Know Your Numbers – Blood Pressure Awareness Week 2021

Know Your Numbers

Blood Pressure Awareness Week 2021

With 2021 marking the 21st anniversary of the Know Your Numbers blood pressure awareness week, it was only right that we address some of the things surrounding blood pressure, and how it can potentially affect your access to insurance.

1.5 million people have had a free blood pressure check during the annual Know Your Numbers! Week, the UK’s biggest blood pressure testing and awareness event.

6 million people in the UK have high blood pressure and don’t know it, and each day in the UK, 350 people have a stroke or heart attack that could have been prevented (Blood Pressure UK, 2021). These are huge numbers, and hopefully raising awareness can encourage more people to take action and care for their blood pressure.

High blood pressure is a common condition and for many people, it won’t have a noticeable effect on their life or day to day activities, but having high blood pressure can be linked to other, connected health conditions such as high cholesterol, diabetes, stroke, and heart attacks. This can be caused by a genetic link, through other illnesses or lifestyle/diet. It’s often left un-diagnosed as symptoms of high blood pressure are quite vague, with many people unaware they have it until it leads to other illnesses.

Access to insurance

When it comes to taking out life insurance if you have high blood pressure, it can be pretty straightforward. Many insurers can potentially accept applications with high blood pressure at the point of application, meaning they won’t request further information or a medical report from your GP surgery. This is more often the case when you have your latest readings to put on the application, if you don’t have these, a quick call to your GP surgery should be able to give you the information that you need. 

It’s quite likely that you will be able to get life insurance at normal terms with high blood pressure that is well controlled, usually around 140/80. If your blood pressure is higher than this, it may be that insurers will increase the premium that you pay for the policy, but this doesn’t mean it’s going to become silly money. 

If your high blood pressure has been linked to another condition, the insurer will also want to know information surrounding that. Depending on your blood pressure readings, medications and any other health conditions, there is the chance that they will write to your GP just to check that they have all the information that they need (this is only ever done with your permission, and is more often than not paid for by the insurer).

As with life insurance, critical illness cover can be simple to arrange. If your blood pressure is controlled and there are no linked medical conditions, it can be that the insurer will offer you critical illness cover at normal terms (no price increase). Applications for critical illness cover are usually more strict than applications for life insurance, so it could be that you’ll be facing a higher premium if you do have other health conditions. 

Income protection for people with high blood pressure again is available with a number of insurers and isn’t seen as a concern if it is well controlled. The insurers will want to know if you have had any extended time off work due to your health, so it’s good to have this information handy when applying. Some insurers may want to see a report from your GP, but this isn’t always needed. 

Case studies

• A man in his mid 30s came to us needing life insurance to cover his mortgage liability. He had been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes a few years before coming to us, and had also developed high blood pressure. We arranged cover for him with a premium close to £21 over a period of 30 years, with a sum assured of just over £550,000.
• A woman in her mid 50s spoke to us needing life insurance as she had just bought her first property. She had high blood pressure that was diagnosed over 15 years before coming to us, as well as a couple of unrelated health conditions. A life insurance policy was arranged over 12 years for just over £34 per month, with a sum assured just shy of £127,000. Her premium was increased due to her other health conditions, but received standard rates for the high blood pressure.
• A woman close to 70 years old needing life insurance to ensure her family is well looked after, came to us after being declined life insurance elsewhere. She had a number of health conditions, two of them being high cholesterol and high blood pressure, both diagnosed many years prior to coming to Cura. She had also been diagnosed previously with raised blood sugar (pre-diabetic) and angina. A life insurance policy was arranged for her over 10 years, with a monthly premium of around £93 and a sum assured of £50,000.

   

Getting advice from a financial adviser is always best. Many financial advisers either charge you a fee, or take commission from the insurer with no charge to yourself, for arranging the policy. Using a financial adviser allows you to have peace of mind, knowing you have the cover to match your needs and own individual circumstances.

Resources

Bloodpressureuk.org. 2021. Blood Pressure UK. [online] Available at: <http://www.bloodpressureuk.org/know-your-numbers/> [Accessed 29 September 2021].