Medical Insurance Info

Obesity epidemic and your family's health

There's a lot of talk in the media about an obesity epidemic. And whil ethe UK isn't the nation with the biggest challenge in terms of overweight and obesity, we are one of the nations higher up the list 0 as are many of the western nations with developed economies.

But what can we do as individuals to ensure that we keep to a weight that's within the recommended range - or rather, have a body mass index (BMI) that is healthy. It's worth noting that BMI isn't the be all and end all though - for instance athletes and people who do sports may be heavy due to muscle mass and so the scales aren't showint them to be overweight as such - just heavier than the average person of their height and build.

Keeping to a healthy weigh isn't simply about the amount we consume. Sure, it definitely helps to keep out of the habit of eating foods that are packed with energy but have little in the way of nutritional value - such as sugar heavy soft drinks.

Activity plays its part as well -and not only can make us feel better about ourselves, exercise can also reduce the risk for a range of diseases.

The obesity epidemic - while it's a governmental challenge here and in other countries too, it's also a fight we can do our own individual contribution to winning. 

Private medicine

Interesting and helpful clip on private medicine - worth a look.  

PMI market boost

The private medical insurance market saw encouraging news this week with the year on year subscriber figures for one of the industry's biggest players showing a very respectable increase.

PMI provider AXA PPP healthcare saw an 11% increase in member numbers for 2012 for UK and international PMI combined, which is likely to be encouraging news for the industry as a whole - especially given that we're not yet hearing much talk of the recession lifting once and for all.

It's interesting to note that the company's international PMI is seeing an increase in subsriber numbers, since this area is one that's been on the increase for a while now. part of the reason for this is that - even despite the effects of the downturn on many companies - more and more people are emnbarking on international assignments through their employer.

The number of expat employees is expected to continue to grow for at least the next 5 years, and expat insurance will be an area to watch as this continues. 

The value of private health and healthcare services in the UK is £40 billion (source: laing and Buisson) and this is likely to grow due to a number of factors including

• ageing population more of whom as time goes on will be likely to insure health
• changes to the structure of the healthcare market as a whole
• increasing amount of people travelling to the UK for elective procedures
• new drugs and treatments offered under private medicine may not be available elsewhere, attracting more subscribers to PMI

Of course, there's always the possibility that the economy could find its upturn sooner than expected too, which would also provide a fillip for the market.

Ensuring you get the right medical cover

If you're looking to buy private health cover, then there are a few things worth thinking about as you consider your potential purchase.

The first of these is deciding on what level of cover you require. If you're new to private medical insurance (PMI) then it's a good idea to take a little time and look at the range of options available - PMI policies aren't one size fits all, giving you the opportunity to pick and choose the things you require, while also of course not subscribing to or paying for the elements of coverage you don't require.

Another important aspect of buying (as with any financial product) is of course to make sure that the provider you choose is a reputable, established name. If you want to find out more about insurance generally then check  out the Association of British Insurers website, which has info for consumers. The much-respected consumer magazine Which? also has a very useful insurance section which has lots of sensible advice for prospective PMI customers and information about things like cutting the cost of PMI and the plus points of getting cover.

 

Healthy springtime - ways to make the most of the season

The author of this article is Jen Jones, who writes on medical insurance and wellbeing topics.

Well - here it is after all those months of winter - finally the onset of spring. Actually it's still only February, but a miraculous few days of clear blue skies - and even a touch of warmth from the sun despite chilly ambient temperature - give the impression that spring is definitely on the way.

So with the better weather hopefully on the horizon, now is a good time to start thinking about spring cleaning the old lifestyle, and making it new once again. Don't think of it as a new year kind of dutiful resolution thing - more a dynamic time of inspiration and growth, when the light begins to stream back into the world and it feels good to be out and about being active without sleet or snow falling on your head.

Without further ado, the, are our tips for a healthy spring

Get seasonal with your food - this will help you find loads of great fresh produce to try alongside healthy staples such as brown rice and your favourite fruit and veg.

Still on the topic of food - now is also a good time to get creative with the salads and enjoy some great tasting salads and seafood - somehow the abundance of sunshine makes these foods all the more appetising.

 Change the exercise routine - now that it's lighter you may well feel you naturally have more energy, so think about your exercise routine and make any necessary changes to help keep it interesting.

It's also worth looking at your various health cover and other financial products to make sure you've got everything you require. A bit of financial health is always in order too.

Look at your wellbeing routines - are you still finding it difficult to destress after work? Then try some new ways to manage stress. Mindfulness meditation is in the news quite a lot these days for its beneficial effects. It's also actually quite a simple technique - and there are plenty of good books available on the subject.

ACAS guide to mental illness at work

A guide to workplace mental health issues and how to deal with was published in 2012 by the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (ACAS).  ACAS developed the guide in conjunction with the NHS and their Workways agency that focuses on the issues of poor mental health in the working environment and how to reduce its impact.

 Mental health issues currently cost UK employers around £30 billion every year due to absence, recruitment and lost work.  This is a big problem and is one that is a difficult subject for some, even though it said that one in four people suffer from mental health problems.

