COPD life insurance
People with COPD can secure life insurance through…
7 min
Yes, it could be possible to secure life insurance if you have asthma.
As asthma is a common condition in the UK, many companies may be able to offer you life insurance cover.
However, there are factors which could add an additional loading (additional cost) to your premiums.
As certain negative health and lifestyle attributes can impact the severity of your asthma, it’s possible that the premiums quoted could be lower with an improved lifestyle.
However, no two quotes are the same, and the price you pay for life insurance will be affected both by your asthma and other factors.
Reassured can compare quotes from some of the best UK life insurance providers. Quotes are fee-free and no-obligation. Simply get in touch.
Generally speaking, asthma is classed as a "low risk" pre-existing medical condition and may not have an impact on your ability to secure cover.
However, the affect asthma will have on your life insurance will depend on the severity of your condition.
Those with mild and well managed asthma could be able to secure cover on standard terms or with a small loading to their premiums.
Whereas those with more severe asthma, or asthma that’s unmanaged, can experience a greater loading to their premiums or eligibility affected.
Insurers will need to know certain key information about your condition so that they can assess your application accurately. This includes:
If other high-risk factors are identified, such as if you’re a heavy smoker, your policy may need additional underwriting due to the increased risk.
Additional underwriting may also be required for asthma sufferers who have been taking oral steroids as a treatment, those who are regularly admitted to hospital or those who have required surgery.
While many people in the UK live alongside the condition, around 3 people in the UK die from asthma attacks everyday[1].
While this is a low percentage of people who are asthmatic, it’s a high amount of people for a common, long-term condition.
With any condition that can be fatal, it’s worth securing life insurance. However, if you have a family who rely on you, it’s important to protect your loved ones if something happens, regardless of your health.
Life insurance could help cover the following:
However, you may have alternative reasons why you’d like to secure life insurance. It’s worth contacting Reassured if you’re uncertain about what life insurance can cover.
We can discuss the process while also finding our best quotes from our panel of insurers.
The price you pay for life insurance with asthma will vary depending on your personal circumstances and the severity of your condition.
As standard, you’ll need to provide the following information on your life insurance application in order for insurers to calculate the price you pay:
Insurers will also need to know about your condition, such as your symptoms and whether they’re persistent or intermittent.
The more frequent your flare-ups and the higher the dose of inhaled corticosteroids or other medication, the higher your premiums will be. Any untreated or uncontrolled asthma will also result in higher premiums.
In contrast, those who experience mild asthma symptoms and don’t have regular flare ups may be able to secure cover on standard terms or with only a small increase to their premiums.
It’s important that you accurately disclose your asthma and other information on your life insurance application.
Failure to do so is known as “non-disclosure”, which would lead to your policy being invalidated. Any claims on policies where non-disclosure is found will be unsuccessful.
Comparing quotes is essential in finding affordable life insurance with asthma, as each insurer with have a different underwriting process.
Why not compare quotes through Reassured?
Those with asthma still have a wide range of life insurance policies available to them.
At Reassured, we can help you secure a life insurance product which reflects your personal needs. The polices we offer include:
Level term life insurance can help to protect an interest-based mortgage, other large debts and/or daily family living costs
However, as this is a term-based product, it’s possible to outlive the policy. If you pass away after the policy has finished, claims will be unsuccessful.
Decreasing term life insurance can help to protect a repayment mortgage as your policy could mirror your mortgage term and balance.
The sum assured will reduce during the policy’s term and claims will be unsuccessful if you pass away after the predetermined term.
If you’re an older asthmatic who wants to ensure they’re covered for a certain sum assured and are still in good overall health (other than your asthma), this policy could be ideal for you.
On average, whole of life insurance has the highest premiums. As your premiums may have additional loading due to your asthma, it’s possible to pay more into the policy than you would receive.
Asthmatics who have additional health complications and are UK residents aged between 50 - 85 can find this a great option.
However, the maximum sum assured is lower than the other life insurance policies due to accepting people without medical information
Please note the severity of your asthma will also be taken into consideration during the application process.
Reassured can help find suitable life insurance at an affordable price by comparing quotes from the UK’s leading providers and smaller specialists (through our advised team).
If you’re an asthmatic smoker, you could still secure life insurance.
However, smokers pay more on average for life insurance than non-smokers and asthmatic smokers may find an additional loading on their premiums.
Heavy smokers may also face their policies needing additional underwriting due to the greater risk.
Having asthma and smoking has been proven to further irritate the airways and aggravate other asthma symptoms.
If you’re considering life insurance, it’s worth attempting to quit smoking. Those who are smoke free could save money on their policy and may entitle them to a higher sum assured.
