Life insurance and health insurance Menopause services
There are a number of things to consider during menopause when reviewing your life insurance or health insurance cover. One of the biggest points that will apply with menopause life insurance is your age due to the normal age when menopause occurs.
Health insurance can also provide you with extremely useful support throughout menopause and beyond with specialist care, treatment, and support services.
We are also delighted to be working with Menopause Matters to help people with all things related to menopause, symptoms and support.
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About Menopause
Menopause generally occurs in women of a certain age group (average age is 51) where ovaries become no longer produce oestrogen and progesterone. Premature menopause can also occur where ovaries become damaged from treatments such as chemotherapy or radiotherapy.
Treatment for menopause will vary because every individual is different and the body reacts in different ways. In some instances, menopause can be treated with a simple change in lifestyle, diet, and exercise. Other techniques include Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) and alternative therapies or alternative techniques.
Menopause statistics UK
A recent study by the Nuffield Health Group revealed some concerning findings of menopause.
- Menopause symptoms can last for up to 15 years in some cases
- 25% of women suffer debilitating symptoms
- Nearly 50% of women reported feeling depressed
- 33% of women felt anxious
- A large proportion of women felt as though they were ‘going mad’
- Approximately 65% of women reported a lack of support and understanding
Other findings in the Nuffield research showed that women were also failed by their GP because of a lack of knowledge or understanding.
- Some women are misdiagnosed with depression and treated with anti-depressants
- Only 38% of women requested help from their GP
- 25% of women who visited the GP said that menopause was missed
- A third of women said that they were not told about hormone replacement therapy (HRT)
- A large proportion of women were incorrectly denied HRT because of family history
- Many women felt confused about HRT
- Women are not generally told about NHS Menopause clinics
There are 29 NHS menopause clinics in the UK at this time (waiting times are usually over 6 months for an appointment)
- Over 70% of women felt unsupported by their employer
- 90% of women were unable to talk to their superiors in work
- 20% of women had to take time off work and 1 in 50 were on long-term absence
The research also showed that approximately 10% of women also considered giving up work altogether because of menopause symptoms.
To find out more or to read the full report, you can visit the Nuffield Health website.
Health insurance and Menopause support services
Very recently, several of the big health insurance providers have launched specific support services for women before, during, and after menopause. The first to launch this unique service was Vitality in October 2020.
Bupa UK also offers a specific ‘Menopause Plan’ that provides personalised treatment and support throughout and after menopause.
About Vitality Menopause support
Vitality health now offers a very specific support service for female policyholders to help them through menopause.
The free service is included as part of the medical insurance product and provides access to a range of menopause support services (Peppy, 2020), including:
- Menopause hub is an online system providing links to articles and resources
- App-based care which is personalised to you
- Treatment referrals as and when required
What support does ‘Peppy’ offer for women?
Peppy is the brand new app that has been designed by Vitality Health to support women through menopause, including access to:
- Unlimited 1-2-1 menopause expert messaging service
- Video consultations with menopause experts
- Symptom management, physical and mental wellbeing support
- Group chat with peers to provide support
- Qualified links and resources from trusted sources
- Live broadcasts on various related topics
About Bupa Menopause Plan
The Bupa Menopause Plan offers a unique 6 stage process to help support women throughout and beyond menopause.
What are the 6 steps of the Bupa Menopause Plan?
1. Pre-appointment questionnaire and symptom checker to help personalise your care
2. 45 minute GP appointment with a trained practitioner
3. Refer to a specialist for any tests or prescriptions
4. Care plan personalised to you based on your needs
5. 15-minute follow-up appointment 12 weeks after your original appointment
6. 24/7 nurse support for a full year after your first appointment
Health insurance providers are constantly looking at new ways to offer support for women through menopause. There are also other areas where you might be able to use your health insurance policy for the effects of menopause, such as mental health and alternative therapies.
Medical insurance mental health services
Most medical insurance providers now offer mental health support as part of their core products, as well as additional optional benefits. Some providers will include different levels of cover as part of the standard cover so you just need to check what’s included.
- Access to therapies such as CBT and counselling
- GP referrals
- Specialist mental health support
- Mental health in-patient and out-patient treatment
Each health insurance provider will have differing levels of cover for mental health treatment so it is worth checking what is available.
Income protection and menopause
Women can also access treatment and receive financial support throughout menopause with their income protection policies.
Income protection is designed to pay you for long-term absence if you are unable to work sickness or illness. You can also access support from your income protection policy to help you to get back into work.
Can you claim on income protection for mental health issues?
One of the biggest reasons for people claiming on their income protection policies is due to absence from mental health issues. Menopause can cause moderate to severe mental health problems such as depression and anxiety.
If you are unable to work for a period of 4 weeks or more then you should be able to claim on your income protection. This will then pay you a tax-free monthly income to pay your mortgage, rent, or other outgoings while you are unable to work.
Your income protection policy may also pay you a lump sum for therapy or treatment to help you to get back to work.
Life insurance and Menopause
There are several things to consider when you have life insurance through menopause or if you need to apply for life insurance during menopause.
Can I claim on my life insurance for menopause?
There are some reasons why someone might need to claim on their life insurance policy because of menopause. The sad reality is that some women can suffer extremely severe mental health problems from menopause.
If this, therefore, leads to death from suicide, then a life insurance policy will provide a lump sum payout to their family.
Alternatively, if menopause is caused because of cancer treatment such as chemotherapy or radiotherapy then life cover can payout. One of the most common claims on life insurance in the UK is cancer, unfortunately, 1 in 2 of us might suffer from cancer in our lifetime.
Can I get life insurance after menopause?
Getting life insurance is usually straightforward during or after menopause and there are just a few things to think about.
- Age: Often women will be in their 40s or 50s when they go through menopause, so life cover premiums might be higher because of this. You should also consider that your reasons for wanting life insurance might be slightly different from those in your younger years.
- Mental health: If you suffer from mental health issues during or after menopause (e.g. depression or anxiety), then this might have a slight impact on your premiums. The cover should still be readily available for you.
- Cancer treatment: If your menopause was caused because of cancer treatment, you should still be able to get the cover you need. Some insurers might require you to wait for a period of time after the treatment depending on the grade and stage of the tumour.
If you need more information then you should speak to a life insurance expert for further help and advice.
Medical conditions linked to menopause
You can have a higher risk of certain medical conditions post menopause such as:
- Cardiovascular disease
- Heart disease
- Osteoporosis
- Urinary tract infection (UTI)
- Obesity
- High blood pressure
- High cholesterol
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Type 2 diabetes
- Migraines
- Urinary tract infections (UTI)
Frequently asked questions about menopause
| What are the 1st signs of menopause? | The first sign of menopause beginning is usually your periods becoming irregular (if they are not already). |
| What are the 3 stages of menopause? | There are 3 distinct stages of menopause: Perimenopause: Start of menopause Menopause: During menopause Postmenopause: After menopause |
| What are the symptoms of menopause? | Symptoms of menopause include: Periods becoming irregular and then stopping altogether Low mood Anxiety Low self esteem Memory worsening Trouble concentrating Hot flushes Insomnia Headaches Weight gain Muscle aches/joint pain Lower sex drive |
