The top ten range from practical health questions to queries about the mechanics of health insurance, and are a great whistle-stop summary tour of what people have really been interested in this year, what they’re searching for – and what they’re willing to spend their scrolling time on.
The simple answer for the year’s top question is around £1,500 a year, but the more complicated background is that it depends – on things like your age, your health, your location, and in particular how often you’ve claimed before.
One thing to look out for is quality. Not all health insurance policies are created equal, and it’s well worth being aware of potential pitfalls. Those include cover that doesn’t start immediately, discretionary pay outs, and long lists of exclusions. You can find out more in this article, too.
Fatigue is a serious issue affecting the UK, with 1 in 8 adults reporting they feel tired all the time. It can affect wellbeing, health, relationships and work – and it can be very difficult to get to the bottom of.
So when is being tired just needing a good night’s sleep, and when might it be a sign that something else is going on? This article looks at Vitamin B12 deficiency, and was part of a series of articles on tiredness which also covered things like iron deficiency and insomnia.
Musculoskeletal issues are responsible for more than 10% of sickness absences in the UK – and people are struggling to get referred for physio treatment on the NHS, with some waiting 20 weeks for an appointment.
Because official physio waiting time figures aren’t published in England, this article was based on Freedom of Information requests Equipsme made to individual health authorities back in 2019 – and remains the main information source on the subject.
In at number 4, another waiting times article – indicating it’s something on a lot of reader’s minds. This one looks at NHS England figures from the GP patient survey, which found it really is harder to get an appointment now than at any time over the last five years.
We cover how long people are waiting, how hard it is to get an appointment, and how people feel about the quality of the service they receive when they DO get through the door.
We also include some top tips on how to get those precious appointments and how to make the most of your time with your doctor, plus details on how the 24/7 GP service from Equipsme works, in case you need a back-up alternative.
Have you ever been to a doctor who hasn’t believed you when you’ve talked about your symptoms – or told you they’re normal, or not that bad – or even that they’re all in your head?
Well, if you’re female, you’re not alone. 8 out of 10 women in the UK feel they’re not listened to by healthcare professionals – victims of what’s become known as the gender health gap. Here’s all the details about what it is, how to avoid it, and how to get out of it if you’ve fallen in.
Health insurance is a minefield of technical terms… which is why we drafted in independent expert Andrew Green from Craigdallie Healthcare to jargon-bust some of the least clear and most misunderstood terms from the world of PMI – including what on earth a moratorium is.
Around 13% of Brits have private health insurance – but around 53% want it.
We know that post-pandemic and mid-NHS crisis more and more people are looking for a bit of health back-up - and that attitudes to private health insurance are changing. You can read more from our own White Paper on the subject, and check out the very latest stats from the Independent Providers Healthcare Network.
Did you know that Equipsme plans come with a Gym Membership discount? Thanks to our relationship with AXA Health, all Equipsme members get access to AXA Health perks – including up to 40% gym discounts for themselves and family they’ve added to their policy.
This popular article covers all the details about what discounts you can get where, and all the links on how to find participating gyms.
The NHS reckons most people should be taking a Vitamin D supplement between September and March – because Vitamin D is a pretty big deal. It supports our ability to heal from illnesses and injuries - and not getting enough has been linked to heart disease, diabetes and other serious health problems. So we put together 7 key signs to look out for that might indicate you’re not getting enough.
We also remind Equipsme members that they have access to health tests through our health-check partners Thriva – which can include a Vitamin D test (depending on your plan cover level).
And finally… the 10th most-read blog of 2023 is about what tends to be excluded from most private health insurance policies – and therefore what to look out for in the small print. We cover pre-existing conditions, chronic illnesses, prescription costs, and more.
