Von Willebrand Disease & Life Insurance

We understand that being told that you have Von Willebrand Disease can be worrying. It is our job, to take the worry out of arranging your insurances.

Things we need to know:

• When were you diagnosed with Von Willebrand Disease?
• Do you have type 1, type 2, type 3 or acquired Von Willebrand Disease?
• How many episodes of excessive bleeding and bruising have you had?
• How often do you bleed excessively?
• Does the Von Willebrand Disease affect your ability to work?

Life Insurance for people with Von Willebrand Disease may be available at standard terms with some insurers. The insurance provider that you approach will be particularly interested in knowing how long you have been diagnosed with the condition, the type of Von Willebrand Disease you have and how many episodes of bleeding you have had. Depending upon the type of Von Willebrand Disease that you have the insurer may want to see a report from your GP to fully establish how the condition affects your health. Following your application for Life Insurance the insurer may choose to offer Life Insurance at standard terms or at special terms (premium increase).

Critical Illness Cover for people with Von Willebrand Disease may be available at normal terms with certain insurance providers. The insurer that you place your Critical Illness Cover application with will want to know how many episodes of bleeding you have had, the length of time since you were diagnosed and the type/severity of the condition. The application process will probably involve the insurance provider requesting a report from your GP to establish your overall state of health; these reports are paid for by the insurer and cost no expense to yourself. If Critical Illness Cover is available to you, the policy may be available at standard or non-standard terms.

It is unlikely that a person with Type 2 or Type 3 Von Willebrand Disease will be able to secure Critical Illness Cover on the standard market. You will be able to arrange a Critical Illness policy with a specialist insurer, that can offer cover to people with Von Willebrand Disease.

Income Protection for people with Von Willebrand Disease, may be available at non-standard terms with some insurers. The insurer will usually ask to see a report from your GP to establish how the illness impacts upon your general health, how long you have been diagnosed with Von Willebrand Disease and how many episodes of bleeding you have had. They will also typically enquire as to how much time you have spent off work due to the condition. When you apply for Income Protection, you ideally want to arrange cover under an ‘own occupation’ claims definition.