How underwriters judge Crohn's activity
Crohn's can be quiet for years or flare often, so insurers focus on how active yours has been recently. They ask how many flare-ups you have had in the last year or two, how long they lasted, and whether you needed steroid tablets or a hospital stay to bring them under control.
Your treatment tells them a lot. Some people manage on maintenance medicine alone, others need immunosuppressants or biologic drugs given by injection or infusion. Using a biologic does not count against you on its own; underwriters want to know whether it is keeping the disease settled.
- Date of diagnosis and the part of the gut affected
- Flare-ups in the last two years
- Steroid courses, immunosuppressants or biologics
- Surgery, such as a resection, and the date
- Fistulas, abscesses or strictures
- Weight loss, anaemia and time off work
Surgery and complications
Many people with Crohn's have an operation at some point, such as removing a section of bowel. Insurers ask what was done and when, and how you have been since. A successful operation followed by a long, steady spell can work in your favour.
Complications like fistulas, abscesses or narrowing of the bowel show the underwriter that the disease has been more aggressive. They will also ask about weight, nutrition and blood tests, because ongoing inflammation can affect your general health.
The range of possible terms
Mild Crohn's in long remission may be offered standard life cover. Moderate disease, recent steroid use or past surgery often brings a loading, and an insurer may postpone if you are in the middle of a flare or waiting for surgery. Severe or poorly controlled disease can sometimes be declined.
For critical illness cover, insurers think about the link between long-standing bowel inflammation and bowel cancer, which can lead to a loading or an exclusion. Income protection is where Crohn's makes the most difference, because flares can mean time off work, so an exclusion for digestive conditions is common.
Keeping your answers in line with your records
Your gastroenterology letters and repeat prescriptions show your history clearly. If you underestimate the number of steroid courses or forget an admission, the insurer may spot it in a GP report or at claim time. Take ten minutes to check your NHS app before you start.
If you are unsure how to describe something, such as a short stay for fluids during a flare, include it and let the underwriter decide whether it matters. The same goes for conditions linked to Crohn's outside the gut, such as joint pain, eye inflammation or skin problems your specialist connected to the disease. A full answer now saves a round of questions later.
How Hi Tomorrow helps with Crohn's
Some insurers look at Crohn's in fine detail and reward long remission, while others apply a broader rule. We know which insurers on our panel tend to take a kinder view of inflammatory bowel disease, and we match your history to them.
If you want income protection too, we compare the wording of any exclusion carefully, because a narrow exclusion leaves more cover in place than a broad one. An exclusion for Crohn's alone still lets you claim for a broken leg or a heart problem, while one for all digestive conditions takes away more. We explain the difference before you choose.