Telling the insurer which kind of arthritis you have
Arthritis covers many conditions. Osteoarthritis, where joint cartilage wears over time, is the most common, and most of this page is about it. Inflammatory types such as rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis involve the immune system and get a more detailed assessment.
Give the name your doctor used. If you only know you have arthritis in your knee, say that, and the insurer can ask your GP for the detail if needed. An X-ray report or a letter from an orthopaedic clinic usually names the type, so check any paperwork you have before you start.
What underwriters ask about your joints
For osteoarthritis, the questions are about impact. Which joints are affected? How much pain do you have and what helps? Have you needed physiotherapy, steroid injections or surgery? Does it affect your ability to work? Clear, practical answers, such as being able to walk a mile or climb stairs without stopping, help a great deal.
Joint replacements are common, and a successful hip or knee replacement is usually viewed positively. Insurers will ask for the date and how you have been since. Long-term use of strong painkillers or anti-inflammatory tablets may lead to questions about side effects.
- Type of arthritis and joints affected
- Painkillers or anti-inflammatory medicine
- Physiotherapy and steroid injections
- Joint replacements or other surgery
- Time off work and any job changes
Life cover versus income protection
For life cover and critical illness cover, osteoarthritis rarely changes anything. Most people get standard terms. The main exception is when arthritis limits your mobility so much that it affects your general health, or when weight and other conditions come into play.
Income protection is different, because joint problems are a common reason people stop work for a while. An insurer may exclude claims for the affected joints, or for joint conditions generally. The impact depends on your job: knee arthritis matters more to a plumber than to an accountant. As always, the outcome rests with each insurer.
Include it, however mild
Arthritis creeps up, and many people do not think of it as a medical condition. If the application asks about joint, muscle or bone problems, mention it, along with any injections or surgery. That way an income protection claim for something unrelated is not complicated by a missing detail.
If you are waiting for a joint replacement, tell the insurer. They may ask you to apply after surgery, or offer terms with a temporary exclusion. For life cover alone, a planned hip or knee operation often makes little difference, so it may not be worth delaying. We can tell you which approach suits the cover you want.
How Hi Tomorrow helps with arthritis
For life cover, we make sure your arthritis is described clearly so it does not slow anything down. For income protection, we compare how insurers word exclusions, because one that covers only your left knee leaves far more protection than one that covers all joints.
We also look at your job and the right deferred period so your income protection fits how arthritis affects your working life. If you already have sick pay from your employer, a deferred period that starts when it ends can keep the cost down without leaving a gap.