Life insurance for people with a heart condition

Heart conditions affect millions of people in the UK, with 2.3 million adults living with coronary heart disease alone[1].

Arranging the right life insurance can be a challenge if you suffer with a heart problem, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t options available.

It’s possible to secure financial protection for your family even if you have a pre-existing heart condition such as:

The success of your application and the cost of your monthly premium will depend on your individual circumstances.

Affordable life insurance for people with a heart condition can be arranged through Reassured.

We’re able to compare quotes from a range of major insurers as well as smaller specialist insurers, allowing us to help you find the best possible deal.

Continue reading this helpful guide as we explore life insurance with heart condition in greater detail…

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Why take out life insurance with heart condition?

Life insurance provides your family with a financial safety net if you were longer around to support them.

As someone who has a heart-related illness, you may feel that that there’s a greater need to have this type of protection in place.

The pay out from a life insurance policy can help your loved ones cover some or all of the following costs:

  • Mortgage or rental payments (average UK mortgage debt £131,724[2])
  • Family living costs
  • Household bills
  • Childcare costs (average weekly cost £263.81[3])
  • Funeral costs (average cost of a UK funeral £4,184[4])

Or, you may wish to take out life insurance to provide an inheritance for your family.

How much life insurance do you need?

Find out how much life insurance you may need by filling in this calculator with the costs you would like your policy to cover.

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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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Let us find your best quotes.

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Can you get life insurance with a heart condition?

Yes, you can get life insurance with a heart condition.

However, the severity of your condition and other personal circumstances will determine the options available to you.

You may be able to secure life insurance with a standard insurer, but your premiums will be inflated.

If a standard insurer won’t offer you a policy, then a specialist insurer may be able to provide you with the cover you need.

Specialist life insurance policies start from £15 a month*.

If you’re looking to secure a small level of cover, and you’re aged between 50 - 85, then there’s also the option of over 50 life insurance.

This is type of policy which doesn’t require any medical information and acceptance is guaranteed.

Premiums for over 50 life insurance start from just £5 a month**.

Whatever your circumstances may be, get in touch with Reassured and we can help to explore your available options.

What questions will insurers ask about your heart condition?

When disclosing that you have a heart condition, insurers will need to know more about your diagnosis so they can accurately assess your application and offer you the right policy.

The questions they ask will be specific to your condition and can include:

  • When were you diagnosed?
  • What are your symptoms and how frequent are they?
  • Are you receiving treatment and/or taking any medication?
  • What are your current blood pressure and cholesterol levels?
  • Do you have any other heart related conditions?

Will you need to undergo a medical exam?

In most cases, no, you won’t be required to undergo a medical exam.

However, if your heart condition is severe, for example you’ve experienced a heart attack, heart failure or stroke, then your application may require manual underwriting.

This means an insurer may request access to your medical records or require you to undergo a medical exam before offering you a policy.

They must obtain your permission to access your medical records and if a medical exam is required, then they’ll cover the cost.

Compare Life Insurance Quotes after Heart Attack »

How much is life insurance with a heart condition?

The cost of life insurance varies from person to person as applications are assessed on a case by case basis.

For standard policies, such as term life insurance, insurers will take into account the specific details of your heart condition as well as other key factors to calculate your premium.

These factors include:

  • Your age
  • Your smoking status
  • Your health
  • Your lifestyle
  • Your family medical history
  • Your policy terms;
    - Cover length (the term)
    - Cover amount (the sum assured)

As someone with a heart problem, it’s likely that you’ll be charged a loaded premium for standard life insurance.

This means insurers will add a percentage loading onto a standard premium to mitigate the risk of insuring you.

The percentage amount will depend on the degree of risk you pose and the likelihood of a claim.

If you’re referred to a specialist insurer then the same rules apply but premiums are likely to be heightened, starting from £15-a-month.

As mentioned, if you’re aged 50 - 85 and opt for an over 50 plan then premiums start from £5-a-month.

How much you pay and the level of cover you can get is determined by your age and sometimes your smoking status.

Quotes for life insurance with a heart condition can vary significantly from insurer to insurer.

For this reason, it’s important to compare multiple quotes from a variety of insurers before settling on one.

One of our life insurance experts can help you with this task - saving you time and money.

How to save money on your premiums

For all heart conditions, factors such as your lifestyle, smoking status and your age are key to determining the outcome of your application.

We look at these factors more closely to explain how they can affect your application and the cost of your life insurance premiums.

