Life insurance with asthma
Millions of people in the UK receive treatment for asthma, but can you get life insurance if you have this common condition?
Asthma is an airways disorder where the air passages to your lungs become obstructed. Symptoms can be mild, such as wheezing, coughing and chest tightness, but some people experience severe episodes such as life-threatening asthma attacks.
Asthma often develops during childhood, but many adults can experience asthma in later life. It may be triggered by environmental irritants (including allergens), cold air, exercise and viral infections.
Yes, you can get life insurance with asthma but an insurer will want to know about the severity of symptoms. Asthma alone won't increase the cost of life insurance if the following apply:
- You have mild asthma with no regular symptoms.
- You have no history of hospital admissions in relation to your asthma.
- You respond well to treatments with inhalers.
More severe asthma symptoms can affect a life insurance application. Of course, asthma is not the only factor that will influence whether you can get a policy. A life insurance provider will ask broader health and lifestyle questions. They'll consider factors such as your age, weight, smoker status and family medical history. Whether they can offer you a policy (and on what terms) is a rounded assessment.
Do I need to tell my life insurance provider about my asthma?
Yes – asthma is classed as a pre-existing condition when you apply for life insurance, so you would need to inform your provider of your health status and history at the application stage.
If you choose L&G for your life insurance, we'll ask if:
- You’ve had symptoms of asthma in the last two years,
- You've been diagnosed (or been told) that you have bronchiectasis, and/or Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), including emphysema or chronic bronchitis.
What should I tell my insurer about my asthma?
If you disclose that you have asthma when applying for life insurance, you will need to include information such as your date of diagnosis, the frequency and severity of your symptoms – including any hospitalisations – and whether you’re taking any medication or treatments.
We may ask you to provide further information, such as a medical report, or we may ask you to participate in a health check or telephone medical interview.
This could include a smoker test or a blood test, for example. Our guide to life insurance medical blood tests will give you a sense of what to expect.
Life insurance for asthmatics
If you have asthma and you’re looking to protect your loved ones with life insurance, what are your options?
Life insurance
- Provides a lump sum of money if you die while covered by the policy.
- The payout is a set amount which remains the same while you’re covered.
- Can be used for mortgage protection or living expenses, such as household bills, childcare and hobbies.
Decreasing life insurance
- Designed to protect a repayment mortgage.
- The amount of cover decreases roughly in line with your mortgage.
- Often a more affordable way of getting life insurance.
Critical illness cover
- While asthma is not classed as a critical illness, you can still take out Life Insurance and Critical Illness Cover if you’re asthmatic. We'll let you know if it affects your policy.
- It provides cover if you're diagnosed with or undergo a medical procedure for a specified critical illness (and you survive for 14 days from diagnosis).
- Can be added to your Life Insurance or Decreasing Life Insurance when taking out cover for an extra cost.
Life insurance for asthmatic smokers
Smoking can trigger asthma symptoms and increase the likelihood of asthma attacks. While it’s possible to get life insurance as an asthmatic smoker, you may face higher premiums. And if you’ve told us you’re a non-smoker, you may be asked to complete a smoker test to verify this information.
Read our guide to life insurance for smokers.
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