Asthma and Mortgage Protection in Ireland (What Insurers Actually Care About)

Editor’s note: First published in 2018 | Fully rebuilt January 2026 to reflect current Irish underwriting practice, online prescribing, and the real risks of applying incorrectly.

“I have mild asthma, but I don’t even have a GP. Does that matter?”

This question comes up more than you’d think.

Someone managing mild asthma through an online doctor, repeat prescriptions, or pharmacy-led services.

The worry usually sounds like this:

• “Will insurers think this looks suspicious?”
• “Will they assume I’m hiding something?”
• “Is it worth even disclosing if it’s mild?”

Let’s clear this up properly.

First: yes, you still have to disclose asthma

It doesn’t matter whether your inhaler comes from:

• a GP
• an online doctor
• a pharmacy-led service
• or a private clinic you saw once years ago

If the application  forms asks if you have asthma or have been prescribed medication, you must answer yes.

Non-disclosure is the fastest way to turn an otherwise straightforward application into a problem when there is a claim.

So the short answer to “is it worth disclosing?” is simple:

Yes. Always.

Now the important part: what insurers actually care about

Insurers are not interested in where you get your prescription.

They care about whether your asthma has been boring and predictable.

In underwriting terms, they’re looking for:

• How long you’ve had asthma
• Whether symptoms are mild, moderate, or severe in practice
• Use of oral steroids (especially in the last 12–24 months)
• Any hospital admissions or A&E visits
• Daily preventer inhaler vs occasional reliever only
• Smoking status

Someone using a low-dose inhaler, no steroids, no hospital visits, and stable symptoms (even if prescribed online) is viewed the same as someone seeing a GP once a year.

The condition matters.

The paperwork trail matters far less.

Not having a GP is usually not the problem people think it is

This surprises a lot of people.

In mild or well-controlled asthma cases, insurers often make a decision based on:

• the application form
• an asthma-specific questionnaire

No GP report. No medical exam.

Ironically, the people most likely to trigger GP reports are those who:

• apply to the wrong insurer first
• over-disclose without context
• submit multiple applications themselves

That’s where things start to snowball.

The hidden risk most people don’t see

This is the part Google rarely tells you.

If you apply directly — especially through a bank or comparison site — you don’t control:

• which insurer assesses you first
• how questions are framed
• when a GP report gets triggered

Once an insurer loads your premium or postpones you, that outcome often follows you.

Even if another insurer would have treated your asthma as standard-rate.

This is why order matters.

It’s not about “getting accepted”. Most people with asthma will.

It’s about not making it more expensive or complicated than it needs to be.

So what should you do if this sounds like you?

If your asthma is mild, stable, and managed with routine medication — even online — the smart move is:

• disclose it clearly
• frame it properly
• apply to the insurer most likely to treat it normally

That’s the difference between:

• a clean acceptance at standard rates
• and an unnecessary loading that sticks for years

Next step (keep it simple)

If you want this assessed properly — without triggering reports you don’t need — complete the asthma questionnaire below.

I’ll review it, match it to the right insurer, and tell you exactly how it’s likely to be treated before anything is submitted.

Complete the asthma questionnaire here

If you’d rather talk it through first, you can also book a quick callback.