Medicare International considers modern day health conditions

A recent poll conducted by international healthcare specialists MediCare International has shown that 95% of respondents believe healthcare policies should cover the ongoing costs of treating asthma and diabetes, despite the fact that chronic costs are often excluded from many healthcare policies.

Every day the media seems to be full of stories about the increases in asthma and diabetes rates. You may have noticed it yourself, the number of people close to you and your family who have developed either asthma, diabetes or both. The causes of asthma and type II diabetes are often linked to modern life, whether it is the quality of the air, cleaning products, or in the case of diabetes, people who are overweight and lead sedentary lifestyles. Whatever the reason, both these medical conditions are on the increase.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), their estimates show that more than 180 million people worldwide have diabetes, and predict that this number is to more than double by 2030. Diabetes can, according to Diabetes UK, also be age and gene related. For some retiring abroad to Europe or beyond, this is a factor to bear in mind, as healthcare insurance may well become relevant.

The statistics for asthma sufferers are even worse. According to WHO estimates, 300 million people suffer from asthma and 255 000 people died of asthma in 2005, and is the most common chronic disease among children. Asthma is not just a public health problem for high income countries: it occurs in all countries regardless of level of development.

Insulin and inhalers are crucial aids in terms of patient care for these two classes of illness. Without them, the sufferer could, in the worst case scenario die, but the ongoing cost of funding these medicines can be considerable.

The cost of chronic care medicines is frequently one of those “small print” items which an insurer will not cover once a patient has been stabilised in hospital and then discharged. But it is precisely at this point when the need for ongoing medicine costs has been identified that an insurance policy is needed to cover this unforeseen expense. With this in mind, MediCare International conducted an online poll to ask whether the public thought that healthcare policies should cover these two conditions. An overwhelming 95% voted ‘yes’, which supports the theory that healthcare policies are in existence to assist people in need, rather than make life more difficult for them.

Commenting on the results, David Pryor, Senior Executive, MediCare International comments, “These results confirm our healthcare philosophy at MediCare International. We aim to ensure all our policyholders in our most popular International Plus and Executive International plans are covered for the ongoing care costs of asthma, diabetes or other chronic care costs. Our aim is to give clients the highest standards available, without any of the loopholes you find in other policies so, if an excess applies, this can be bought out, for example. MediCare International has established an industry benchmark in the fact that we will offer cover to clients of any age and in any occupation, so those retiring abroad can relax in the knowledge that an organisation with over 25 years experience is ready to support them.”