Please note that any form of smoking, vaping or nicotine product which has been used in the last 12 months would classify you as a smoker.
You could still secure cover if you’re asthmatic and overweight.
If you’re overweight or obese you may find your asthma symptoms are more severe.
If you have a BMI over 30, you have a much higher risk of having asthma than those with a lower BMI[4].
While it’s not exactly clear what the link is between asthma and weight gain, being overweight will already result in higher premiums for life insurance.
Therefore, if you’re overweight and asthmatic, you could face further inflations to your premiums.
Losing weight and getting down to a healthy BMI could help you to secure a more favourable premium price.
Insurers will want to know the type of medication you take for your asthma.
Depending on the type, strength, and way you take your medication, you may experience additional loading on your premiums.
The main form of medication and preventative treatments are:
Insurers may ask about any asthma medication or surgeries you have required in the past when considering your premiums.
If you don’t take any form of medication or if your asthma is uncontrolled, then you will face higher premiums due to the risk reflected on the insurer.
Approximately 6.5% of the population, have asthma in the UK.
A diagnosis of asthma is more common in children, and some grow out of the condition when reaching adulthood.
As of July 2024, the National Institute for Health Care and Excellence concluded that 5.4 million people in the UK are actively receiving asthma treatment.
The risks of developing asthma are a mixture of being hereditary or caused by additional health complications.
Those with a family history of atopic diseases, including eczema, conjunctivitis, and asthma itself, are all susceptible to developing the condition at a young age or having persistent asthma into adulthood[5].
Smoking, obesity and regular inhalation of pollution, spores, damp and other particles can all trigger asthma or lead to continuing symptoms.
Yes, you could secure income protection if you have asthma.
If you’re worried about being unable to work, income protection is a way of ensuring you can receive a percentage of your income.
As most people with asthma can work full-time, you could be able to secure cover, providing your symptoms are not extreme.
Income protection is designed to pay out a sum of money per month if you’re too ill or injured to work.
Unlike life insurance, income protection will be paid to you while you’re still alive. This can substitute your income and give you time to recover or rehabilitate.
You can secure income protection through Reassured's advised team. Their friendly team will be able to compare income protection quotes with their whole of market comparison service.
Asthmatics will face additional medical questions to determine their life insurance eligibilities and premiums. The most common questions include:
What is moderate asthma?
If you have a wheeze that’s noticeable with a stethoscope and flare ups roughly once a week, your asthma is likely to be moderate. Moderate and mild asthma are the most common variations in the UK.
If you’re unsure about the level of your asthma, it’s important to talk to a doctor.
What is classed as severe asthma UK?
If you struggle to control and regulate your symptoms, even with higher doses of medication, you would be classified as having severe asthma.
Severe, persistent asthma is the highest level and leaves you with constant symptoms.
Does mild asthma affect life insurance?
Mild asthma won’t impact your ability to secure life insurance.
You may experience an increase to your premiums, depending on when it was diagnosed and the type of treatment you use.
Is asthma a critical illness?
Asthma isn’t classified as a critical illness.
As it’s not considered a serious condition and deemed low risk by certain providers, it won’t be on the list of conditions covered under critical illness with most companies.
Does asthma count as a long term health condition?
Yes, asthma is a long term condition. However, if you’re diagnosed with asthma as a child, your symptoms may improve or disappear entirely.
Asthma is more likely to be a long term condition if diagnosed in adulthood.
Does asthma worsen with age?
Asthma attacks can be more severe as you get older. This is due to your body’s ability to recover diminishing.
However with treatments, many asthmatics can expect to have the same life expectancy as someone without asthma.
Can I get cover if I’ve been declined previously?
Yes, it’s possible to still secure some form of cover. Reassured have a specialist impaired team who are on hand to support such applicants.
If you’ve been declined in the past, why not contact our team for help.
How to get life insurance with asthma?
Contact Reassured to obtain your fee free and no obligation quotes. We can find you our best deals from our panel of insurers.
Reassured can compare quotes from leading providers and smaller specialists for asthmatics.
Our UK based team can support you with every step of your application and help find a quote that suits your individual circumstances and budget.
Best of all, our quotes from our award-winning broker service are fee-free and no-obligation.
Save yourself time and money by comparing quotes. Simply getting in touch.
[1] https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/asthma/asthma-attack/
[2] https://www.finder.com/uk/mortgages/mortgage-statistics
[3] https://www.sunlife.co.uk/funeral-costs/
[4] https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11355285/
[5] https://cks.nice.org.uk/topics/asthma/