Lifestyle

Insurers are more likely to offer you a policy if you’re leading a healthy lifestyle.

This is because adopting a healthy lifestyle will help to reduce the risk of heart attack, heart failure or stroke.

You can improve your health and secure a better life insurance premium by:

  • Exercising regularly
  • Eating a healthy diet
  • Not drinking too much alcohol
  • Maintaining a healthy weight
  • Taking care of your mental health
  • Not smoking

Smoking

Harmful chemicals from smoking not only causes many heart-related problems but also brings an increased risk of many other medical conditions.

A smoker with a heart condition could pay a premium loading of up to 75% more than a non-smoker.

Insurers also class vapers and e-cigarette users as smokers.

Quit today and after 12 months of being smoke-free, you could save significantly on your premiums.

Please note, you may still be classed as an ex-smoker by some insurers and experience an increase in your premiums compared to a non-smoker until you have stopped smoking for 5 years.

If you require further information please read our dedicated life insurance for smokers guide.

Age

Life insurance gets more expensive as you get older, so it’s important to take out a policy as soon as you can to secure a more affordable premium.

Someone who’s in their 70s or 80s suffering from a life-threatening condition such as heart disease will experience heavily loaded premiums or may be refused cover altogether.

In some cases, an over 50 plan could be the best option as acceptance is guaranteed if you're aged between 50 - 85 despite any health problems.

Types of life insurance for people with heart conditions

Term life insurance

This type of policy provides you with cover for a set period of time (the term) and will pay out if you pass away during the term.

It’s the most popular form of life insurance (usually taken out to cover a mortgage) and tends to be the most affordable.

You can choose from the more affordable decreasing term cover, where the sum assured reduces over the lifetime of the policy and level term cover, where the sum assured remains fixed.

Term life insurance requires your medical information during the application process.

It may not be suitable for someone who’s older with a heart condition.

Whole of life insurance

This type of policy provides you with cover for the remainder of your life.

It guarantees a cash pay out to your loved ones when you pass away, (not if you pass away).

As a result it's actually a form of life assurance and not life insurance, as a payout is assured.

Whole of life insurance requires your medical information during the application process.

If you pay a loaded premium due to a heart condition, then there’s a chance you could pay more into this policy than what will be paid out eventually.

Over 50 life insurance

Also known as an over 50s plan, over 50 life insurance guarantees acceptance to all UK residents aged 50-85 with no medical questions.

Your age and the policy sum assured (and sometimes your smoking status) will determine the cost of your premiums. The maximum sum assured is typically £20,000.

An over 50s plan also guarantees a cash pay out to your loved ones when you pass away.

However, it won’t pay out in the first 12 or 24 months (depending on the insurer). If you pass away during this time (the waiting period), your premiums will be refunded to your loved ones.

Cover starts from 20p-a-day through Reassured.

Funeral plan

A funeral plan is different to life insurance because it allows you to plan and pay for your key funeral services in advance.

It also locks-in today’s prices, protecting your family from ever-increasing funeral costs.

With a funeral plan you don’t need provide any medical information and acceptance is guaranteed.

And, unlike life insurance, you can choose how you pay with flexible payment options.

Prices start from £19.11† a month through Reassured.

Policy extras and add ons:

Free terminal illness cover

Terminal illness cover comes as standard with term-based life insurance policies arranged through Reassured.

If you’ve secured level term or decreasing term life insurance with a heart condition, you could also receive this benefit.

Terminal illness cover allows you to make an early claim on your policy if you’re diagnosed with a terminal illness and predicted to pass away within 12 months.

The pay out could be used as you wish, whether that be to pay off the mortgage or to enjoy with your loved ones.

Critical illness cover (CIC)

Critical illness cover is a type of policy that pays out a cash lump sum to you if you’re diagnosed with a critical but non life-threatening illness.

The pay out can be used to help cover mortgage or rent payments, day-to-day living costs, private medical treatment or private care.

Critical illness cover can be taken out as a standalone policy or can be combined with your life insurance policy at an additional cost.

If you choose to take out both critical illness cover and life insurance as one single policy then you can only make one claim.

For example, if you claim for critical illness cover whilst you’re still living and a pay out is made, then your life cover will expire and you would need to secure new cover.

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Life insurance with heart disease

As mentioned previously, life insurance can be available to people with heart disease.

However, it depends on your individual circumstances and the severity of your condition.

