What the underwriter asks after a heart attack
Insurers ask for the date of the heart attack, how it was treated and how large it was. Your discharge letter may describe it as a STEMI or an NSTEMI, which tells the underwriter something about the type. They want to know whether you had a stent, bypass surgery or medication alone.
Recovery questions follow. The insurer will want to know whether you completed cardiac rehabilitation, whether you have had chest pain or breathlessness since and whether you are back at work. Cardiology follow-up letters usually hold the answers.
- Date of the heart attack and how it was treated
- Stents, angioplasty or bypass surgery
- Heart function on a scan
- Any chest pain or breathlessness since
- Smoking, cholesterol, blood pressure and diabetes
Heart function and risk factors
A central question is how well your heart pumps after the event, usually measured on an echocardiogram. Good pumping function suggests limited lasting damage, which gives the insurer room to offer terms. Reduced function, or signs of heart failure, makes the decision harder.
Risk factors make a big difference. Stopping smoking, bringing cholesterol and blood pressure down, managing diabetes and staying active all lower the chance of another event. Underwriters see these changes in your answers and reflect them in the price.
Cardiac rehabilitation deserves a mention of its own. Completing a programme of supervised exercise and education after a heart attack is a sign of good recovery, and it often leads to changes that last. If you did not finish the programme, say why, as there is often a simple reason.
The terms you might see
In the first months after a heart attack, most insurers postpone. Once you are stable, life cover is often offered with a loading. The size depends on your age at the time, how well your heart works, whether you have had symptoms since and how well your risk factors are controlled.
If you have had more than one heart attack, ongoing angina or heart failure, some insurers may decline while others still offer terms. Critical illness cover usually excludes heart conditions after a heart attack, though cover for cancer and other illnesses may still be available.
Declare every detail
A heart attack is a major entry in your medical records, and insurers will see it if a claim is made. Declare it in full, along with any procedures, follow-up tests and new medicines started afterwards.
Mention investigations since, even if they were clear. A normal exercise test or a good scan result some months later supports your application and can bring the loading down.
How Hi Tomorrow helps after a heart attack
Insurers vary on how soon they will look at you after a heart attack and on how they price it. Our job is to find the ones on our panel most likely to say yes now, or soonest, so you are not left guessing.
We put your recovery in the best light the facts allow: rehab completed, smoking stopped, cholesterol down. If an insurer postpones, we keep a note of the date and come back to you when an application has a better chance.