 The ACAS guide was developed to help educate employers and line managers in the issues and difficulties surround mental health and the way it impacts on employees and the organisation.  It also helps to provide ways to spot potential signs of mental health issues and how to help those affected.  The main points of the guide are:

 -    The importance of good mental health at work

-    A number of common causes of mental health problems

-    The way mental health impacts on the working lives of employees

-    How to spot potential early signs of mental health problems and how to deal with them

      Further to this, ACAS have provided practical advice in the second part of the guide on ways to manage mental health issues.  The second section deals with four generalised states of mental health and provides information on how to:

 -    Analyse and become aware of the mental health of employees on the surface

-    Take a deeper look into the personality traits of your employees and their coping strategies

-    Develop a greater understanding of mental health through a watching brief and help to raise the awareness of mental health conditions

The guide offers a great resource for employers and managers on the topic of mental health and how to deal with it in the workplace.  This information can help to improve how an organisation deals with mental health issues and could be used in line with the company's employee assistance programme to remain proactive on tackling mental health and boost employee wellbeing.

SMEs and the UK economy: a picture of health?

There's an interesting article on SME businesses and the government's hopes for them over at the FT which was published recently. In the article, the prime minister is quoted as having recently said that the "rate if new business creation" was faster in 2011 to 2102 "than any other year in our history".

This is backed up by the figures - also mentioned in the FT article - from Companies House, showing that an amazing 450,000 businesses were registered for the most recent complete financial year - with the overwhelming majority (ninety nine and a half percent) being within the SME scale.

This is interesting for a number of reasons, not least of which is that the National Institute of Economic and Social Research has this week produced figures indicating that the UK has pulled out of double dip recession. Business creation is likely to have played a part in that, and while the future remains uncertain (as the future always tends to do) it's got to be an encouraging sign that the number of businesses is growing. And to record levels, too.

Of course, the nature of work changes over time - so there are likely to be one-person consulting firms that are run by people who have perhaps been made redundant and opted to continue working in their chosen field outside the parameters of corporate life. So while it may not all be entrepreneurial ventures that constitute the bigger picture, it still shows that there is a resilient independent spirit that's making a massive contribution to the economy.

Uptake of SME and self-employed health insurance could likely see a rise, too, as the number of start ups, sole traders and other forms of business go onstream in the time to come.

Cancer treatment under private medicine

This interesting clip shows how much thought goes into cancer care and how sometimes the little thoughtful things can make a powerful a positive difference.

 

Sickness absence and smokers

Interesting news story this week about the cost of smoking to UK businesses - which is actually quite a lot - at 1.4 billion pounds a year. This is down to smokers being a third more likely to take time off sick and also smokers on average taking more time off from work due to illness with an average of 2.7 further days off every year.

Of course, not all smokers take more time off work - these are just averages. But reading between the lines it could well be that while at one end of the scale you have smokers wh aren't taking any more sick leave than anyone else, at the other end of the scale there will be people who have become serisoulsy ill as a result of smoking and are off sick longer term.

Workplace wellbeing strategies are something many businesses use to minimise sickness absence but of course it's up to the individual whether they choose to smoke or not. But there's plenty of opportunity for organisations to supply employees with healthy information on smoking cessation. Private health care insurance providers often have detailed factsheets on their site and there's also some stopping smoking content on NHS Choices.

In other smoking news today, it's reported that of the 1 in 5 people from the States who smoke, half of them have at some point tried to give up. Tobacco has been described as "the single largest preventable cause of death and disease" in the country. Smoking is something that - despite having been banned in buildings and everyone knowing it's unhealthy - is something that a minority stil chooses to do. But it's a minority that appears to be getting smaller and smoking less.

The healthy breakfast

A personal commitment to healthy eating can be a health insurance policy in itself, when you think about it. And a lot of healthy eating is actually good fun too, believe it or not  - largely it's about being open to new eating experiences and enjoying tasty new healthy treats then forming the habit of healthy eating.

Many tasty foods are good for us - from avocado to pumpkin seed, from porridge to turkey breast - there's a whole world of healthy eating out there. But perhaps we sometimes view healthy eating in the wrong way - as a kind of 'health and fitness' thing rather than focussing on what's great about healthy food which is that it's:

Fresh - colourful peppers and other fruit'n'veg like aubergines, lemons, cabbage - a whole world of taste and flavour to try on their own or combine into healthy stir fries.

Tasty - think of something like lentil soup, or maybe turkey curry with brown rice - very healthy and nutritious food that doesn't hold back on delighting the tastebuds!

Cheap - the cost of living these days is a challenge for many of us. Why, then, spand your cash on ready meals when you can do your own version at a cheaper cost while saving yourself a few quid and also ensuring that there's not too much salt or fat in the mix?

Satisfying - interestingly, a lot of healthy meals actually do make you feel full and satisfied for a longer time after eating. If you have some turkey breast, lentils and salad, for instance - chances are that you will still be feeling good later on, whereas after a kebab or a burger you may well start craving more of the same not long after.

This week it was in the news that a bacon roll for breakfast could in fact be something we really need to cut down on, since high fat meals can help lead to narrowing of the arteries. But as anyone who fills up on porridge  in the morning will know, the sustained energy boost is second to none, while also being good for us - high in soluble fibre and possibly even helping reduce cholesterol levels, too.