

Best Individual Income Protection Provider

Unum

Best Individual Critical Illness Provider Full Story

According to research by Employee Benefits magazine and Simplyhealth (HSA), employers remain committed to looking after their staff despite the recession and widespread cutbacks.

The findings of the annual survey show that spending on employee healthcare benefits, in the form of Health Cash Plans, has risen by a huge 180% over the past 12 months. The survey results also reveal that 14% of UK companies now offer an employee healthcare Cash Plan scheme, compared with just 5% of companies last year.

It appears that small to medium size businesses are largely responsible for the continued rise, with 27% of Full Story

New research by Bupa Health Insurance has highlighted the need for greater support for UK workers if a workplace health time bomb is to be avoided.

The survey of the UK’s ten biggest cities revealed that more than 40% of people say they are overweight, around 66% don’t eat the recommended five portions of fruit and vegetables a day, and more than 40% tuck into a fast food meal at least once a week.

Only about a third of people admit to doing some form of moderate physical activity every day, and only around a quarter say they are a member of a gym or sports centre. When it comes to sleep, around four out of 10 people are getting less than the recommended seven to Full Story

A Bupa survey of it's customers has resulted in it's healthcare cash plan achieving record customer satisfaction scores, with a substantial 92% of customers rating the service as either 'very good' or 'excellent'.

The scores come as the Bupa Cash Plan celebrates its 10th year of providing cover for healthcare expenses such as eye tests, dental care and chiropody plus other treatments that are not readily available on the NHS.

Head of Bupa Cash Plan, Stuart Wright commented: "Customer service is our top priority, so we're really pleased with these results. In the last 10 years, we have seen a three fold increase in customers and the popularity of cash plans continue to rise. It is an outstanding Full Story

Norwich Union Healthcare has launched a new personal income protection product named Income Protection Solutions which is designed to combine competitive premiums with no standard exclusions, guaranteed or reviewable rates, flexibility options such as limited benefit terms and retirement ages from 50 to 70.

Marketing propositions manager at Norwich Union Healthcare, Nick Homer said: "State incapacity benefit currently only provides £75.40 per week (rising to £84.50 after 52 weeks) which for most people is nowhere near enough to meet their needs. Consequently many people are currently vulnerable to the potentially devastating financial effects caused by Full Story

A recent survey conducted by Employee Benefits Magazine and HSA Healthcare has highlighted that stress appears to be particularly concerning for large companies including those operating within the public sector.

The annual benchmark survey which surveyed over 500 readers of Employee Benefits magazine, showed that 47% of companies believe stress is a primary cause of sickness absence which increases to 64% for companies with more than 10,000 employees. Again this figure risies to to 86% among public sector organisations.

Glenn Rhodes of HSA, commented: Full Story