Can I get life insurance with IBS?

Yes, the good news is it’s possible to secure life insurance if you have IBS (irritable bowel syndrome).

When applying for life insurance with IBS it’s possible to secure cover on standard terms, if your condition is well managed.

Standard terms means the policy price isn’t inflated by the risk of a medical condition and the cover doesn’t have exclusions applied. Policies with standard terms start from just £5 a month † through Reassured.

However, the cost of your cover will depend on the severity of your condition and whether there are any other health problems present.

Irritable bowel syndrome is one of the most common gastrointestinal disorders, with 20% of the population suffering from this condition at some point in their lives[1].

Not to be confused with IBD (inflammatory bowel disease), which refers to conditions such as Crohn’s Disease and Colitis - although it is possible to suffer from both conditions simultaneously.

While symptoms can have similarities, there are some key differences. Do you suffer with IBD?

Why not read our complete life insurance with Crohn’s Disease guide for more information?

In this IBS guide we’ll be covering:

Securing life insurance with IBS doesn’t have to be a difficult endeavour, why not enlist the help of Reassured to help you find the right policy, at the right price?

Keep reading to find out everything you need to know about IBS life insurance…

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What is IBS life insurance?

There’s no specific life insurance product for those suffering with IBS.

IBS life insurance simply refers to a life insurance policy taken out by someone with IBS to protect certain aspects of their life.

A life insurance pay out could be used to help cover:

  • Mortgage payments or rent
  • Household bills (gas, electricity, water, council tax, TV & broadband)
  • Family living costs (food, drink, clothing, leisure, travel)
  • Additional childcare costs
  • Funeral expenses
  • An inheritance

Do I need to tell insurers about my IBS?

Yes, you’ll need to inform the insurer about your IBS during the application process.

This is so they can calculate your monthly life insurance premium accordingly.

When declaring to insurers that you suffer from IBS, it’s likely that they’ll need to ask some additional questions to gain a better understanding of how the condition affects you.

What information will I need to provide for insurers?

  • When you were diagnosed
  • How severe your symptoms are
  • How frequent your symptoms are
  • Common triggers for your symptoms
  • Whether you’re taking any medication
  • Whether IBS has caused any other medical conditions / is a result of any other conditions?

Rest assured, it’s unlikely that declaring IBS will lead to your application being declined and, in most cases, IBS will have a minimal effect on your life insurance options.

In fact, it could be possible to secure cover on standard terms if your condition is well managed.

Seeking the help of a broker, like Reassured, can help you to find the insurer who’ll offer you the most favourable terms.

We’ll take your personal circumstances into consideration and provide you with the details of the provider who offers our most affordable rates.

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Is IBS a pre-existing condition?

Yes, if you have been living with IBS for many years and the condition is present when applying for life insurance, this will be considered a pre-existing medical condition.

This means you’ll need to disclose your IBS during the application process.

If you develop IBS while your cover is in place, this isn’t considered a pre-existing condition and you aren’t required to inform your insurer of your new diagnosis.

Source: https://gutscharity.org.uk/2021/03/ibs-awareness-month-2021/

We have written a comprehensive article exploring life insurance with pre-existing conditions if you require additional information »

Does IBS affect life insurance?

As IBS is a pre-existing medical condition, it may have an effect on your life insurance cover.

Often, IBS symptoms can be treated with a well-managed diet and lifestyle.

The main symptoms for IBS include:

  • Pain or discomfort in your tummy
  • Tummy cramps
  • Changes to your bowel movements
  • Bloating
  • Constipation
  • Diarrhoea

In more severe cases, IBS can also cause:

  • Feeling tired/lack of energy
  • Indigestion
  • Feeling sick
  • Muscle pains
  • Incontinence
  • Needing to take time off of work

If your IBS is well managed through living a healthy lifestyle, your flare ups aren’t severe and symptoms are mild, it could be possible to secure cover on standard terms without inflated premiums.

If your IBS is more severe, or chronic, insurers may need to look further into your medical history and your premiums pay be increased (or loaded) as a result.

Insurers will also consider whether your IBS has led to any other medical conditions.

Severe IBS has been linked to mental health conditions, with 40% - 60% of suffers having anxiety or depression as a result. Stress and trauma have also been suggested to worsen IBS symptoms[2].

When taking out cover through a life insurance broker, we can take everything into consideration and provide you with the details of the most appropriate cover options to meet your unique needs.

How much IBS life insurance do you need?

