Private Health Insurance Guide Blog

The British Heart Foundation has released a troubling report which includes some startling statistics on child exercise. It highlights that many children in the UK are not getting nearly enough exercise, with a percentage of children not even getting 30 minutes of exercise each day. You can read more on the report on this BBC article. You can also download the report in full from the British Heart Foundation website.

Once again we here in the UK seem to be blessed by the NHS and the different ranges of private medical insurance options available. Although we think our system is not perfect, in hindsight when you look at other countries in the world – it is clear we do OK here in the UK.

Some of the richest countries in the world are struggling to come up with a healthcare system that actually works for the population of the country, and not just for the well off. America more than most. The healthcare system in the US seems to be all about dollars instead of being about its citizens, rich or poor.

You could pay your medical insurance for 30 years in America and still end up bankrupt. Loop holes and conditions, oh it sounds like a night mare. We keep hearing about the heathcare system in America but they are not the only ones with problems.

In fact these problems seem to be getting repeated around the globe with most countries that rely on private medical insurance companies, and guess who runs most of the companies?? Westernized insurance companies are at the heart of most of these countries.

They are not blame for the system but they are always about if there is a system worth exploiting. These scenarios make me believe that the health care system in the United Kingdom is one of the best in the world. It maybe cost a fortune but I would rather live in a world where all walks of life get access to the healthcare they need.

The NHS does its job, the private healthcare companies are there for people who have a little extra money and would like to protect their families by giving them quicker access to medical treatment if and when needed.  

Pre-Diabetes Issues - Ticking Time Bomb

Diabetes

Around 7 million people in the United Kingdom have pr-diabetes and are in danger of developing type two diabetes, according to Diabetes UK.

The charity Diabetes one say that the situation is a ticking time bomb waiting to go off. It is claimed that people with pre-diabetes can avoid developing type 2 diabetes by losing weight, healthy eating and regular exercise. This could minimize the risk of the more advanced condition by up to 60%.

People who have high blood pleasure or overweight tend to have pr-diabetes more so than others. It is also common for people who are connected to a family history of the condition.

Last year (2008) there was a staggering 145,000 new cases of the disease diagnosed. Government statistics say there are around 2.6 million people in the United Kingdom with the disease all ready.

In April this year the British government started a campaign checking the health of citizens between the age of 40 to 79. Primarily checking for danger signs that can lead to the disease - like obesity and high blood pleasure.

Douglas Smallwood of Diabetes UK  says that these signs in British society are a serious concern. He goes on…
"It's staggering that seven million people in the UK have pre-diabetes, which is often a precursor to type 2 diabetes, a serious condition which can lead to long-term complications such as heart disease, stroke, kidney failure, amputation and blindness."

"Identifying and educating people with pre-diabetes is vital as it's not too late for many to make healthy lifestyle changes, reverse the condition completely and reduce their risk of developing type 2 diabetes,"

The healthcare debate currently raging across the pond in the USA is providing a great deal of interesting talking points. For those who are unaware, President Obama is currently trying to push through a program of Healthcare reform which could see the current US healthcare system completely overhauled.

"only wealthy, industrialized nation that does not ensure that all citizens have coverage"

The micro-blogging website Twitter crashed last week due to the sheer volume of report recieved for the trending topic #welovetheNHS. Trending topics are user generated subject tags, the most popular of which which appear on the search pages of the Twitter website.

The #welovetheNHS tag was set up as a reaction to percieved falsehoods that American Right-Wing thinktank The GOP had been spreading about the UK healthcare system. The tag recieved so much attention that Prime Minister Gordon Brown and his wife Sarah felt compelled to respond.

#welovethenhs on Twitter

The UK health system has been under attack, with many failing to understand that here in the UK we have a choice.. You can use the NHS for free or opt to pay for private medical insurance if you can afford it.

Kids toothpaste

One of the best ways to help children to understamnd the importance of oral health is to make learning about it it fun; it will be the only way we can get kids interested enough to take notice. The sooner you get kids to understand the benefits and disadvantages of oral healthcare the more likely they are to adopt healthy habits when they grow up.

One of the most rewarding ways to do this is by talking to children and their parents. Outside the class room there is other groups who take this up. Girls and boys clubs along with the likes of YMCA groups do a great job of getting the kids interest in there oral health.

In the home there is fun activities that can be carried out to stress the importance of keeping and maintaining good oral health.   

One great way to get them involved is to mix 4 droplets of orange or red food coloring to a little paper or plastic cup of cold water. Ask your child to take sip and swish it around there mouth and then spit it out into another cup. Once this has been done ask the kid to look at it through a magnifying glass and count the colored pieces in the cup. Then ask the child to brush his teeth and repeat the process. This is a great way for them to see exactly how much plaque there is built up before you brush your teeth.

If you are looking family dental or health insurance quotes then there is a wide range of companies available nowadays that tend to all needs and budgets.

According to the big insurance companies, only one in five of us are regularly visiting the dentist. Many people are wary of the sometimes exorbitant costs involved for even the simplest of treatments.In this day and age, the economic concerns of households are more fixed on food and utilities costs.

There was a very interesting video posted on the BBC website last week detailing the current sitauation regarding health insurace in Holland. Essentially, everyone in Holland has health insurance. If you can't quite afford a health insurance quote it (ie you're a student) then the government steps in and helps you out.

Sadly, the BBC isn't allowing the video to be embedded on blogs, but you can view it here:

BBC News - Healthcare In Holland

What can we learn from the Dutch health system?

For the USA, this model represents an interesting method of controlling the healthcare system. If the Dutch structure were to be implemented it would obviously take a great deal of the financial strain off both individuals and companies. Whether the population en masse would be prepared to pay more taxes to subsidise this system is another question altogether?

For the UK, the Dutch model presents an interesting proposition. Would it be wise to let the Private Health Sector take some of the strain off the National Health Service? UK readers, what are your thoughts on this?

Another thing we could possibly take from the Dutch is the piano playing in the hospital waiting room. If you don't believe us - watch the video!

NHS Emergency

The Times Online reported last Thursday (11/06) that £500m pounds worth of funding for hospital construction and refurbishment is being withheld. This is thought to be the first major signal of the recession beginning to affect funding into the NHS. Obviously, cuts like these will have a ripple down effect throughout the entire UK health service - from those workers who may possibly lose their jobs or have to relocate to patients who may hav eto wait that littkle bit longer for an operation due to the lack of facilities at thier local hospital. Of course many will begin to turn to the private sector for their treatment, prompting many to ask the question.................

Should the entire UK medical service be privatised?

Well, our honest opinion on this question is that there is a role for both the NHS and private healthcare, Each sector has advantages and disadvantages to the type of care offered. For example, having private health insurance enables you to receive treatment and diagnosis more promptly than the NHS average and you can also arrange treatment in a way that is far more flexible to your requirements. Also, as private healthcare is funded (obviously), these insitiutions have access to the latest medical treatments and equipment. Techniques such as open heart surgery, hip and knee replacements and keyhole surgery have become routine operations in the recent past. Despite increases in investment, the NHS simply does not have the resources to keep up with this phenomenal growth in medical technology, it has so much more to deal with in keeping its hospitals clean that investment in new medical equipment cannot take top priority. Also, staff will have to be trained to a sufficient level to operate this latest equipment.

The NHS still has a place in the UK health landscape. Perhaps it could dovetail slightly more effectively with the private system. The NHS is still by far the best option for providing accident and emergency treatment, and in general the servie provided is superb (considering the pressures involved) - perhaps this is where the future of the NHS lies.