Respiratory conditions life insurance

For most of us, protecting our family’s future and wellbeing will be a top priority. Life insurance is a great and cost-effective way to provide financial security for your loved ones for years to come.

You shouldn’t be put off applying for life insurance if you have a respiratory condition. With the right advice, you can get the life cover you need at a price to suit your budget.

Respiratory conditions facts and figures UK

Around 1 in 5 people in the UK will be diagnosed with a respiratory condition, such as asthma or pneumonia.

According to the NHS:

Respiratory disease is the 3rd biggest cause of death in the UK (due to COPD, pneumonia, and lung cancer specifically)
There are double the number of hospital admissions for respiratory conditions in the Winter compared to the rest of the year
Treating respiratory conditions costs the NHS £11billion every year
Hospital admissions have risen for lung disease in the UK at 3 times the rate of all other hospital admissions (over the course of 7 years)

Learn more – NHS – Respiratory diseases

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What is a respiratory condition?

A respiratory condition (or respiratory disease) is a medical condition that affects the airways and lungs. This includes conditions such as lung disease which affects the lung tissues, air sacs and airways.

Causes of respiratory conditions include:

Smoking (including second hand smoke)
Air pollution
Genetics (family history)
Exposure to chemicals/ irritants (e.g. asbestos)

Some conditions may be classed as ‘acute’ if they are something that will get better and not have ongoing symptoms. This is an infection or illness which only occurs once and lasts for a short period of time.

Your condition may be classed as ‘chronic’ if your symptoms are ongoing for 1 or more years and require medical treatment (long term). Examples of chronic respiratory conditions include asthma and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD).

Symptoms of respiratory conditions

The symptoms you experience may vary depending on the specific condition you have and how severe it is. Common respiratory condition symptoms include:

Persistent coughing
Wheezing
Difficulty breathing
Shortness of breath
Coughing that produces mucus
Tightness in chest
Lower immune system

How does respiratory conditions life insurance work?

When you are applying for life insurance, you will be asked a series of questions about your health, lifestyle and medical history. This is referred to as a medical questionnaire or ‘fact find’. You will normally be asked around 30 questions.

Your answers help insurance underwriters to get a clear picture of your health. This allows them to work out what policy is right for you and how much you will pay. The amount your policy costs can vary due to factors such as:

Your age when you apply
How much cover you need (sum assured £s)
Length of cover (policy term)
Type of life insurance (family or mortgage protection)
Smoker status

Insurers will all have slightly different underwriting policies and practices. This means some insurers will be a better option than others for people with respiratory conditions. A life insurance expert will be able to advise you about your best options for cover.

Our team are specialists in respiratory conditions life insurance, with more than 25 years of expertise.

Insurance providers that work well for people with medical conditions include:

More about LIFE INSURANCE.

Can I get life insurance with a respiratory condition?

YES – In many cases, it should be simple to get the cover you need, provided you have the right advice. People with COPD, asthma and other conditions shouldn’t worry that life insurance will be inaccessible or unaffordable.

Certain conditions such as asthma are very common in the UK. Insurers will be used to seeing applications from people with these conditions and so will normally be able to offer cover.

If your condition is more serious e.g. lung cancer, it is worth speaking to an insurance specialist to work out your best options.

Our team have over 20 years of expertise in respiratory conditions life insurance. We know exactly which providers work well for each condition, so you never pay more than you should.

Are respiratory conditions covered by life insurance?

YES – If you were to die due to a respiratory condition, your existing life insurance should cover this.

A standard life insurance policy won’t exclude pre-existing conditions. Your policy should pay out a cash lump sum to your family in the event of your death.

This can provide much needed financial support at a difficult time. The money received can be used to pay for important costs such as:

Mortgage repayments
Funeral expenses
Repaying debts
Household bills
Cost of living

Do I need to disclose my respiratory condition when applying for life insurance?

YES – It is always best to disclose pre-existing medical conditions when you apply for life insurance. If you don’t, you risk your cover being invalid and not paying out when your loved ones might need the support most.

Any questions you are asked about your health should be answered as honestly as possible. This also helps make sure you get the right policy and level of cover for what you need.

Will I need a medical for respiratory conditions life insurance?

Sometimes, insurers will ask for further medical information when processing your life insurance application. This often happens for people with medical conditions and isnot anything to be overly worried about.

They may ask for evidence such as:

A GP report (from your doctor or GP surgery)
Nurse screening (medical exam carried out in a home visit)

Providing extra medical information helps ensure your cover is valid. If you are worried about your medical history, you have the option of applying for a ‘guaranteed’ policy.

Guaranteed life insurance doesn’t require any medical questions or evidence to be submitted. They will however exclude medical conditions and anything related, so it is important to consider this carefully.

Will critical illness cover pay out for respiratory conditions?

YES – Many critical illness cover policies will pay out on diagnosis of respiratory conditions. Which conditions are covered will vary depending on your insurance provider.

Conditions such as end stage lung disease will be covered in most critical illness cover policies.

You should always check the terms and conditions before agreeing to a critical illness insurance policy. This means you know exactly where you stand and what you are covered for.

More about CRITICAL ILLNESS COVER.

Respiratory conditions list A-Z

Below we a list of conditions that affect the respiratory system. You can find out more about life insurance and critical illness cover for each condition by following the links.

A

Acute Chest Syndrome

Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS)

Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

Asbestosis

Aspergillosis

Asthma

B

Bronchiectasis

Bronchiolitis

Bronchiolitis Obliterans (Popcorn Lung)

Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia

Bronchitis

C

Catarrh

Chronic Bronchitis

Chronic Cough

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)

Coal Worker’s Pneumoconiosis (Black Lung Disease)

Coccidioidomycosis (Valley Fever)

Common Cold

Coronavirus (COVID-19)

Croup

Cryptogenic Organising Pneumonia (COP)

Cystic Fibrosis

E

E-cigarette or Vaping Use Associated Lung Injury (EVALI)

Emphysema

Eosinophilic Granulomatosis with Polyangiitis (EGPA)

H

Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS)

Histoplasmosis

Human Metapneumovirus (hMPV)

Hypersensitivity Pneumonitis

I

Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF)

Infectious Lung Diseases

Influenza (flu)

Interstitial Lung Disease (ILD)

L

LAM

Legionnaires’ Disease

Long Covid

Lung Cancer

Lung Disease

M

MAC Lung Disease

Mesothelioma

Middle Eastern Respiratory Syndrome (MERS)

Myasthenia Gravis

N

Neuromuscular Disorders

NTM Lung Disease

O

Obesity Hypoventilation Syndrome

Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA)

P

Pertussis (Whooping Cough)

Pleural Effusion

Pleurisy

Pneumoconiosis

Pneumonia

Pneumothorax (Collapsed Lung)

Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia (PCD)

Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (PAH)

Pulmonary Edema

Pulmonary Embolism

Pulmonary Hypertension

R

Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV)

S

Sarcoidosis

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS)

Silicosis

Sleep Apnoea

Spirometry

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)

T

Tuberculosis

W

Work-related Respiratory Disease

Common questions about respiratory conditions

What are the 5 main respiratory conditions?	The 5 main respiratory conditions are: Asthma COPD Pneumonia Lung cancer Cystic fibrosis
What is the most serious respiratory disease?	The NHS states that the biggest causes of death from respiratory disease are COPD, lung cancer and pneumonia.
Can life insurance be declined for respiratory conditions?	In some cases, mainstream providers may decline to provide cover if your condition is very serious. There will usually be some options though, so it is worth speaking to a specialist for advice.