Healthy Lifestyle And Life Insurance

If you’re considering getting life insurance, it’s important to know that your health and lifestyle can impact your ability to get cover.
Does my health status influence my life insurance options?
In this guide, we’ll discuss what medical conditions and lifestyle choices may affect life insurance policies, why it’s important to keep your life insurance company updated on any changes in your health, and whether or not you need a health check for life insurance.
Some life insurance companies require applicants to complete a health questionnaire or undergo a medical examination.
This is most likely to happen when the policy features a critical illness benefit. The insurance application may stipulate that the applicant must be in good health.
Certain health conditions and lifestyle choices often result in difficulty obtaining coverage or may increase premiums dramatically.
Medical Conditions That Can Affect Life Insurance
Your medical history is one of the key factors insurers will consider when determining whether they can offer you cover. Certain pre-existing medical conditions may mean you are considered high-risker to insure or might be charged more for coverage.
These conditions could include cancer, heart disease, diabetes or even mental health issues such as anxiety or depression. It is important to disclose any pre-existing conditions when applying for life insurance so the insurer can properly assess how much risk you pose
Others typically include:
- Certain high-risk hobbies or jobs
- Smoking
- Heavy drinking (more than 21 units weekly for women or 28 units weekly for men)
- Health conditions like cancer, hypertension, diabetes, clinical obesity, certain disabilities, and heart defects
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What is the common definition of good health?
To be declared in good health, an individual usually does not take the prescription medication regularly, except for minor medications like hay fever. The individual also has not been absent from work due to sickness for more than two weeks during the most recent 12 months.
The person does not have mobility issues and is considered reasonably physically fit.
Good health does not equate to being teetotal or a super-fit individual. Life insurance companies know that few people are completely free of health issues and deal with customers with different health statuses.
Lifestyle Choices That Can Affect Life Insurance
Insurers also consider other lifestyle choices that may affect the risk of insuring someone.
This could include smoking or using tobacco products, drinking alcohol excessively and taking part in dangerous activities like skydiving or rock climbing without having the correct safety equipment or training.
Not disclosing these activities when applying for life insurance could result in a claim being rejected if something happens while participating in them.
Do You Need To Tell Your Insurer If Your Health Changes?
It is important to keep your life insurance company up-to-date on any changes in your health after taking out a policy so they can adjust their risk assessment accordingly.
This could include anything from a new diagnosis of a serious condition such as cancer, diabetes or heart disease to something more minor like an increase in blood pressure readings since taking out the policy.
Failure to inform them of these changes could result in rejected claims should something happen.
Does UK Life Insurance Cover Private Health Care?
The cover offered by UK life insurance companies can vary greatly. However, in general, most UK life insurance policies do not include coverage for private health care.
Therefore, it is important to read through the terms and conditions of any policy carefully to determine if it does or does not include such coverage.
Health Lifestyle And Life Insurance Conclusion
Life insurers consider many factors when deciding if they can provide coverage and how much it will cost–from pre-existing medical conditions to lifestyle choices like smoking or excessive drinking.
It’s also important to be upfront about these things during the application process and keep them updated on any changes afterwards.
Knowing what affects life insurance policies can help ensure you get the best possible cover at an affordable price.
What if other life insurance companies have turned me away?
Contact us and let us review your situation because we might be able to help you in your search for the best UK life insurance policy.