Gout & Life Insurance

We understand that having gout can be extremely uncomfortable. You may have needed to change your lifestyle to try and prevent it or it could simply be one of those things that happens.

Most of the time having gout isn’t going to cause any problems in you getting life insurance. But, there are sometimes 

Things we need to know:

• How many times have you had gout?
• How many joints are affected?
• How often do you have flare ups?
• What mediation do you take?
• When did you last have a flare up?

Gout is a condition that can pop up in life insurance applications. It is most likely to fall under some of the questions that focus upon your health in the last five years.

If the last time that you had gout or took medication for gout was over five years ago, then it may not need to be disclosed to the insurer.

For many people gout affects just one joint. If this is the case and there are no other medical things to tell the insurer e.g. high alcohol consumption, high BMI, diabetes etc. then life insurance will probably be offered at standard terms.

If you have gout in multiple joints, you have regular flare ups and there are other health conditions e.g. high blood pressure, kidney trouble etc. the insurer may ask to see a report from your GP. This is just to get a clear picture of your health and is only done with your expressed permission.

You may find in this situation that life insurance is offered at what is known as non-standard terms. This will be in the form of a premium increase. We know that this won’t sound ideal, but these increases are often nowhere near as bad as people think.

Our view is that there is no hardship in applying and finding out the price, we don’t charge you a fee and there are no tie-ins to our services.

It is possible that some people with gout may have been declined life insurance, due to the range and regularity of symptoms that they have. If this is you, please do not worry. This is what our company is built for. Our expert advisers will do the research and find you the life insurance that you need.

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.

When you have gout, critical illness cover can be available if your symptoms are mild and infrequent.

Critical illness cover should be available if your gout isn’t related to other medical conditions, like diabetes or high alcohol consumption.

Depending upon your symptoms, medications and any other conditions that you have, the insurer may ask for your permission to speak with your GP. They will ask for a GP to give them a report about your health, so that they can confirm the details of your gout. 

Where the gout is present in one joint it is likely that you will get critical illness cover at standard terms.

If you have gout in multiple joints, you have regular flare-ups or you have other conditions that are considered a risk, you may be offered cover at a higher premium.

People that also have diabetes, kidney problems or where the gout is caused by too much alcohol, may find that they are declined cover with some insurers.

We specialise in finding insurances for people that have been declined cover before. We are able to do this through our extensive knowledge of the insurance market and our years of building up in-depth understandings of medical conditions.

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

Income protection for people that have gout can be available in many circumstances.

Mild cases of gout can often be accepted at normal terms. This means that income protection is offered at a standard price and there are no exclusions on the policy.

If you have regular flare ups and multiple joints are affected, then there is a chance that you will be offered non-standard terms for income protection. This will involve some form a premium increase.

You are more likely to see a premium increase, rather than an exclusion for claims relating to gout. Each insurer is different and it’s important to find the right one for you.

Our expert advisers will talk you through all of the options that are available to you.

In the majority of cases long-term income protection should be available to people that are living with gout, but it isn’t always possible. This is where a policy known as Accident, Sickness and Unemployment Cover can prove useful.

An accident, sickness and unemployment policy will repay part of your regular earnings to you every month, on a successful claim. The policy covers a claim if you are unable to work due to long-term injury, disability or involuntary redundancy.

The reason that this policy may be of interest is because you do not need to discuss your medical history to get the cover. But, it’s important to know that they do not cover claims for pre-existing conditions.

Are you going on holiday? We work alongside a specialist travel insurance broker, that can help you to find insurance. To find out more, please visit our travel page here.