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Editor’s note: First published January 2016 | Refreshed October 2025 with updated insurer guidance, Irish context, and new questionnaire CTA.
10-second summary: If your ferritin and liver results are normal and you’re on regular treatment, you can usually get life insurance, mortgage protection, and income protection at the normal price. Untreated or complicated cases may see a small premium increase or short postponement.
Just found out you’ve got haemochromatosis? You’re not alone. Around one in 83 people in Ireland carry the gene — one of the highest rates in the world. The good news is once you’re on treatment, insurers here see it all the time and rarely panic.
When you apply for life insurance, an underwriter looks at your medical history and blood results. For haemochromatosis, they focus on:
They’re not worried about the word “haemochromatosis” itself, just whether the treatment is working and your iron levels are steady.
Good news: Once your ferritin levels are normal and you’re on a maintenance plan, most insurers in Ireland will offer you full cover at standard rates.
| Scenario | Likely outcome |
|---|---|
| Ferritin normal, treatment stable | ✅ Standard price |
| Ferritin high, mid-treatment | ⚠️ Small increase or short postponement |
| Organ complications | 🚫 Postponed until stable |
Peter, 35, was diagnosed with genetic haemochromatosis during a routine check-up. His ferritin was 950 — high, but dropping thanks to venesection. No symptoms, feeling fine.
He applied for mortgage protection through his bank and was postponed. No cover meant no mortgage — cue panic.
He found us, we reviewed his bloods, matched him with the right insurer, and had him fully covered within 48 hours at the normal price.
“Having dealt with other insurance brokers, Lion.ie showed real expertise in haemochromatosis cases. I got hassle-free insurance at the best price.”
Haemochromatosis is a genetic iron-overload condition that causes the body to absorb too much iron from food. The excess iron builds up in organs like the liver, heart, and pancreas.
Symptoms can include tiredness, abdominal pain, joint issues, or low libido — but many people have no symptoms at all. Diagnosis is by blood test, and treatment is regular blood removal (venesection).
Once ferritin levels are normalised, most people stay healthy with simple maintenance therapy and monitoring.
If your ferritin and liver-function results are within the normal range, you won’t need a medical. Insurers will rely on your GP report and recent blood results instead.
If your condition is under control, ferritin levels are normal, and there are no complications, you’ll pay the same as anyone else for life insurance, serious illness cover, or income protection.
Where ferritin is still high (or if there’s liver damage or other complications), the insurer may increase your premium slightly or postpone your application until things settle.
Ready to get covered?
Complete our blood conditions questionnaire and I’ll tell you which insurer will cover you (and what it’ll cost).
You’ve already done the hard part — managing your health. Let me handle the rest.
Complete the questionnaire or book a quick call and I’ll tell you straight what’s possible.
My team and I specialise in helping people with health conditions get the cover they deserve.
BTW: Anything you tell me stays between us. We anonymise everything before talking to insurers.
If you have another blood condition, check out our full guides below — all part of our blood disorders and life insurance hub:
See our life insurance with medical conditions hub for more on how insurers assess different health issues.
As Ireland's leading life insurance broker, we specialise in comparing the rates and policies from the top five Irish life insurance providers and offering the very best value quotes to suit the individual needs of our clients. Our expertise lies in finding a suitable insurance plan for those with specific needs, be it a particular illness, occupation or claim history, we've got you covered in every sense!
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