What counts as a pre-existing condition
For an insurer, a pre-existing condition is any illness, injury or symptom you have now or have had in the past. That covers long-term conditions such as diabetes or asthma, past operations, mental health treatment and things you saw a doctor about and were told to keep an eye on.
The application lists the conditions each insurer wants to hear about, usually with a time limit such as the last five years. Some questions ask about your whole life. Read each one as it is written and answer that exact question. If you are unsure whether something counts, mention it. Your adviser can tell you whether it matters.
How underwriters build a picture of your health
An underwriter is the person, or the system, at the insurer who decides whether to offer cover and on what terms. They start with your answers, then follow up where they need more detail. For most conditions they want to know when you were diagnosed, what treatment you have had, whether it has worked, and whether anything has changed recently.
Sometimes the insurer asks your GP for a report, or arranges a nurse visit to take blood pressure and a blood sample. You must give consent first. Under the Access to Medical Reports Act you can ask to see your GP's report before it goes to the insurer.
- The name of the condition and the date you were diagnosed
- Medication, doses and any recent changes
- Hospital stays, operations or time off work
- Test results and follow-up appointments
- Whether the condition has affected other parts of your health
The terms you might be offered
After the review, the insurer makes a decision. Standard terms mean you pay the same as someone without the condition. A premium loading means you pay more to reflect the extra risk. An exclusion means the policy will not pay for claims linked to that condition, and you see these more on critical illness cover and income protection than on life cover.
An insurer may also postpone a decision, for example while you wait for test results or recover from treatment, or decline to offer cover. A decline from one insurer does not mean every insurer will say no. Terms always depend on each insurer's underwriting, so nobody can promise an outcome before you apply.
Why full disclosure protects your family
UK law expects you to take reasonable care to answer the application questions accurately. If you leave something out, or understate it, the insurer can reduce a claim, refuse it, or cancel the policy. What happens depends on whether the mistake was careless or deliberate.
Insurers check medical records when someone claims. A condition left off the form today can surface years later, at the moment your family needs the money. Telling the insurer everything up front may change the price, but it means the policy you pay for is the policy that pays out.
Getting ready to apply
A little preparation makes the application quicker. Gather the names of your conditions, the dates your doctor diagnosed them and the medicines you take now, with doses. Your NHS app or a printout from your surgery will show most of this. Letters from hospital specialists help too, especially if you have seen more than one.
Think about the cover itself as well. The amount, the length of the policy and the type of cover all shape the risk the insurer sees. Life cover alone is often simpler to arrange than life cover with critical illness added, and placing the two with different insurers can sometimes give you better terms on each.
Your health can change over time. If a condition improves, for example after a long run of stable results, you can ask whether a new policy would cost less. Compare before you cancel anything, so you are not left without cover while you wait for a decision.
How Hi Tomorrow helps with a medical history
Our advisers know that one insurer might load the premium for a condition while another offers standard terms for the same thing. Before you apply, we talk through your health in plain words, then point you towards the insurers on our panel that tend to view your situation more favourably.
We help you fill in the medical questions, chase GP reports if the insurer needs one, and explain any offer before you accept it. If an insurer postpones or declines, we look at what else is available. We do not charge a fee for this advice on personal protection.