Life insurance with high blood pressure

High blood pressure (also known as hypertension) is a condition that, if not managed well, can lead to a number of other illnesses.

This highlights the need to have adequate protection in place, but how will high blood pressure affect your chances of securing cover?

Read on to find out everything you need to know about high blood pressure and life insurance...

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Does high blood pressure affect life insurance?

The impact high blood pressure will have on your ability to secure life insurance will depend on the severity of your condition and how well you’re managing it.

Your application will be assessed taking the following information into account:

  • Family history of heart conditions
  • Date of diagnosis
  • Your weight
  • Your BMI
  • Any treatment/surgery
  • What medication you’re taking (if any)
  • Any related health conditions
  • Smoking status

By knowing this information, insurers will get a better idea of what your condition is like and will be able to calculate the risk of insuring you.

If insurers can see that you’re handling your condition well, with a blood pressure reading under 142/80 mmHg, you may be able to secure life insurance on standard terms.

If your condition is more severe (anything over 177/106 mmHg) you may be referred to a specialist insurer (such as The Exeter) or may even be declined.

At Reassured our specialist impaired life insurance team have found cover for 45% of applicants declined elsewhere.

Below you'll find a list of the different life insurance policies and how high blood pressure is likely to affect them.

Term life insurance

With term life insurance you’re covered for a specified period of time and if you pass away within this period a pay out is made to your loved ones.

Term life insurance is available with level or decreasing terms.

Level term life insurance provides a fixed pay out amount, whereas with decreasing term life insurance your sum assured will reduce over time.

With any form of term life insurance, you’ll need to provide medical information at the point of application.

This means you’ll need to disclose your high blood pressure.

Depending on the severity of your condition and the steps you’re taking to manage it, you could experience higher premiums.

Whole of life insurance

Whole of life insurance offers lifetime cover, meaning your loved ones are guaranteed a pay out.

You’ll need to provide medical information at the point of application and you’ll need to pay premiums for the rest of your life to keep cover in place.

For these reasons, it’s likely whole of life could be a costly option for someone with high blood pressure.

Over 50s plan

An over 50s plan provides guaranteed acceptance to UK residents aged 50 - 85.

What makes an over 50s plan different is that you don’t need to provide any medical information.

Instead, your premiums are calculated using your age and level of cover only.

This makes an over 50s plan an ideal option for those with high blood pressure as you won’t have to disclose your condition.

Is high blood pressure a pre-existing medical condition?

Yes, in the eyes of an insurer, if you have high blood pressure at the point of application it'll be seen as a pre-existing condition.

This isn’t to say that you won’t be able to take out life insurance on standard terms.

Insurers will take into consideration the unique circumstances of your condition and depending on the severity, you could be offered standard terms.

If your condition is more severe, your premiums may be inflated to account for the higher risk.

Read our comprehensive guide on life insurance with pre-existing conditions for more information »

Do I need to declare high blood pressure on my life insurance?

Yes, if you suffer from high blood pressure you’ll need to disclose this at the point of application.

Failure to do so can lead to a claim being declined and your selfless investment wasted.

Non-disclosure

Non-disclosure refers to not being completely truthful on your application. If you have high blood pressure it can be tempting to not mention it in favour of securing a cheaper premium.

However, if it’s found that you knowingly had high blood pressure at the time you applied for life insurance, your insurer will deem your cover invalid and no pay out will be made to your loved ones.

Honesty is the best policy as it can prevent your selfless investment from going to waste.

Cost of life insurance with high blood pressure

The cost of life insurance for someone with high blood pressure is likely to vary depending on the individual circumstances of your condition.

For someone with high blood pressure that’s well managed (with or without medication), it’s likely you’ll be able to secure cover on standard terms.

Those with more severe high blood pressure may experience higher premiums due to the increased risk to insurers.

In extreme cases, you may be referred to a specialist insurer or refused life insurance altogether.

