High Cholesterol & Life Insurance

We understand that having high cholesterol can be caused by a number of reasons. You won’t have any symptoms and will only know that you have it from a blood test.

High cholesterol is often the result of eating unhealthy food and not exercising enough, but can also be something that runs in your family and out of your control.

When it comes to life insurance, many insurers like to know if you have high cholesterol. We are here to find the best insurer for your life insurance.

Things we need to know:

• When were you diagnosed with having high cholesterol?
• What is your latest cholesterol reading?
• What medications do you take?
• Have you had a heart attack or stroke?

Life insurance may be available at normal terms, if your cholesterol is well controlled. You are most likely to get life insurance at the standard pricing, if your cholesterol is below 6.

High cholesterol life insurance applications can often be processed immediately online. This is usually possible if you are aware of your latest readings and there has been no recent changes to your medication.

If your cholesterol reading is over 6 you may find that insurance providers increase the cost of the cover. This doesn’t necessarily mean silly prices, but it is a good idea to be prepared that this might happen.

Insurers do this as having a high cholesterol, is shown to lead to an increased risk of things like having a heart attack or a stroke. Seeing a higher price may be frustrating and it is our job to find you life insurance at the best terms possible.

You might find that insurers also consider increasing the premiums, if you need to take a combination of medications to control your cholesterol.

Sometimes insurers look at applications more favourably if you have high cholesterol and are older. They understand that for some people having a higher cholesterol reading is simply part and parcel of getting older.

If you have a high cholesterol and are younger, you may find that insurers might ask to see a report from your GP, to confirm the cause of the cholesterol. This is usually arranged and paid for by the insurer.

Critical illness cover pays out a cash lump sum of money, if you are diagnosed with a medical condition that is listed in the insurer’s claims set e.g. cancer, heart attack, stroke.

Arranging critical illness cover when you have high cholesterol, is pretty similar to getting life insurance. If your condition is well controlled then you will probably be able to get a critical illness policy at normal terms.

High cholesterol critical illness insurance applications will usually need the details of your latest reading, when you were diagnosed and if you have had any complications.

Critical illness cover applications are reviewed more strictly than life insurance, as there a lot more potential claims that you can make. This means that you are more likely to be asked for your permission, for the insurer to see a medical report from your GP.

The higher your cholesterol, the more likely it is that critical illness cover will be offered at a non-standard premium. This isn’t always the case, but it is incredibly important to understand exactly what conditions you are covered for.

It is also essential that you understand the definition of the claimable conditions on offer. For example, some insurers say ‘diagnosis of a heart attack’ others can say ‘diagnosis of a heart attack at a specified severity’.

If you find that the insurers you are looking at cannot offer you critical illness cover, or the pricing is out of your budget, we have specialist insurers that we can look at for you.

Income protection pays you a replacement of your monthly income, if you are unable to work due to ill health.

Getting income protection when you have high cholesterol can be available with a number of insurers. This is most likely if your cholesterol is well controlled.

With most insurance providers you will be asked to provide your cholesterol reading, details of your medication and any time off work that you have had due to ill health.

Income protection for people with high cholesterol may be offered at an increased premium, if your readings are quite high. This could also happen if you need a mix of medications to control your cholesterol, if your readings have recently fluctuated and if you are young.

If your cholesterol is very high and Income Protection is not available, you could look at Accident, Sickness and Unemployment cover that will pay a monthly income replacement for between 12 and 24 months.

Accident, Sickness and Unemployment cover policies are not medically underwritten, so policy premiums are not increased based upon health factors. However you should be aware that any claim that is related to your high cholesterol, or any other existing condition, will not be paid by the policy.

When you go on holiday, it can really help you to relax, knowing that you have travel insurance in place. Most importantly, you want to know that it is a quality policy that is going to do what you need it to, should something go wrong.

We have teamed up with a travel insurance broker, who can talk you through the different policies that could be right for you. To find out more, please visit our travel page here.