User talk:Jtripp21

ESMI: Essential Supplementary Medical Insurance
ESMI is a leading specialist health insurance provider with more than 20 years experience in the market. They offer life insurance, sick pay insurance (a shorter term version of income protection insurance), critical illness insurance and a new product which protects employers from the costs of statutory sick pay.

ESMI was the brain child of Andrew John Tripp and he was also the driving force behind the company. A truly remarkable man who was a prominent figure in the medical insurance industry and an exceptional businessman. Andrew had an extraordinary, larger than life character; however underneath this bold, enthusiastic exterior was a kind and caring man who wanted nothing more than to help people, especially those who had become sick and unwell. This burning passion to help people epitomised by his determination to introduce the sickness products, which were the basis of ESMI.

Andrew had a very successful career path in the private medical insurance industry. He worked as a regional sales manager for Norwich Union (1990-1996) and a regional sales director for WPA (1997-2007). He then set up a specialist PMI brokerage called Perfect Health Insurance with his business partner Peter Lowenburg, which he ran and excelled at for 5 years. Andrew also served as chairman of the trade association AMII (The Association of Medical Insurers and Intermediaries), alongside his work at Perfect Health from 2010-2012.

In 2012, Andrew was bitten by a fly whilst travelling in India and contracted a rare tropical disease that caused a virus to attack his heart and immune system. He suffered from severe heart failure and was unable to work for 12 months until his condition was stabilized. He was never able to work at his usual capacity ever again. Luckily for Andrew he had an invaluable insurance policy in place which allowed him to not only get the best medical attention, but also to survive financially whilst he was incapable of working.

Whilst going through this devastating experience, he realised how lucky he was and he understood that the people either-side of him in hospital were almost certainly not as well protected as he was. From that moment of realisation, Andrew made it his mission to use his insurance expertise and entrepreneurial knowhow to create a product to uphold his strong belief, that protection could and should be available to many more people, regardless of their income, large or small. He was obsessed on bridging the gap in healthcare quality between the NHS and the private sector and felt it immoral that just because one person does not earn as much as another, that they should get a different standard of healthcare. It both confused and fascinated him that most people, even in low income brackets, would happily protect their pets with insurance but very few in comparison would actually protect themselves.

Andrew, was interviewed by the Guardian, and he put the basis for ESMI's cheaper products as this "The traditional income protection product is aimed at those who travel business class. This is for budget airline travellers. Our simple plan offers guaranteed acceptance with no occupational additions. We don't cover soldiers in a war zone but the Ministry of Defence does that. We don't load [increase premiums] for smoking. It costs £15.60 a month for £1,000 a month cover, and £21.68 for £1,500. We pay out after 30 days.".

He wanted people to realise that cover really was available to them, and that private health insurance is no longer just a luxury item. It can be easily acquired and at a relatively affordable rate these days.

Unfortunately, Andrew passed away recently on the 4th September 2016 after his long struggle with ill health. Yet his dream was so strong that ESMI continues to operate, thanks to the extremely dedicated staff.

--Jtripp21 (talk) 11:40, 15 March 2017 (UTC) thumb