One stone or several
Kidney stones are painful but common, and underwriters see them all the time. The first question is how many times it has happened. A single episode years ago, with a clear recovery, is about as low risk as a medical history gets.
If stones keep coming back, the insurer wants to understand why. Your doctor may have found a cause, such as a metabolic issue or a structural problem in the urinary tract, or advised changes to your diet and fluids. Mention any of this.
- Number of episodes and the dates
- Whether the stone passed or needed treatment
- Procedures such as lithotripsy or ureteroscopy
- Any infection or blockage
- Recent kidney function tests
Treatment and complications
Many stones pass on their own with pain relief. Larger ones may need shock wave treatment, a telescope procedure through the bladder, or occasionally keyhole surgery. Insurers ask what you had and whether it worked.
Complications are what can change the terms. A blocked kidney, repeated infections or a fall in kidney function will lead the underwriter to look at the health of the kidney itself, not just the stone. Normal kidney blood tests since your last episode help a lot. If you have had a stone analysed, the result can also show the insurer what type it was and why it formed.
How each type of cover treats stones
Life cover and critical illness cover usually come through on standard terms after one or two uncomplicated stones. If you have a stone right now and are waiting for treatment, an insurer may postpone until it is resolved.
Income protection is where stones are most likely to matter, because a bad episode can mean time off work. If you have had several, an insurer may exclude kidney stones or urinary conditions. As with any condition, each insurer decides for itself and nobody can promise the result before you apply.
List it, then move on
Kidney stones often land people in A&E, so they are well recorded. If the application asks about kidney or urinary problems, include each episode with the date. It rarely costs you anything, and it removes a reason for an insurer to question a claim later.
Blood in your urine found during a stone episode is worth mentioning too, along with what the follow-up showed. Doctors often check for other causes after finding blood, and a clear result from those checks is useful for the underwriter. If a scan found a small stone that has never caused symptoms, mention that as well, because it will be in your notes.
How Hi Tomorrow helps with kidney stones
For a one-off stone, we make sure the details are clear so the application moves quickly. If you have had several, we compare how insurers on our panel word any income protection exclusion, because the difference between excluding stones and excluding all kidney conditions matters.
If you have a stone being treated now, we can advise whether to apply straight away or once it is sorted. Some insurers on our panel are happy to offer life cover while you wait for a routine procedure, and others prefer to see it done first. Knowing which is which can save you a postponement.