The questions are usually brief
Coeliac disease is an autoimmune reaction to gluten that damages the lining of the small intestine. Once you cut gluten out, the gut usually heals and symptoms settle. Underwriters know this, so the questions tend to be short.
They ask when you were diagnosed and how: a blood test, a biopsy taken during an endoscopy, or both. They ask whether you follow a strict gluten-free diet, whether your symptoms are under control, and whether you have regular check-ups with your GP or a dietitian.
- Date and method of diagnosis
- Whether you keep to a gluten-free diet
- Current symptoms, if any
- Blood tests for iron or vitamin levels
- Any bone density scans
Complications insurers look out for
Most people with well-managed coeliac disease have no lasting complications. Where they do occur, they tend to be things like iron deficiency anaemia, low vitamin levels or thinning bones from years of poor absorption before diagnosis. The insurer may ask about any treatment you needed for these.
Rarely, coeliac disease that does not respond to diet needs specialist care. If your gastroenterologist has described your disease as refractory, or you have needed medicine beyond the diet, include that. Ongoing unexplained weight loss would also prompt more questions.
What the insurer may decide
For most applicants with diet-controlled coeliac disease, the result is standard terms on life cover and critical illness cover. A recent diagnosis with symptoms still settling, or complications such as osteoporosis, may lead to a small loading or a request to wait. Income protection insurers may ask about time off work, especially around the time of diagnosis.
Coeliac disease sometimes appears alongside other autoimmune conditions, such as type 1 diabetes or thyroid problems. Each of those gets its own assessment, and the combined picture shapes the offer. A skin rash linked to coeliac disease, called dermatitis herpetiformis, also belongs on the form if you have had it.
Declare it, even if it feels minor
Living gluten free can feel like a lifestyle rather than a medical condition. Your medical records will still list coeliac disease, and the application may ask about digestive or autoimmune conditions. Answer those questions accurately so the insurer has nothing to query if your family claims.
If you were told years ago that you might be coeliac but never had a confirmed test, say what you were told and whether you follow the diet. Gluten intolerance without coeliac disease is a different thing, and many insurers do not ask about it at all. Describe your situation in the words your doctor used, and your adviser can tell you which question it belongs under.
How Hi Tomorrow helps with coeliac disease
For most people the main job is getting the details right. We help you describe your diagnosis and diet in a way an underwriter can quickly accept, which keeps the process short.
If you have complications or another autoimmune condition alongside, we know which insurers on our panel weigh the full picture fairly and we start there. We also check that any income protection offer does not carry a broad digestive exclusion you do not need, since diet-controlled coeliac disease rarely keeps people off work.