Can you get life insurance with pre-existing conditions?

Yes. The good news is suffering from a pre-existing condition won't necessarily affect your ability to obtain life insurance or the cost of premiums.

Due to the increased risks associated with these conditions, it's often believed that securing life cover is impossible.

Thankfully, this isn’t the case and by using an FCA registered broker, such as Reassured, you can still secure affordable cover even with a pre-existing condition.

We compare a panel of insurers and put you in touch with those insurers most likely to accept your application.

In many cases, the cover you secure and the cost of your premiums won't be affected by your medical condition.

Get in touch to compare quotes, our award-winning broker service is completely free to use...

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Life insurance for pre-existing medical conditions

Obtaining life insurance when you suffer from a pre-existing medical condition can be more difficult and is likely to be more expensive.

This is due to the increased health risks associated with many of these conditions.

Insurers calculate the price of your monthly premiums based on the likelihood of a claim.

Therefore, the higher the risk you pose, the more you'll pay each month.

On rare occasions, if the risk you pose is considered too high, an insurer may decline you cover.

At Reassured, we offer a possible solution to both these scenarios.

Firstly, we compare a wide panel of insurers to find you your best quote.

Secondly, we have a dedicated impaired risk team who have obtained cover for 45% of people declined elsewhere.

Get in touch to take advantage of our range of services, dedicated to helping you secure affordable cover.

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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Best life insurance with pre-existing conditions

The right cover to meet your specific needs will depend on what you're looking to protect and your individual circumstances.

This includes aspects such as:

  • Level of cover
  • Policy type
  • And of course, your pre-existing condition

To ensure you secure the right cover to meet your unique needs, contact Reassured.

We can provide you with all of the information required to help you make an informed decision on the best cover.

Life insurance application for pre-existing medical conditions

Whilst all other aspects of the application will remain the same, further information regarding your condition is normally required.

As a result, it's likely your policy will undergo manual underwriting and could take a few days before being accepted.

Upon application, your insurer may request to see your medical records, speak with your GP or require you to undergo a medical before issuing a quote.

This will allow them to determine the severity of your condition, any medication/treatment required and the impact the condition has on other aspects of your life.

All of this will be taken into account during the underwriting process to ensure your policy is tailored to you.

Before an insurer can gain access to your medical records or contact your GP, they must obtain your consent.

However, if you refuse this, it's likely your application will be declined.

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Life insurance policies for pre-existing conditions

Whilst your policy may have to undergo manual underwriting, once it has been accepted, your cover will be enforced as standard.

This means that, unlike critical illness cover which may exclude certain illnesses relating to your condition, your life insurance will cover you for all the same causes of death as cover offered to a standard applicant.

It's important to remember, however, that whilst your cover will be standard, your premiums may be inflated to compensate for the increased risk you pose.

Can you be denied insurance due to a medical condition?

Yes. Whilst it's unlikely to be declined life insurance due to your pre-existing illness, it's a possibility.

Each case will be reviewed individually, taking into account the severity/type of your condition and the most recent attack.

In most circumstances, life insurance with a pre-existing condition will be required to undergo manual underwriting.

Are there any insurance companies that cover pre-existing conditions?

As previously mentioned, some insurers may decline cover if you suffer from a pre-existing medical condition.

At Reassured, we have an impaired risk team dedicated to helping find cover for those who have been declined elsewhere.

Due to our large panel and specialist skills, we've helped 45% of people secure a policy having previously been declined elsewhere.

So, don’t let previously being declined deter you from getting life insurance, there are still a number of options available.

What medical conditions affect life insurance?

Previous major life events, such as cancer, heart attack and stroke will affect your life insurance.

Whilst pre-existing conditions can include manageable conditions like asthma, it also encompasses life-threatening major events such as a heart attack, stroke or cancer.

As with ongoing medical conditions, it's still possible to obtain life insurance if you've undergone a severe attack or life-threatening condition.

The application process will be the same, requiring medical information, and manual underwriting will provide a quote based on your personal circumstances.

Curable or manageable conditions

Ultimately, insurers will increase the cost of your premiums if your condition increases your likelihood to make a claim.

But curable and manageable illnesses (dependant on individual circumstance) may not threaten your mortality and therefore, may not affect the cost of cover.

During the application process, information regarding your condition will be gathered from questionnaires, medical records etc.

This information will then be processed by the underwriters and your premiums will be adjusted accordingly.

It's always best to discuss this with your insurer to determine how your individual circumstances may affect your policy.

