COVID Life Insurance

Coronavirus (or COVID-19) has had a big impact on the whole world over the last few years. If you have ever contracted COVID (as many of us have) you will have experienced various unpleasant symptoms including continuous coughing and severe fatigue.

Severe cases of COVID-19 can lead to serious medical issues, other related conditions developing and symptoms that last for months or even years (long COVID). You may worry that having had coronavirus will cause major issues for you when applying for life insurance.

Luckily now the impact of the pandemic is more settled, it can be far easier to get the life cover you need after having coronavirus. Our EXPERTS can help advise you on the BEST insurers to approach and how to protect your family without paying ridiculous prices for your cover.

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Life insurance and COVID

The COVID-19 pandemic had a huge effect on the UK and the entire world. There was a time where life insurance and coronavirus did not mix well. For a while, having COVID in your medical history could have caused issues with getting the life insurance you need.

You should now find that getting life insurance is much easier and a previous COVID diagnosis shouldn’t stop you from getting cover – particularly if your symptoms were mild.

Most insurers will be able to offer you a range of great policies and often at budget friendly prices to suit you.

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Does life insurance cover COVID?

YES – usually you will be able to get life insurance after having COVID-19 (coronavirus). If your symptoms were mild and there were no complications, policies can be very affordable.

There are a variety of different life insurance policies that you can choose from including:

Which policy is right for you will depend on your own situation and needs. Each policy has different features and levels of cover, so it is good to consider carefully how much cover you need (£s) and how much you can afford to spend.

Life insurance and COVID vaccine

The main situation where the COVID vaccine could have had an impact on your application is if you have a pre-existing medical condition like diabetes or respiratory conditions. People with certain medical conditions were recommended to have the vaccine to protect themselves against COVID-19.

Previously during the height of the pandemic, life insurance companies would ask questions about vaccination status – and could refuse to provide cover to those who were unvaccinated.

Currently, insurers do not ask questions about COVID vaccines, so you don’t need to worry about this if you haven’t had the vaccine.

Will a positive COVID test affect life insurance?

NO – if you have tested positive for COVID-19 in the past, this won’t have a major impact on your life insurance application for most people.

If you have developed complications or other medical conditions due to COVID-19, these will be considered as part of your application. lnsurers are much better now at covering pre-existing medical conditions, but each one views medical conditions slightly differently.

If you are struggling to find the policy you need at a suitable price, it may be that you’re not applying to the right insurers. Our experts will be able to search the market for you and recommend the policies and providers that will work best for you.

Does life insurance pay out for COVID?

YES – if you as the policyholder dies as a result of coronavirus (COVID-19), your existing life insurance should pay out a lump sum to your loved ones or other beneficiaries.

Life insurance is a great way to ensure your family are supported financially if you were to pass away. This can provide peace of mind that the people you care about will not struggle with key expenses such as:

Funeral costs
Mortgage repayments
Cost of living
Household bills
Repayment of debts

If you’re not sure what type of life insurance policy is right for you, speak to one of our FRIENDLY EXPERTS for further help and support.

How does COVID life insurance work?

When applying for life insurance, you will be asked a series of questions related to your general health and lifestyle. You may also be asked questions about COVID-19, with the key questions insurers will ask being:

Have you been hospitalised due to coronavirus?
Have you had COVID-19 symptoms lasting longer than 12 weeks? (long COVID)

During the pandemic, you would likely also have been asked whether you were vaccinated against COVID-19. Insurers don’t generally ask this now and being vaccinated (or not) won’t impact how much you pay.

Can I get critical illness cover if I have had COVID-19?

YES – it is possible to get critical illness cover if you have had COVID before. Critical illness insurance pays out a cash lump sum if you get diagnosed with a serious medical condition (if it is covered by your policy).

You can use this money to help support you while you recover or make long term adjustments, covering expenses such as:

Paying mortgage or rent payments
Cost of living for a period of time
Adjustments to the home
Treatment to help your condition

You won’t be able to claim for a COVID diagnosis on a current critical illness policy, even if it leads to serious symptoms. This is because The Association of British Insurers (ABI) don’t class Coronavirus as a critical illness.

Income protection insurance is a similar policy, which pays out if your health leaves you unable to work for 4 or more weeks (30 days). This policy could pay out if COVID impacted your ability to work, provided you didn’t already have COVID when you applied.

Find out more about CRITICAL ILLNESS COVER.

Find out more about INCOME PROTECTION INSURANCE.

How much does COVID life insurance cost?

There are various things that will affect the cost of a life insurance policy. Before applying you should think about:

How much cover you need (£s)
The policy term (how many years you want to be covered for)
The type of policy (mortgage life insurance, family life insurance etc.)
The insurance provider

All these things will have an impact on how much you will pay for your life insurance cover. Other factors that will affect how much you pay include:

Your age
Height and weight
General health and lifestyle
If you have any other medical conditions
High risk occupation or dangerous hobby

How to save on life insurance with COVID-19

It is possible to save money on your COVID life insurance policy with a little research and the right advice. Often, comparing policies from different providers will show there are one or two able to offer the same level of cover for a fraction of the cost.

You can also reduce costs by:

Changing the type of policy you apply for (term cover will usually be more cost effective than whole life insurance)
Reducing how much cover you have (£s)
Reducing the policy term (how long you are covered for)

Medical conditions linked to coronavirus (COVID-19)

COVID-19 effects everyone differently and can cause a range of different symptoms. If you have COVID, you may experience any combination of the following symptoms.

A continuous cough (3 or more coughing episodes in 24 hours or coughing for more than an hour)
Loss of taste
Loss of smell
High temperature
Severe fatigue
Body aches
Shortness of breath
Blocked or runny nose
Nausea or diarrhoea
Headache
Sore throat

Most people recover fully within 12 weeks and some people may not experience symptoms at all (asymptomatic). However, some people can experience long term health issues related to COVID-19.

There are also people who will be at higher risk of serious symptoms if they contract COVID, due to pre-existing medical conditions like:

Frequently asked questions about COVID-19

How long after COVID are you contagious?	You are considered to be most contagious within the first 5 days of testing positive for coronavirus. Even if you have no symptoms, you can still pass the virus on to others within this time.
Do you still have to isolate if you have COVID?	NO – It is no longer mandatory to stay at home if you test positive for coronavirus. It is however recommended to avoid contact with others, to limit transmission of the disease.
Is Long COVID covered by life insurance?	It can be possible to get life insurance with long COVID in some cases. Your best course of action is to speak to a medical life insurance specialist for advice.

Expert advice for COVID life insurance

If you have a family or a mortgage, it is worth putting a safety net such as life insurance in place. Looking after our loved ones is a main priority for most of us. Life insurance is the BEST way to ensure your loved ones never need to struggle with big expenses such as funeral costs or mortgage repayments.

If you want EXPERT advice about how to find the BEST rates for your life insurance, get in touch with our team of insurance specialists.

We have over 20 years of expertise and are proud to be the UK’S #1 RATED PRE-EXISTING CONDITIONS LIFE INSURANCE EXPERTS. Our team have helped thousands of families get the cover that they need, to make sure they are always well protected.