Some risk factors which can affect your eligibility for life cover, include:

  • Your age
  • Whether you smoke
  • Your cholesterol and blood pressure levels
  • Your activity levels
  • Your diet and alcohol consumption
  • Your family medical history
  • Being overweight or obese

Whist there are some factors which are beyond your control, it’s still important to maintain a healthy lifestyle to reduce your risk of a heart attack or heart failure in the future.

Insurers are more likely to approve your application if they see evidence that you’re making healthy lifestyle choices.

If your condition has led to angina, heart attack or heart failure then you’ll find it trickier to secure standard life insurance.

In this case, your application may be referred to a specialist insurer.

As mentioned, specialist insurers are able to offer adequate cover to people who have pre-existing medical conditions. Life policies through specialist insurers can start from £15 a month.

Alternatively, if you’re aged between 50 and 85 then you may consider an over 50s plan. This is because you don’t need to disclose your heart condition when applying for this type of policy.

Reassured can help you compare all of your available options, saving you the time and hassle.

Our award-winning service is fee-free, so get in touch and we’ll do our very best to secure you the financial protection you need.

Can you get life insurance after a heart attack?

It’s still possible to secure life insurance for heart attack victims, even if you’ve been declined cover in the past.

There may be a range of policy options available to you through Reassured depending on your circumstances.

Some of the factors which are taken into account by insurers include:

  • When the heart attack occurred
  • If there are any ongoing symptoms
  • Any treatment, surgery, and/or medication
  • Current blood pressure and cholesterol levels
  • If you have any other heart-related condition

In some cases, it may be difficult to secure life insurance after a heart attack. Especially if the episode was recent and you’re still in the recovery period.

As a result, it may be worthwhile waiting until you have fully recovered (and your risk of another episode has reduced) before applying for cover.

Heart attack victims are often referred to specialist insurers. Their policies are designed for people who struggle to get standard life insurance.

At Reassured, our experts know the criteria for all the insurers we work with so we can present to you those who are most likely to accept your application.

We do our best to help you find the most suitable protection at the lowest available price.

Compare Life Insurance for Heart Conditions »

Can you get critical illness after a heart attack?

Yes, it’s still possible to obtain critical illness cover (CIC) after a heart attack.

However, it’s likely that you’ll pay more for cover than someone who doesn’t have a pre-existing condition.

Critical illness cover will pay out a cash lump sum if you’re diagnosed with a critical but non life threatening illness.

The illnesses will be specified in your policy and typically include:

It can also cover a range of heart conditions, but if you suffer from heart disease or have had a heart attack previously, then your policy may exclude some or all of the related conditions.

This means you wouldn’t be able to claim if you had another heart attack or developed another serious illness as a result of your heart condition.

Life insurance heart attack pay out

A pay out is made for life insurance or critical illness cover after a heart attack as long as:

  • A heart attack is one of the conditions included in your cover
  • Premium payments are up to date
  • Full disclosure has been made of your condition and personal circumstances
  • Your policy term hasn't expired

Life insurance pay out rates vary depending on the insurer, but overall 98% of all life insurance, income protection and critical illness claims result in a successful pay out in the UK[5].

Providing you with peace of mind that your loved ones will receive the financial protection they need when the time comes.

Life insurance after a stroke

Life insurance is often available after a stroke, depending on the severity of the stroke.

For some people, the effects of a stroke can be minor, while others can be left with life-changing health complications.

The recovery process is different for everyone too.

It’s sensible to wait a period of time after the stroke before applying for life insurance.

Your application will be assessed and your premiums calculated based on some key factors including:

  • When the stroke occurred
  • Cause of the stroke
  • Type of stroke (transient ischaemic, ischaemic or haemorrhagic stroke)
  • Any ongoing symptoms
  • Treatment, surgery, and/or medication
  • Other episodes/dates of previous episodes
  • Other heart-related conditions

One major factor that’ll affect your life insurance application is whether you’ve had a full stroke or a mini-stroke (transient ischemic attack - TIA).

It’s much easier to underwrite an application for someone who’s suffered a mini-stroke; on the basis that you’re making efforts to reduce your risk of having another (full) stroke, such as maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

Another major factor is the cause of the stroke.

For example, if you suffer from high blood pressure or atrial fibrillation, your application may be much more difficult to accept.

In any case, our dedicated team at Reassured will do their utmost to help you find a suitable insurer.

Compare quotes for stroke victims using our fee-free brokerage today.

Life insurance high blood pressure (hypertension)

It’s possible to secure standard life insurance if you have well managed high blood pressure, with or without medication.

