Stroke & Life Insurance

We understand that having a stroke is a scary experience, you could lose control of your facial muscles, arms and speech. Things that most of us take for granted. No matter what stage of recovery you are in, whether you are back to your pre-stroke self or are still experiencing some symptoms, we are here for you. Our job is to listen to you, hear what you have to say and find an insurer who is supportive of your circumstances.

Things we need to know:

• How many strokes have you had?
• When did the stroke happen?
• Was it a full stroke or TIA (mini-stroke)?
• What caused the stroke?
• Do you have any lasting symptoms?

Life insurance after a stroke can be possible. It is likely that the insurer will wish to speak with your GP to establish the severity of your stroke and your general health now. This is a standard process for many health conditions and should not be a concern for you.

You may be able to obtain life insurance after a stroke, at standard terms, if it was caused by the contraceptive pill or a traumatic head injury that you have fully recovered from.

In general however you are likely to find that your life insurance for stroke survivors will be accepted with a small premium loading, assuming your stroke was mild with minimal complications. Where there have been recent instances of numerous strokes and/or severe episodes with permanent symptoms then your policy premiums may be rated highly, or in extreme circumstances your application declined; at which point specialist life insurance policies can be arranged.

Where a person has experienced a stroke at a young age, and are currently aged 40 or under, the number of providers who can consider cover is substantially less however there often are options available so please don’t be put off from trying.

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.

In the past critical illness cover was not available for people who have had a stroke unless it was due to the contraceptive pill. Whilst the options are currently limited there are sometimes plans available, dependant on the nature of the stroke and overall health. Where cover is offered it is likely that strokes and related conditions would be excluded from the plan.

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

Income protection after a stroke may be available in some circumstances, most likely with a cerebrovascular exclusion to the policy claims set. Income protection applications will need to detail the circumstances causing your stroke, if you have been able to return to work, your overall health and whether you have any lasting complications from the stroke.

Ideally, you want an income protection policy that is set up with an own occupation claims definition. Own occupation definitions means that if you are unable to do the job that you are doing right due to ill health and are signed off sick, that you can make a claim. Other definitions are much broader and are more difficult to claim on.

As an alternative you may wish to consider Accident, sickness and unemployment cover which you can take out without any medical underwriting. An accident, sickness and unemployment policy provides you with a regular monthly income should you be unable to work due to an illness, injury or through redundancy. These policies provide short-term benefits, with claim periods generally being set to a maximum of 12 to 24 months.

Had a stroke and going on holiday? Make sure you arrange travel insurance that gives you the correct cover for stroke survivors. We work alongside a specialist travel insurance broker that can help you get the right cover for you, find out more here.