Underactive and overactive thyroid
An underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism) is common and is usually treated with a daily hormone tablet. Once your dose is settled and your blood tests are in range, most insurers treat it as a minor matter. Hashimoto's disease, a frequent cause, is assessed in the same way.
An overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism), often caused by Graves' disease, can affect the heart rhythm, weight and energy while it is active. Insurers want to know how it was treated, whether with tablets, radioactive iodine or surgery, and whether your levels are now steady.
What the underwriter will ask
Expect questions about when you were diagnosed, what you take and when your last thyroid function test was. If your dose changed recently, say why. An insurer is mainly checking that the condition is under control and has not caused problems elsewhere in the body.
For an overactive thyroid they also ask about palpitations, irregular heartbeat and eye symptoms. Thyroid eye disease, where the tissue behind the eyes swells, can bring extra questions if it affected your sight or needed specialist treatment such as steroids or surgery.
- Type of thyroid condition and date of diagnosis
- Medication and dose
- Date and result of your last blood test
- Treatment such as radioactive iodine or surgery
- Heart rhythm or eye problems
Possible outcomes
A well-controlled underactive thyroid usually leads to standard terms. A treated overactive thyroid that is now stable, including one that left you needing replacement tablets, often does too. If the condition is still being brought under control, an insurer may postpone for a few months and look again.
Thyroid nodules or a swelling that is still being investigated normally mean waiting for the results. If tests show a benign nodule, terms are often standard. Any thyroid cancer is underwritten as a cancer, looking at type, treatment and time since it ended, so it follows a separate set of questions.
Why full answers help
Thyroid prescriptions are repeat items on your GP record, so they are easy for an insurer to see if a claim is made. Declaring the condition costs you very little in most cases and keeps the policy secure for the people relying on it.
If you once had an overactive thyroid and it was cured years ago, still mention it if the form asks. The treatment you had and how you are now is useful context, and it shows the underwriter a settled history rather than a gap they need to query.
The same applies to radioactive iodine treatment or surgery in the past, even if you now feel completely well. Insurers simply want the dates and what happened afterwards. If you are not sure of the exact year, an approximate date with a note that it is approximate is better than leaving the question blank.
How Hi Tomorrow helps with thyroid conditions
We find out which thyroid condition you have, how it was treated and how settled it is, then match you to insurers on our panel that handle it well. For many people, that means a quick application with no medical reports at all.
If you are waiting for test results on a nodule, we can explain whether to apply now or after the results, and keep in touch so the timing works for you. If you need cover in place sooner, for a mortgage completion for example, we tell you what is realistic.