Heart Trouble: Insurance Question Qualifiers

When applying for insurance, it's important to understand what is considered a pre-existing condition, as this can affect the validity and premiums of your insurance policies. While high cholesterol is not considered heart disease when applying for life insurance, it is still a factor that can increase the cost of coverage. Heart disease and heart conditions refer to more serious issues, such as coronary bypass, stent placement, defibrillator implantation, or a pacemaker. These conditions can affect the validity and cost of various insurance policies, including travel, car, health, and life insurance. It's crucial to be truthful when answering questions about your health and family history on insurance applications.

Congenital heart conditions

Congenital heart disease (CHD) is a general term for a range of birth defects that affect the heart's normal function. "Congenital" means that the condition is present from birth—making CHD the most common type of birth defect, affecting almost 1 in 100 babies born in the UK.

CHD occurs when a baby's heart doesn't develop normally during pregnancy. These defects can change the way the heart pumps blood, causing it to flow too slowly, go in the wrong direction, or be blocked entirely. CHD can range from very mild problems that never require treatment to life-threatening issues that demand surgery within the first year of life.

There are many types of CHD, and they sometimes occur in combination. Some of the more common defects include:

• Septal defects: Openings in the wall between the left and right sides of the heart, commonly known as a "hole in the heart."
• Heart valve defects: Issues with the valves that control blood flow through the heart.
• Defects in the large blood vessels carrying blood in and out of the heart.
• Coarctation of the aorta: The main large artery in the body, the aorta, is narrower than usual.
• Pulmonary valve stenosis: The pulmonary valve, which controls blood flow from the lower right heart chamber to the lungs, is narrower than normal.
• Transposition of the great arteries: The pulmonary and aortic valves and their connected arteries have swapped positions.
• Underdeveloped heart: A section of the heart doesn't develop properly, making it difficult to pump enough blood around the body and lungs.

In most cases, no clear cause of CHD is identified. However, certain factors are known to increase the risk, including Down's syndrome, the mother having specific infections or taking certain medications during pregnancy, and the mother's smoking or alcohol consumption during pregnancy.

High blood pressure

When applying for insurance, it is important to disclose any pre-existing conditions, including high blood pressure. High blood pressure can lead to health complications such as heart disease, heart attacks, and strokes, which may affect the validity and premiums of insurance policies, including life insurance, travel insurance, car insurance, and health insurance.

For life insurance specifically, high blood pressure may result in higher premiums due to the increased risk of health complications. However, this is not always the case, and some insurance companies offer their lowest rates to individuals with moderately high blood pressure, up to a certain age. Additionally, demonstrating that you are actively managing your high blood pressure through medication, diet, and lifestyle changes may improve your chances of finding affordable coverage.

It is worth noting that each insurance company has its own guidelines for assessing risk and determining rates, so it is advisable to shop around and work with an independent agent or broker to find the best policy for your specific circumstances.

Heart failure

If you have a heart condition, it may affect the validity and premiums of your insurance policies, including travel, car, health, life, and income protection insurance. It is important to be honest about your health status when taking out an insurance policy, as lying about medical conditions will likely invalidate any claim that you make.

If you are diagnosed with heart problems after taking out a health insurance policy, you may be able to get faster access to treatment and a wider choice of therapies. You will also be able to choose your consultant and hospital for treatment. However, if you already have a heart condition when you take out a health insurance policy, you'll have to disclose it as a pre-existing condition.

If you have a pre-existing heart condition, some insurers may not be able to cover you, but you may still be able to get cover that excludes your specific pre-existing condition. You may be offered a policy without exclusions, where you pay an increased premium to cover the greater risk, or a policy with exclusions, where you are not covered for death resulting from your heart condition.

If you are travelling overseas with a heart condition, it is important to tell your insurer well in advance to ensure you will be covered. Holidaying with a heart condition requires careful planning. You may need to avoid certain activities that could aggravate your heart condition, such as extreme sports or travelling to destinations with challenging terrain or climates. The right travel insurance will help with medical care overseas and even cover an early flight home if your condition flares up. However, be aware that any pre-existing health conditions will need to be declared and can increase the cost of your cover.

If you have a heart condition, you may also need to inform the DVLA, as it could affect the validity of your driving licence and prevent a car insurer from offering you cover.

Arrhythmia

During an arrhythmia, the electrical impulses that control the heartbeat may be too fast, too slow, or erratic. This causes the heart to pump less effectively, meaning the lungs, brain, and other organs can't work properly and may shut down or be damaged.

• A delay or blockage of the electrical signals that control the heartbeat
• Another part of the heart taking over as a pacemaker
• Changes to heart tissue caused by changes in blood flow, damage to the heart's electrical system, or stiffening or scarring of the heart tissue
• Excessive exertion, strain, or stress
• An imbalance of fluids, hormones, or electrolytes in the blood
• Certain heart medications
• Strong emotions, stress, or surprise
• Alcohol, tobacco, caffeine, or exercise
• Problems with the thyroid gland
• Changes in hormone levels

Some common types of arrhythmias include:

• Premature atrial contractions: early extra beats that are usually harmless and don't require treatment
• Atrial fibrillation: the upper chambers of the heart contract in an unusual way, sometimes beating more than 400 times a minute
• Atrial flutter: a more organized and regular arrhythmia than atrial fibrillation, which often changes into atrial fibrillation
• Paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia: a rapid heart rate with a regular rhythm that begins and ends suddenly
• Ventricular tachycardia: a rapid heart rhythm starting from the lower chambers, which can be serious, especially in people with heart disease
• Ventricular fibrillation: the lower chambers of the heart quiver and can't contract or pump blood to the rest of the body, requiring immediate treatment with CPR and defibrillation

Treatment for arrhythmias depends on the type, and may include medications, electrical cardioversion, or an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD). Lifestyle changes such as a healthy diet, exercise, moderate alcohol consumption, controlling cholesterol and blood pressure, quitting smoking, and limiting stress can also help manage arrhythmias.

Heart valve problems

When applying for insurance, individuals with heart valve problems may need to disclose this as a pre-existing condition. Heart conditions can impact the availability and cost of various types of insurance, including health, life, travel, and car insurance. For example, individuals with heart valve problems may face higher premiums or restrictions in coverage. However, laws like the Affordable Care Act in the US have made it easier for people with pre-existing conditions to access affordable health insurance.

It is crucial to carefully review the terms and conditions of insurance policies and consult with independent insurance agents to find the best coverage options. Additionally, seeking insurance through an employer's group health insurance plan can often provide access to reasonable rates despite pre-existing heart conditions.

Frequently asked questions