To wonder if health insurance will cover this - really really embarrassing

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I had bad piles when I was pregnant. Because of this I am now left with a lot of big anal skin tags (I’m sorry TMI!!)

I had a colonoscopy done around a year & a bit ago due to blood in stool & polyp removal on the NHS. But the tags are really causing issues themselves, not bleeding (so unrelated from that aspect) but itchy, really difficult to keep clean and sometimes cause pain themselves.
I’m not sure if the two things are too closely related that insurance wouldn’t cover it, the NHS won’t.

I am so embarrassed by them, it’s seriously damaged my self esteem & sex life, I don’t like my husband touching me because I worry he will feel it. I can’t tell him about it because I am just so embarrassed about them.

I know I can go private but for the quantity, I’m looking at £2000.
I wouldn’t be able to get them done for another 9 months if I wait for private medical (2 years without symptoms) and I’m not sure I can deal with them for that long.

Thank you for reading x

Only your insurer will know if this is covered. You need to contact them.

I'm often surprised by how unbothered most men are by things I've thought would be a massive deal, so it's worth checking your assumptions on that just in case that impacts your decision making.

My sister had these operated on. She said the recovery was awful. Really painful and a significant amount of time off work. More than she was initially told. Also are you finished having children because another pregnancy could cause piles again.

Yes, 💯 finished. I have two and that is definitely enough.

To be honest it would be more me than him, he’s generally quite laid back but I just freeze up at the idea of him seeing or touching them 🤮

If I contact them about it and they say no, will they push it back another two years?

Speak to the insurer. It sounds 50/50 to me. I suspect the decider will be whether they are classed as clinically chronic or acute. Interest free credit card and crack on with it?

I'd avoid mentioning to the insurer that they were from pregnancy as I think they can be funny about pregnancy related things. But fine to tell the consultant as they won't care as long as they are getting paid.

I'm not in the UK so might be way off but would it be worth asking your doctor or consultant is there any way that the procedure could be categorised to ensure it's covered by insurance?

I had something done before while was considered none essential & not covered by insurer but consultant got it categorises as essential as it was impacting another medical issue & therefore it was covered. It might be worth a shot.

Do you have the insurance already? Does it cover preexisting conditions? Ones organised through work often do.

The NHS should cover it. I got mine removed this year. It took years of fighting for it but I persisted and got them removed - push that they are itchy and painful. Exaggerate if you have to (I don’t care if it’s immoral it’s sometimes the only way to be heard)

Why would they? You are contacting them for information purposes to check the terms of insurance. It should have no bearing on your policy at all.

I do, but this one definitely doesn’t. I need to be 2 years clear of symptoms from any old issues. Which I’m 9 months away from.

Thank you, it’s so difficult isn’t it!
Yet we can afford chemical castration drugs for teenagers, the people who decide these choices annoy me.

Thank you:x

Did you really need to go there, OP?

But you’re not symptom free, youve said they are itchy and causing pain. So you are symptomatic. It sounds unlikely you’ll ever be able to claim for this if you are on a moratorium. The trouble free period means you have to be symptom free, not taking any over the counter medication etc. Sorry!

That’s fraud, it’s lying by omission and if for any reason they need to ask the consultant for any medical reports they will find out. I wouldn’t do this.

If they don't ask, then surely it isn't fraud. It just isn't information to volunteer unless asked.

Surely the NHS would cover this as it's really causing you distress and you're struggling to keep clean etc?

It covered it for me. Really similar history down to the colonoscopy & polyp removal. I have private medical through work - pay through the nose but it's been so worth it to skip the NHS waiting list. I had a call with a private GP and they referred me. I've not had the removal yet but it's in the pipeline. A friend had piles dealt with recently and she said recovery was tough - a lot of soreness and not being able to sit down properly for a month! But no regrets.

Sorry, I should have said. This isn’t a pre existing issue. The itching and everything has started recently.

the colonoscopy was to remove a polyp in my colon causing blood.

I'm another who really thinks NHS should cover this. Have you taken this up with your GP? The pain and itching, not the adverse effect on your sex life?

Sounds like you're fully medically underwritten. You'll need to be symptom, treatment and advice free for 2 years, plus they need to be causing functional issues. So unlikely that they'll be covered.

However, do speak to your GP as there are creams and ointments that do help. A daily antihistamine can also reduce the itching.

So as long as op's partner doesn't mind she should put up with it?

I'm not sure why you need to wait to be symptom free for 2 years? Private healthcare usually has a 'no pre-existing' conditions clause when you join but it sounds like you already have a private policy? Your post is a bit confusing...

Also find it really sad that you can't talk to your husband about this issues. Why can't you talk to him?