Who is relevant life insurance for?
Who is relevant life insurance for?
Protecting your loved ones’ future is one of the most common motives behind taking out...
Can you get life insurance if you are living with Epilepsy?
Yes, it is possible to get life insurance.
As life insurance experts, we will find the right policy to protect you and your loved ones.
Your Guide to Epilepsy Life Insurance.
Looking for a life insurance policy when you have a pre-existing condition can be daunting. However, life insurance for people who suffer from epilepsy can almost always be obtained, although premiums will depend on the type of epilepsy and its severity. The Insurance Surgery are here to offer expert advice and information about life insurance for epilepsy so that you feel supported every step of the way.
How Epilepsy Life Insurance Works.
You will be pleased to hear that many people are successful in getting epilepsy life insurance cover to protect their family or their business. If your epilepsy is well managed and you have not experienced any symptoms or seizures for a number of years, you could find that you pay standard rates for cover with ‘no loading’.
To help us find life insurance that best suits your situation, it would be great to have the following information when you make your application:
- Type of epilepsy
- Date of diagnosis
- Any hospitalisation
- Any underlying cause
- Medication / Control method
- Severity and frequency of seizures / attacks
A Quick Guide to Epilepsy Life Insurance
Step 1: Prepare all the necessary information about your health.
Step 2: Work out how much cover is required.
Step 3: Get in touch with a life insurance expert that understands medical conditions.
Step 4: You may need to provide a GP report.
Step 5: Browse the available options and with advice from an expert, choose the correct cover for you.
Can I Get Critical Illness Cover?
If you are living with epilepsy and would like critical illness cover, it is generally available. As long as your epilepsy is under good control, then standard rates should apply. Good control usually means that you have not experienced any symptoms or seizures for a period of several years.
For people with Absence Seizures (Petit Mal) Epilepsy, you should be able to obtain cover with no additional loadings or exclusions.
Those with Tonic-Clonic Seizures (Grand Mal) Epilepsy may find that you are more likely to incur a small loading to your premium. There may also be an exclusion for epilepsy or neurological conditions to the TPD (Total and Permanent Disability) element of your policy.
Critical illness cover will pay out a tax-free lump sum if you’re diagnosed with a serious illness defined under your policy wording.
Most critical illness policies will cover:
- Cancer
- Stroke
- Liver or kidney failure
- Heart attack
- Multiple Sclerosis (MS)
- Major organ transplant
Income Protection.
Income protection can be slightly more difficult to obtain if you suffer from epilepsy. However in many cases it is available and can still be provided with no loading to your premium. There also could be some exclusions applied with income protection for people who have epilepsy.
If you have Absence Seizures (Petit Mal) epilepsy, you could find that you will be able to get cover at standard rates but there may be some exclusions relating to your epilepsy.
Anyone with Tonic-Clonic Seizures (Grand Mal) epilepsy may find that you will be offered terms or cover with exclusions. In some cases you may have to pay a higher premium.
You will need to consider which option is best for you. Make sure that you read all policy wording carefully before you accept cover.
How to Claim.
We understand how hard it is to lose a loved one. That’s why we have provided 3 simple steps to help clarify the claims process:
Contact Your Broker/Provider
The easiest way to make a claim is to go through the insurance broker or provider you took the cover with. This not only takes the weight off your shoulders at this stressful time but also helps speed up the claim process.
Start the process via Call/Email/Post
Depending on the type of policy you have, ways to make a claim can vary. You will initiate the claim process either via telephone, email, or post for Life Insurance, Critical Illness Cover and Income Protection.
Send Required Information
Once the claim has been received your insurance provider will then request the necessary evidence in order to assess the claim. This can include but is not limited to death certificates, GP reports and specialist letters.
Epilepsy Life Insurance Costs.
As epilepsy is a complex condition with many different seizure types, each application is judged on a case-by-case basis. The amount you pay in premiums will depend on the severity of your condition. Seizures range from absence seizures where you are unconscious for a short amount of time to tonic-clonic seizures which are often more severe and include a loss of consciousness.
Generally, the current underwriting approach for most providers is that less than 12 attacks per year will attract a minor loading to the policy. Over 12 attacks per year will mean a slightly higher loading.
However, if your epilepsy is controlled by medication, your seizures don’t include a loss of consciousness and you haven’t experienced a seizure in the past six months, you will likely avoid any inflation on your premium, instead paying standard rates.
At The Insurance Surgery, we want to help you find the best deal. We will search the whole market to find who will offer you the most competitive premiums and go through the policy with you in depth.
Case Studies.
Case Study: Male, 39 years old, living with Epilepsy. He has a family history of cancer and is looking for a replacement life insurance and critical illness policy to support his partner and 2 children.
Cover type: Life insurance & Critical illness cover
Monthly premium: £17.88
Cover amount: £30,000 for life and critical illness cover
Case Study: Male aged 35, living with Epilepsy. Looking for level life insurance over a 50 year term to protect his wife and daughter.
Cover Type: Level life insurance
Monthly Premium: £25.78
Cover amount: £150,000.00
Price Promise.
As an award-winning specialist Insurance Broker for those with medical conditions, high risk occupations or participating in extreme sports we will never be beaten on price.
Frequently Asked Questions
We answer your most frequently asked questions.
You may have spoken to an insurance company or broker in the past who is not a specialist. This would mean that they struggle to find a provider who will offer cover. The Insurance Surgery specialises in finding cover for people with pre-existing medical conditions including epilepsy. We understand underwriting more than most other companies.
Yes, we do. Although obtaining travel insurance when you have epilepsy can be a long-winded process, we have a partner who has developed a travel insurance system where you simply enter the details of your epilepsy. You only need to do this once, making finding the right travel insurance quicker and easier. Using your details, we will provide travel insurance quotations from over 20 companies.
It all depends on the type of Epilepsy (e.g. Grand Mal or Petit Mal) and the severity of the condition (e.g. frequency / severity of attacks).
It can be possible to obtain life insurance for Epilepsy at standard rates with no loading. This is for less serious cases if the right insurance provider is selected.
You may have spoken to an insurance company or broker in the past who is not a specialist. This would mean that they struggle to find a provider who will offer cover. The Insurance Surgery specialises in finding cover for people with pre-existing medical conditions including epilepsy. We understand underwriting more than most other companies.
It may not necessarily be the case that you have to pay more for your life insurance. You may be able to pay a similar premium to someone who is regarded as perfectly healthy.
However, that depends on your circumstances and which provider you apply to. Generally in the case of Petit Mal Epilepsy, there should be no loading applied to your premiums. We will search the whole market to find who will offer you the most competitive premiums for you and your family.
- Currently around 500,000 people (1 in 100) have
- 87 people are diagnosed with epilepsy each day.
- Over 50% of people are seizure free.
- Roughly 5 in 100 people will have an epileptic seizure in their lives.
- 4 out of those 5 people will go on to develop
- Epilepsy can affect anyone and at any age.
Epilepsy is a neurological condition and is a disease of the central nervous system. Epilepsy causes attacks (also known as seizures) due to disruption in the nerve cell activity.
Seizures can vary widely from one person to another and from one episode to another. They can cause abnormal behaviour, convulsions, blackouts and loss of consciousness. These attacks can come infrequently and can vary in duration / severity.
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The Insurance Surgery is a leading life insurance expert for people with medical conditions such as epilepsy. We understand your needs more than anyone and we know how to get the best cover at the right price.