Most insurers will assess your application and calculate your premiums based on your current blood pressure readings, in correlation to your age and how you’re responding to treatment.

They’ll take into account:

  • Date of diagnosis
  • Weight (BMI)
  • Treatment, surgery, and/or medication
  • Family history of heart conditions
  • Any underlying related health conditions

An insurer will also take into account your age and smoking status, before providing a quote.

What is considered high blood pressure for life insurance?

A normal blood pressure reading will show systolic and diastolic readings under 140/90 mmHg.

If you have high blood pressure, your reading will show between 140/90 and 180/110 mmHg.

In regards to high blood pressure and life insurance, an applicant with a reading of less than 142/88 and not taking any medication is likely to secure cover on standard rates.

If your blood pressure is anything over 177/106 mmHg it’s most likely your application will be declined and you may be referred to a specialist insurer.

Either way, get in touch with our award-winning team and they’ll do their best to find you suitable cover.

Can I get life insurance if I have heart failure?

It may be very difficult to secure standard life insurance if you have heart failure.

Along with other heart diseases, heart failure is one of the leading causes of death in the UK.

An applicant with heart failure may be considered high-risk (or impaired risk) and may be referred to a specialist insurer.

A specialist insurer is more likely to accept your application for life insurance, but at a heightened premium.

Fortunately, at Reassured we have an impaired risk life insurance team who’ve helped many people with a serious heart condition secure affordable cover.

We know the criteria for each of the insurers we work with so we can pair your application with those mostly likely to offer you cover - saving you the time and hassle.

There’s also the option of an over 50s plan, in which your medical information isn’t taken into account.

Acceptance is guaranteed for UK applicants aged between 50 - 85 and the cost of premiums are determined by your age, cover amount and sometimes your smoking status.

Get in touch with our award-winning team who’ll be happy to explain your options.

Life insurance after heart bypass surgery

You could still secure life insurance even after receiving heart bypass surgery.

As mentioned previously, it’s best to wait a period of time to recover before applying for life insurance.

The insurer will take into account the factors which have led to your heart surgery.

These may include your:

  • Type of heart condition
  • Smoking history
  • Weight (BMI)
  • Cholesterol and/or blood pressure levels
  • Family’s history of heart disease

Making positive lifestyle changes to improve your health may affect the success of your surgery and can lower your risk of developing further heart complications.

This will improve your chances of securing the cover you need, at a premium that’s within your budget.

Compare quotes for life insurance after heart bypass surgery with Reassured.

Support services for people with heart conditions

If you’re living with or have recently been diagnosed with a heart condition, you can find support and information using the following links:

Compare life insurance with heart condition quotes

Ultimately, it's possible to secure life insurance even with a heart condition, although premiums could be more expensive.

Comparing multiple quotes for the cover you need is the most-effective way of securing the best possible price.

As an FCA-regulated life insurance broker, Reassured can do exactly this.

Even if you’ve been declined in the past, why not use the expertise of our specialist impaired team to help you find a suitable insurer?

What's more, we can help you write your policy into a trust, if offered by your provider, to avoid/minimise 40% inheritance tax.

Our award-winning service is completely fee-free to use.

Get in touch today to see if you could secure life insurance with a heart condition.

Compare Life Insurance for Heart Conditions »

Sources:

*£15 a month is the minimum monthly premium for The Exeter's Real Life term cover life insurance product. Premiums are subject to status and will vary depending on the type and severity of your medical condition, as well as personal information such as your age. Securing cover is not guaranteed

**£5 per month Life Insurance quoted rates are based on Over 50 Life Insurance Cover of a non-smoker and subject to individual status as of 1st July 2021. £1,244 Cover Amount - 50 year old born in 1971 (SunLife)

†£19.11 per month pricing includes a £75 discount only available to Co-operative members and is based on a 50-year-old purchasing a Co-operative Simple Funeral Plan at £3,020 over the maximum term available of 25 years (total amount repayable £5,733.40) as of 1st March 2021

[1] https://www.bhf.org.uk/what-we-do/our-research/heart-statistics. BHF Statistics Factsheet - UK (pdf))

[2] https://www.finder.com/uk/life-insurance-statistics

[3] https://www.daynurseries.co.uk/advice/childcare-costs-how-much-do-you-pay-in-the-uk

[4] SunLife (2021), Cost of Dying Report, sunlife.co.uk/costofdying2021

[5] https://www.abi.org.uk/news/news-articles/2021/05/record-amount-paid-out-to-help-families-cope-with-bereavement-ill-health-and-injury/

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