If you have a health condition, you might assume life insurance is out of reach or unaffordable. In most cases that is not true. This guide explains how life insurance works when you have a pre-existing medical condition, why honesty is essential, and what to do if cover is expensive or hard to find.
Can you get cover with a health condition?
The reassuring answer is that most people with a pre-existing medical condition can still get life insurance. Insurers assess each application individually through a process called underwriting, weighing the condition, its severity and how well it is managed. Many conditions lead to cover at a higher premium rather than a refusal, and plenty have little or no effect at all. So a health condition is a reason to shop carefully, not to assume you cannot be covered.
How insurers handle pre-existing conditions
When you apply, the insurer considers your medical history and may ask for more detail or a report from your doctor. Based on this, they can offer cover on standard terms, offer it at a higher premium, exclude a specific condition from the cover, or, in some cases, decline. Different insurers take different views of the same condition, which is why getting more than one quote, or using a specialist, can make a real difference to the outcome.
Why honesty is essential
When you apply, you must answer all the health and lifestyle questions fully and accurately. Non-disclosure, failing to mention something relevant, is the single biggest reason life insurance claims are declined. Holding back a condition to get a cheaper premium is never worth it, because a claim could be refused when your family needs it most. Full, honest disclosure is what makes your cover reliable, even if it means a higher premium now.
Common conditions and cover
Insurers deal with a wide range of conditions every day. Diabetes, high blood pressure, asthma, a history of mental health conditions, heart conditions and a past cancer diagnosis are all common, and cover is frequently available for each, though terms vary. How the condition is controlled, how long ago it was diagnosed, and your overall health all influence the outcome. Being able to show that a condition is well managed often helps you get better terms.
What affects the terms you are offered
For any condition, insurers look at the detail. They consider how serious it is, whether it is stable or worsening, how it is treated, and how long it has been since diagnosis or treatment. Lifestyle factors such as smoking and weight also play a part. Two people with the same condition can be offered very different terms depending on these details, which is why a thorough, accurate application gives you the best chance of fair cover.
If cover is expensive or refused
If you are offered expensive cover or declined, you have options. A specialist insurer or broker who deals with higher-risk applications can often find cover that mainstream insurers will not, and knows which insurers view particular conditions more favourably. For some, a guaranteed-acceptance over-50s plan, which asks no health questions, may be a fallback, as our guide to over-50s life insurance explains, though it has its own trade-offs.
The value of a broker
For anyone with a significant health condition, a specialist protection broker can be especially valuable. They understand how different insurers assess conditions and can guide your application to those most likely to offer good terms, saving you from repeated declines that can themselves make future applications harder. While there may be a fee, the right cover at a fair price is usually worth it, particularly when a condition makes the market harder to navigate alone.
Don't cancel cover you already have
If you already hold life insurance and later develop a condition, do not cancel it without very careful thought. Your existing policy was underwritten based on your health at the time, so it is unaffected by a new diagnosis, whereas any new policy would take the condition into account and could cost more or exclude it. Existing cover taken out while you were healthier is often more valuable than you realise, so protect it.
Buying cover early
One clear lesson is that buying life insurance while you are younger and healthier usually means cheaper, simpler cover. Conditions that develop later can raise the price or complicate an application, so there is real value in putting cover in place before health issues arise. If you are considering life insurance and are currently in good health, acting sooner rather than later can lock in better terms for the future.
Mental health and life insurance
A history of mental health conditions, such as depression or anxiety, is common and frequently covered, often on standard or near-standard terms depending on the severity and how it is managed. As with any condition, you must disclose it honestly, and the insurer will assess it individually. People sometimes avoid applying for fear of being judged or refused, but in practice cover is usually available, and being open allows the insurer to offer terms that will actually pay out.
Weight, smoking and lifestyle
Lifestyle factors influence your premium alongside any diagnosed conditions. Smoking typically increases premiums significantly, and a high body mass index can too, as both are linked to greater health risks. The good news is that these can change: stopping smoking, for example, can reduce premiums over time. As with medical conditions, the key is to answer the questions accurately, since misstating smoking status or other lifestyle details is a form of non-disclosure that could undermine a claim.
What happens at claim time
Understanding how claims are assessed shows why honesty matters. When a claim is made, particularly if death occurs relatively soon after the policy started, the insurer may check that the application was accurate. If everything was disclosed properly, the claim is paid, as the vast majority are. If something relevant was withheld, the claim can be reduced or refused. An accurate application is therefore the foundation of cover you and your family can rely on.
The overall message is an encouraging one: a health condition rarely means no cover at all, only that you should apply carefully, disclose fully, and shop around or use a specialist. With the right approach, most people can put protection in place for the people who matter to them.
In short
Most people with a pre-existing condition can still get life insurance, often at a higher premium rather than a refusal, with insurers assessing each case individually. Always disclose your health fully, since non-disclosure is the main reason claims are declined. If cover is costly or refused, a specialist broker or, as a fallback, a guaranteed-acceptance plan can help. Do not cancel existing cover, and buying while healthy keeps things cheaper.
Where to get help and next steps
Read life insurance explained for the basics, see over-50s life insurance as a possible fallback, and learn how life insurance pays out. This is general information, not financial advice.