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Life Insurance with Digestive Disorders

life insurance with digestive disorders

Complete this questionnaire and I’ll send you a quote taking your digestive disorder into account.

Will your digestive disorder affect your life insurance or mortgage protection application?

In the main, my clients contact me about these seven different digestive disorders:

  1. Barrett’s oesophagus
  2. Coeliac disease
  3. Crohn’s disease
  4. Gastro‑oesophageal reflux (GORD/acid reflux/heartburn)
  5. Hernia
  6. Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
  7. Ulcerative colitis

I have discussed some of them in previous articles (the ones that are underlined, click the link and away you go!).

In this article I’ll examine the others – Barrett’s oesophagus, Gastro‑oesophageal reflux (GORD/acid reflux/heartburn) and hernias.

Mortgage Protection and Barrett’s oesophagus

What is it?

Let’s be clear, Barrett’s oesophagus IS NOT a cancer, but it can develop into cancer on rare occasions. Barrett’s oesophagus occurs when stomach acid or bile splashes back into the oesophagus.

What does the insurer need to know?

Normally, the insurer will request a medical report from your GP to find out the full history of your condition since you were diagnosed. There are most interested in:

• Underlying cause
• Date of diagnosis
• Details of treatment and response to the treatment
• Details and frequency of any symptoms and/or complications
• Time off work

How much is life insurance with Barrett’s oesophagus?

The cost of life insurance depends on the severity of your condition.

If you have occasional mild symptoms with no abnormal cells or low-grade abnormal cells present, you can get the normal price.

Should your symptoms be more frequent, you’re looking at an increase on the normal premium of +75% to 150%.

With chronic symptoms and high-grade dysplasia / abnormal cells, the insurer may decline or postpone offering cover.

Can you get serious illness cover?

Yes, for mild and moderate cases but not for chronic symptoms. If you get serious illness cover, the insurer will exclude claims related to the digestive system.

What about income protection?

For mild cases, you should get the normal price with no exclusions.

For moderate, you’ll pay a loading and the insurer will add a digestive disorder exclusion. You won’t be able to claim if you can’t work due to a digestive disorder.

Again for severe cases, you won’t get income protection.

Helpful Link: Barretts Oesophagus Registry

Gastro‑oesophageal reflux (GORD/acid reflux/heartburn)

What is it?

This causes stomach acid, or stomach contents, to leak backwards from the stomach into the oesophagus causing heartburn.

What does the insurer need to know?

As with Barrett’s, the insurer needs to know

• Underlying cause
• Date of diagnosis
• Details of treatment and response
• Details and frequency of any symptoms and/or complications
• Time off work

But, for GORD, the insurer usually doesn’t need to write to your GP for a report. As long as you have the above information, they can offer cover based on your application form alone. This saves an awful lot of time.

How much is life insurance with acid reflux?

Thankfully the majority of applicants get the normal price. Only where the condition is uncontrolled with frequent symptoms will you face a loading. Only one of my clients have ever been declined and this was due to several long periods of work due to complications.

Can you get serious illness cover?

Yes, good news on this front too, you’ll get full cover without any exclusion for controlled Gastro‑oesophageal reflux

What about income protection?

Three from three! You can get income protection without exclusions at the standard price.

 

Helpful Link: Treating acid reflux

Hernia

What is it?

A hernia occurs when an organ or part an organ (often the intestines) pushes through a weakness in the muscle or surrounding tissue wall.

Hiatus and inguinal hernias are the most common hernias.

Hiatus hernia – A portion of the upper stomach protrudes into the chest cavity through an opening in the diaphragm usually where the oesophagus passes through it.

Inguinal hernia – The intestine appears as a bulge in the groin area.

What does the insurer need to know?

Of the three conditions, this is the easiest to get covered. Once you can tell the insurer

• Type of hernia
• Details of treatment/surgery and response
• Details and frequency of any symptoms and/or complications
• Time off work

you should get life insurance, serious illness cover and income protection, provided there are no complications.

I’ve never had a client declined, loaded or even had an exclusion due to hernia. If you have had a normal hernia with no surgery planned, you’ve nothing to worry about.

Helpful Link: How to take the pressure off your abdominal hernia

Digestive Disorder Conclusion

If you’re applying for cover and you suffer with Barrett’s oesophagus, Gastro‑oesophageal reflux (GORD/acid reflux/heartburn) or hernias, don’t worry, I can get you covered.

The majority of insurers will offer you the normal price if you have mild symptoms. It’s my job to get you the normal price even if your symptoms fall just inside the moderate category.

Over to you

To get you the best cover with the least amount of hassle, I’ll need to know more about your condition.

Complete this IBD questionnaire and I can discuss your case with my panel of underwriters. I can then recommend the most sympathetic insurer so you can be sure you have the best chance of cover at the normal price.

If you’d like to run your details by me over the phone instead, no worries, I’m on

I look forward to hearing from you.

 

Medical Issues & Life Insurance
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You’re not really supposed to admit it but it can be hard being with someone who is chronically ill. The flare-ups and the symptoms and the missed-things. Cancelling plans and going to doctor’s appointments and having to take time off work.

Sure, you’re not the one with the chronic illness, but it can feel like a third presence in any relationship.

Ultimately, all you want to do is help, but ‘chronic’ usually means ‘not curable’, so your partner’s illness becomes the new normal.

If the diagnosis is new, it can feel like a lot – and all you want to do is help out, but where do you start?

Don’t know where to start?

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