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

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£137,934 is the estimated mortgage debt per household in the UK.

The purchase of a home is likely to be the largest financial commitment any of us will make in our lifetime. Your life insurance should cover your remaining mortgage balance to allow your loved ones to stay in the family home should anything happen to you.

Source: Moneynerd.co.uk
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The average monthly household budget in the UK is £2,548 (that’s £30,576 per year), which is spent on transport, food & drink, utilities (gas, electricity, water etc), clothing, council tax and leisure activities.

With energy prices hitting a record high and the cost of living rising sharply in the UK, you may wish to factor in utility bills and family living expenses into your cover.

Source: Nimblefins.co.uk
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The average personal debt of UK adults has risen to £34,566 (not including mortgage debt), with credit cards, personal loans and overdrafts being the most common forms of debt.

Factoring in any debts into your life insurance cover means that, if they need to be paid back from your estate after your passing, your loved ones won’t miss out financially.

Source: Money.co.uk
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According to SunLife, the average cost of a funeral in the UK is £3,953 (with the overall cost of dying at £9,200).

Funeral costs have increased by 116% since 2004 and are a significant cost which should be factored into the amount of life insurance you secure.

Source: SunLife.co.uk
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When factoring in cover for your children, you may wish to calculate the amount based on how long it is until they reach financial independence.

This could include childcare (£7,000 per year for part-time care), school expenses (£1,519 per school year for uniforms, lunches, stationary etc), as well as an additional sum for further education (this could be a contribution of up to £5,000 per year).

Sources: Daynurseries.co.uk, Primarytimes.co.uk & Savethestudent.org
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2 in 5 adults say they are relying on an inheritance to fund their retirement.

Factoring in an inheritance to your sum assured could allow loved ones to live a more financially comfortable life. Alternatively, you could leave a cash gift to a charity of your choosing.

Source: Moneyage.co.uk
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If you’re lucky enough to have your own savings or are part of the 30% of UK residents who already have a life insurance policy in place, this can provide financial protection for loved ones.

By entering your current cover, savings or death in service amount you can reduce the sum assured you require.

Source: Scottishbusinessnews.net
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What’s the best life insurance for someone with IBS?

There are four main types of life insurance. Which is the best option for you will depend on what you want to cover, your available budget and the severity of your condition.

When applying for life insurance with IBS you’ll still be able to choose between:

Level term insurance

Level term life insurance provides your loved ones with a fixed sum assured (pay out amount).

You’ll be covered for a specified period of time (the term) and, if you pass away during this time, a pay out will be made.

During the application process, you’ll be asked to provide key information to allow insurers to calculate your monthly premium. This will include disclosing that you have IBS.

If your condition is mild and well managed it could be possible for you to secure level term life insurance on standard terms.

If your condition is more severe, or has led to any other medical conditions, you may experience increased premiums due to the higher risk.

Decreasing term insurance

Decreasing term life insurance is often the most affordable option, as your risk to insurer reduces over time.

This is because your sum assured will decrease over the policy lifetime.

For this reason, decreasing term cover is ideal for helping protect a repayment mortgage, as your sum assured can reduce in line with your remaining mortgage balance.

As with level term cover, you’ll be covered for a specified period of time and insurers will take key information into consideration to calculate your premiums.

Mild and well managed IBS shouldn’t have a great impact on the amount you pay for decreasing term cover and it could be possible to secure cover on standard terms.

Chronic or severe IBS could lead to inflated premiums.

Whole of life insurance

Whole of life is a form of life assurance, as your cover will last for life and guarantee your loved ones a pay out.

This way you can help ensure you can cover funeral costs and provide an inheritance for your loved ones.

You’ll be required to pay premiums for the remainder of your life to keep your cover valid.

This could become costly if paying inflated premiums due to severe or chronic IBS.

Whole of life insurance could be well suited to those later on in life, living with mild and well managed IBS.

It can be possible to pay more into the policy than it will pay out if you take out cover at a young age.

Over 50s plan

An over 50s plan offers guaranteed acceptance to UK residents aged 50 - 85, without the need to provide any medical information.

You won’t be required to disclose your IBS and, instead, premiums are calculated using your age, sum assured and, sometimes, your smoking status.

To compensate for the unknown risk, insurers offer a lower sum assured (up to £20,000) and premiums can be more expensive.

It’s also likely that a waiting period will be added to the policy. This is a period of time (often 12 or 24 months) where if you pass away due to natural causes a pay out won’t be made.