At Reassured our team does their very best to find the most suitable cover for our applicants, even if you’ve been declined before.

How much life insurance do you need?

Enter your financial commitments to understand the level of cover you require.

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£121,687 is the estimated average outstanding mortgage per household in the UK.

Our property is generally the largest financial commitment any of us will make.

Your life insurance should cover this significant debt should you no longer be around.
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According to Money Advice Service, full-time childcare in the UK now costs £242 a week.

The loss of a parent could result in the need for additional childcare whilst the surviving parent increases their hours to account for lost income.

Your life insurance cover should factor in this additional required outgoing.
£
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The average level of debt (minus a mortgage) in the UK is £15,385.

Factoring in any outstanding debts in your name when arranging life insurance ensures this burden is not passed to loved ones.
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You may wish to leave your loved ones an inheritance or lump sum gift upon your passing.

Factoring in the gift amount when arranging your cover will ensure the pay out amount will be sufficient to provide your loved ones with this selfless gesture.
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According to SunLife, the average cost of a UK funeral is now £4,417, whilst the total cost of dying is £9,493.

This is a 130% increase over the past 16 years and shows no signs of slowing down.

A significant cost which should be factored into the amount of life insurance you secure.
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If you are one of the 65% of the UK who are lucky enough to have savings, this could be used as protection if you were to pass away.

Any pay outs from existing life insurance policies and investments can also be used as financial protection for your loved ones if you were no longer around.

Factor this into your required cover amount.
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Your total cover estimate

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High blood pressure and critical illness cover

It’s possible to secure critical illness cover with high blood pressure.

Critical illness cover provides the opportunity for an early pay out if you’re diagnosed with a life-changing illness that’s listed within your policy.

If you’re left unable to work due to your illness, a critical illness pay out can help to cover any lost income.

Due to your condition, it’s likely there may be some exclusions for related illnesses written into your policy, such as heart attack or stroke.

This means if you become unwell with one of these conditions, you won’t receive a pay out.

High blood pressure isn’t included on the list of critical illnesses, therefore if you’re diagnosed with high blood pressure during the term of your policy you won’t be able to make a claim.

High blood pressure and terminal illness cover

All term life insurance policies come with terminal illness as standard at no additional cost.

This means if you’re diagnosed with a life-threatening illness (during the term) and are predicted to pass away within 12 months you can make an early claim on your policy.

The pay out can be used to pay for medical treatment, make adaptions to your home or you can simply enjoy it with your loved ones.

Two types of blood pressure

There are two types of blood pressure:

  1. Systolic blood pressure
  2. Diastolic blood pressure

Systolic blood pressure is the pressure when your heart beats, whereas diastolic blood pressure is the pressure on your blood vessels when your heart muscles relax.

When taking blood pressure measurements (measured in mmHg), the systolic pressure will be given first followed by the diastolic pressure.

For example, 140/90 mmHg.

High blood pressure readings

A normal blood pressure reading is anything under 140/90. If your blood pressure is high, readings will be between 140/90 and 180/110.

High blood pressure statistics UK

  • In 2019 it was found that 4 million people under the age of 65 in the UK are living with high blood pressure. 1.3 million of these people are under 45[1]
  • Around 50% of heart attacks and strokes are as a result of high blood pressure[2]

Hypertension help and support:

Compare quotes for life insurance with high blood pressure

Securing life insurance with high blood pressure is completely possible.

Comparing quotes is essential to securing the right cover at the best price.

At Reassured we can do this on your behalf, saving you valuable time and money.

Our award-winning team can help to find you the most suitable cover, even if you’ve been declined before.

Get started and get in touch for your free quotes.

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Sources:

[1] https://www.bhf.org.uk/what-we-do/news-from-the-bhf/news-archive/2019/may/four-million-people-are-living-with-untreated-high-blood-pressure

[2] https://www.bhf.org.uk/informationsupport/risk-factors/high-blood-pressure

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