What is a pre-existing medical condition?

A pre-existing condition is one which existed or still exists at the point of applying for life insurance.

The illnesses falling within this category will differ depending on the insurer.

When applying for life insurance, it's essential to be completely honest about any medical ailments to ensure that your policy is valid.

List of pre-existing conditions

Aliments considered as pre-existing illnesses will differ between insurers.

Therefore, to determine the best cover to suit your individual circumstances, compare policies from multiple insurers.

Common pre-existing medical conditions include:

On-going conditions:

Major life events:

  • Cancer
  • Heart attack
  • Stroke
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Developing a medical condition during your policy

Developing a medical condition once your life insurance is in place won't affect the validity of your policy.

Providing you're honest at the point of application, the validity of your cover will remain intact even if you develop a medical ailment during the term.

Non-disclosure, (always be honest and transparent)

As discussed, you're likely to pay higher monthly premiums due to a pre-existing condition which can make it tempting to lie about your illness.

However, whilst this may save you money in the short term, it can be extremely detrimental in the long run.

If upon your passing it's found that you've lied during the application, your loved ones may be denied a claim, leaving them with financial strain at an already stressful time.

Further to this, if found to have lied prior to your death, you may face charges for insurance fraud.

This can result in a fine and in some instances, imprisonment.

Therefore, to protect your loved ones, it's essential you're honest and forthcoming during the application process.

Mortgage life insurance with pre-existing medical conditions

Fortunately, it's not a legal requirement to have life insurance in order to obtain a mortgage.

However, if you're able to secure such protection and have dependants, it's very likely to be in your best interest.

Without adequate cover in place, if the worst were to happen to you, repayment of the mortgage would fall to your partner or children.

Inability to meet these repayments could result in having to move from the family home.

With the right cover in place, a pay out could be used to clear the mortgage, allowing your family’s lifestyle to be disrupted as little as possible.

Life insurance for seniors with pre-existing conditions

Unfortunately, in some instances, you may still be declined life insurance if your pre-existing condition is severe enough.

However, there's still one final option, an over 50s plan.

Available to those aged between 50-85, over 50 plans offer life insurance with no medical exam and don't even require any medical information.

This eliminates the need to declare your pre-existing condition, opening you up to life cover even if you've been previously declined.

Over 50 life insurance, however, does enforce a waiting period of 12-24 months from the start of your policy.

This means, if you were to pass away during this initial period, no pay out would be issued. (Although the premiums already paid in would be returned).

What's more, you'll only be able to secure a sum assured of up to £25,000.

Contact our team to determine if an over 50s plan is right for you.

Does critical illness insurance cover pre-existing conditions?

Whilst it's possible to obtain critical illness cover with a pre-existing illness, it's likely cover will include exclusions.

Critical illness cover allows you to make a claim on your policy if you're diagnosed with a life-changing, yet non-terminal illness.

However, if suffering from a pre-existing condition, it's possible that this illness, plus others which may be a result of the original ailment, will be classed as an exclusion on your policy.

For example, if you suffer type 2 diabetes, it may be determined that heart attack will be classed as an exclusion on your policy.

Therefore, if you suffer a heart attack as a result of diabetes, you'll not be able to make a critical illness claim.

Contact Reassured to understand whether or not critical illness cover is available to you and the implications your pre-existing illness will have on your cover.

The importance of life insurance

This figure is expected to rise to over 18 million within the next decade[1].

Life insurance can secure the financial future of your loved ones if the worst were to happen to you.

As a sufferer of a pre-existing condition, the need for life insurance only becomes more prevalent as you live day-to-day aware of the risks associated with your condition.

Without adequate cover in place could your loved ones afford to:

  • Meet monthly mortgage repayments?
  • Afford daily family living costs?
  • Pay off any outstanding debt in your name?
  • Cover the cost of your funeral?

Compare life insurance quotes with pre-existing conditions

It's possible to secure affordable life insurance even with a pre-existing medical condition.

If you suffer from a medical condition, the cost of premiums can vary more when compared with a standard applicant.

As a result, it's even more important to compare quotes to secure the most cost-effective policy.

Using an FCA registered broker, such as Reassured, will allow us to compare quotes and leverage our skills to find cover where you may otherwise be declined.

...and the best part is our award-winning service is completely free for you to use.

Get in touch today to start your journey towards affordable life insurance protection.

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Sources:

[1] https://www.fca.org.uk/news/press-releases/fca-challenges-industry-improve-access-insurance-people-pre-existing-medical-conditions

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