An over 50s plan can be an ideal option if you fit into this age bracket and have struggled to secure cover due to poor health.

At Reassured we can compare multiple policy types from some of the UK’s best life insurance providers, as well as smaller specialists, to help you find an affordable policy.

Simply get in touch for your FREE quotes.

Terminal illness cover as standard with all term policies through Reassured

At Reassured, all term policies we sell come with terminal illness cover at no additional charge to you.

Terminal illness cover provides you with the opportunity to make an early claim on your life insurance policy in the event you’re diagnosed with a life-threatening illness and are predicted to pass away within 12 months.

This pay out can help to pay for medical treatment, be enjoyed spending time with your loved ones and/or can allow you to get your financial affairs in order.

Why not ask a friendly member of our team about terminal illness cover to find out more?

How much is IBS life insurance?

The price you pay for life insurance as someone with IBS will vary, meaning no two IBS life insurance quotes will be the same.

This is because the symptoms of IBS can differ from person to person, for one it could be a minor annoyance and for another it could be a chronic condition.

During the application process, insurers will ask for key information to help determine the price you’ll pay for your cover.

You’ll be asked about the following:

When disclosing that you suffer from IBS, it’s likely you’ll be asked for more details about your condition. These questions could include:

  • When were you diagnosed?
  • How frequent and severe are your symptoms?
  • Do you also suffer from any other bowel conditions (such as Crohn’s or Colitis)?
  • Has your IBS led to any other conditions (including mental health conditions such as anxiety etc)?
  • Are you taking any medication?

Insurers will take the personal circumstances of your condition into consideration.

Those with mild and well-managed IBS could secure cover on standard terms. Policies with standard terms start from just £5 a month through Reassured.

If your IBS is more severe, has led to any other medical conditions (such as mental health conditions) or you’re on strong medication to treat your symptoms, you may experience inflated premiums.

A friendly member of our team can help you to source quotes from a variety of providers to help you find affordable cover.

Can I get critical illness cover with IBS?

Yes, as with life insurance, it’s still possible to secure critical illness cover with IBS.

However, the severity of your condition along with any other high-risk factors, will influence how much you pay for your cover.

Critical illness cover provides a cash lump sum pay out upon the diagnosis of a life changing (but not life threatening) illness.

Cover can be added to a life insurance policy for an additional fee or can be purchased as a standalone policy by some providers.

Insurers may add exclusions to your policy for any IBS related illnesses. This means you won’t be able to make a claim if you develop these conditions.

Similarly, if your IBS has led to any other conditions, these will likely be added as exclusions too.

Is IBS a critical illness?

No, IBS isn’t one of the illnesses covered by critical illness cover.

This means you won’t be able to make a claim for critical illness cover if you develop IBS during the term of your policy.

What if I have been declined before?

If you’ve previously been declined for life insurance in the past, it may be that:

  • Other high-risk factors were identified
    IBS is linked to a wide range of other conditions, including but not limited to anxiety, depression, endometriosis and chronic fatigue syndrome. There’s also a negative link between alcohol and IBS, so if declaring excessive alcohol consumption as well as an IBS diagnosis this could be considered high risk in the eyes of the insurer
  • You had only just been diagnosed
    Insurers typically like to wait until a certain time period has passed after a diagnosis before offering cover. This allows them to eliminate the chance of a false diagnosis and get a better understanding of how the condition affects you and your everyday life

It’s unlikely that you’ll be declined life insurance due to IBS alone.

If applying for life insurance with other high-risk factors, Reassured can help.

We’ve a specialist impaired life insurance team with a proven track record of finding some form of cover for those who’ve previously been declined.

We work with a panel of insurers, including specialist insurers, to help you find the life cover you need.

IBS help and support

The effects of IBS can be draining both physically and mentally.

Thankfully there are a wide range of resources available for those with IBS, you’ll find links to some of these listed below:

Compare life insurance quotes for IBS

Securing life insurance with IBS is possible and, if your condition is well managed, it could be possible to take out cover on standard terms (this could be from as little as £5 a month through Reassured).

Securing cover through a broker, like Reassured, allows you to compare multiple options from some of the UK’s leading providers.

Not only can we help you to save time and money, but our quotes are personalised to your needs, fee free and without obligation.

So why not get in touch today?

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Sources:

[1] https://www.anxietyuk.org.uk/anxiety-type/irritable-bowel-syndrome/

[2] https://www.healthline.com/health/ibs-c/stress-and-anxiety#How-stress-may-worsen-IBS

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