About Hepatitis life insurance
People who have been diagnosed with Hepatitis may be put off applying for life insurance or assume that it’s too expensive or won’t pay out in the event of a claim. However, hepatitis life insurance is available from a number of companies depending on the type of hepatitis and the severity of your condition.
There are several different types of hepatitis, each with varying levels of occurrence in the UK. These are:
- Hepatitis A
- Hepatitis B
- Hepatitis C
- Hepatitis D
- Hepatitis E
- Alcoholic hepatitis
- Autoimmune hepatitis
Of these types, hepatitis C remains the most common form of chronic hepatitis in the UK affecting an estimated 0.5 to 1 per cent of the population, according to Health and Safety Executive. However, hepatitis E has become increasingly common and is now the most common form of short term (acute) hepatitis in the UK.
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Does life insurance pay out for Hepatitis?
Yes – although it is relatively rare for someone to pass away from hepatitis with current medical treatments, an active life insurance policy would pay a lump sum to your loved ones if this were to happen.
Life cover policies are based on your health at the time you take out the cover, so they will cover pre-existing conditions that you disclose, including hepatitis.
For this same reason, cover tends to be cheaper if you start the policy sooner because you’ll be younger and usually in better health than later in life.
More information about Life Insurance
Does critical illness cover pay out for Hepatitis?
As hepatitis is not considered to be a critical illness, a diagnosis on its own will not trigger a payout on most critical illness cover policies. There are, however, still some points to consider.
A few insurers may, in some cases, offer a partial payout for some cases of chronic inflammatory hepatitis, if you get diagnosed after taking out a policy.
In addition, long-lasting cases of hepatitis can lead to further complications, and these may be serious enough to cause a payout on most critical illness cover policies.
Some complications include:
- Liver scarring (cirrhosis)
- Liver cancer
- Liver failure
- Kidney disease
Critical illness cover is considered to be most useful for helping to relieve financial burden caused by things such as:
- Loss of income
- Treatment and medication
- Bills and outgoings
More information about Critical Illness Cover
Will income protection pay out for Hepatitis?
Yes – if your GP signs you off work for 4 weeks or more, then an income protection policy will usually pay out.
Depending on your cover, most of these types of policies can pay you a monthly benefit for up to 12 or 24 months whilst you’re unable to work due to a medical condition such as hepatitis, or many other reasons.
Because insurance policies such as income protection are calculated based on your health at the time you make the application, it is possible for exclusions to be applied to your policy if you already suffer from hepatitis. A life insurance expert will be able to help find the best cover for your situation.
Income protection is useful for covering costs such as:
- Medical treatment
- School fees
- Bills and outgoings
- Mortgage and rent payments
More information about Income Protection
Can I get life insurance with Hepatitis?
Yes – even if you’ve already been diagnosed with hepatitis, getting life insurance is possible. The key is to get the best cover at the fairest price, so knowing who to speak to is essential.
With proper treatment, hepatitis is rarely fatal. Whichever strain of this condition you have, our advisers should get you competitive quotes for hepatitis life insurance policies that would provide financial protection for your family if the worst were to happen.
Will I need a medical to get Hepatitis life insurance?
In cases where you’ve had hepatitis and are now fully recovered, then the insurance company will likely not need to request a medical or a GP report, which makes the process quicker and quite simple.
If you have a chronic form of the condition and need hepatitis carrier life insurance, then the likelihood is that the insurer will ask for medical evidence. This doesn’t mean that you won’t be able to get the cover so don’t worry – it just means that the insurer will write to your GP to obtain medical records so that they can get a full picture of your health and the severity of your condition and set up the policy accordingly.
You won’t have to pay for a medical report to be sent out, however, as the insurers pay for this themselves. In addition, you’d have the added benefit of knowing that your policy is 100% valid due to the accurate medical information, which gives you peace of mind that your loved ones would get a payout if a claim needs to be made.
Medical questions for Hepatitis life insurance
During the application process for life insurance with hepatitis, you will be asked some standard questions as well as some questions specifically about your condition. Some examples of these questions are:
- What type of hepatitis do you have?
- When was it diagnosed?
- Are you recovered (acute) or do you still carry it (chronic)?
- What is your liver function reading?
There will likely be other questions involved with making an application, however, the life insurance companies will more often than not use a GP report to obtain the information if they need to know it.
Medical conditions linked to Hepatitis
Here are some of the conditions commonly associated with hepatitis.
- Kidney disease
- Diabetes (type 2)
- Heart disease
- Depression
- Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma
- Liver cancer
- Liver failure
Common questions about Hepatitis
Here are a few of the most common questions about Hepatitis and living with the condition.
What is the main cause of hepatitis?
The most common cause of hepatitis across the globe is viral hepatitis, which consists of hepatitis A, B, C, D, and E. These are each transmitted in different ways. Other causes of hepatitis include autoimmune diseases and alcohol or drug abuse.
What are the four symptoms of hepatitis?
Whilst there are more than 4 symptoms of hepatitis, not everyone will exhibit all of them. Some common symptoms of hepatitis include:
- Flu-like symptoms
- Abdominal pain
- Pale stool and/or dark urine
- Loss of appetite
- Unexplained weight loss
- Fatigue
- Jaundice (yellow skin and eyes)
What is the test for hepatitis?
Generally, a blood test will be involved when diagnosing all types of hepatitis. For the viral types of hepatitis, the doctors will be looking for antibodies and/or genetic material of the virus, depending on which type you have.
For alcoholic hepatitis or drug-induced hepatitis, the tests may include a complete blood count as well as liver function tests, blood clotting tests, abdominal CT scans, and ultrasound scans of the liver.
Useful resources
Here are a few useful links for people living with Hepatitis or looking for more information about it:
