Seizure questions you can expect
The epilepsy section of an application is usually detailed. Underwriters want to know the kind of seizures you have, because a tonic-clonic seizure, where you lose consciousness and your body stiffens and jerks, carries different risks from an absence or a focal seizure where you stay aware.
They also ask how often seizures happen, the date of the most recent one and whether you have ever had a prolonged seizure that needed emergency treatment, known as status epilepticus. If seizures are linked to triggers such as missed sleep or alcohol, mention that as well.
- Type of seizure and how it affects you
- Number of seizures in the last year or two
- Date of your last seizure
- Anti-seizure medicines and recent changes
- Any known cause, such as a head injury or stroke
- Any injuries or hospital stays from seizures
Why the cause and the pattern matter
Many people have epilepsy with no identified cause, and for them the underwriter focuses on the pattern of seizures and how well medicine controls them. Where epilepsy follows a head injury, infection, stroke or brain surgery, the insurer will also assess that underlying event in its own right.
A single unexplained seizure is a different matter from a diagnosis of epilepsy, and so are febrile convulsions in early childhood. Give the facts as your neurologist or GP recorded them. Your clinic letters will show the diagnosis and the dates.
Outcomes across different types of cover
For life cover, someone who has been seizure free for several years on steady treatment may be offered standard terms. More frequent seizures, a recent change in medication or a history of status epilepticus usually mean a loading, and insurers may postpone if you have had a seizure very recently or are still being investigated. Some cases are declined, though another insurer may take a different line.
Income protection looks at whether seizures could keep you off work, and your job matters here. Driving or working at height can lead to an exclusion for epilepsy, while an office role may not. Critical illness cover often focuses on the cause, if there is one.
Honest answers keep the policy sound
Your neurology letters and GP record will list your seizures and medicines. If the application says you have been seizure free for longer than your records show, an insurer could reduce or refuse a claim later. Count carefully and give your best estimate where you are unsure.
Mention breakthrough seizures too, even if they happened only because you forgot a dose or slept badly. Underwriters see these often, and a short note on what triggered the seizure helps them judge your control fairly. Nocturnal seizures, which happen only while you sleep, count as well.
How Hi Tomorrow helps people with epilepsy
Insurers vary a lot in how they treat epilepsy, especially for people who still have the odd seizure. We know which insurers on our panel are more open to well-controlled epilepsy and which tend to be stricter, and we start with the ones most likely to suit you.
We help you set out seizure dates, medicines and specialist reviews clearly so the underwriter has what they need first time. If one insurer postpones, we can tell you when it is worth trying again or where else to look now.