How does Crohn’s disease affect life insurance in the UK?
If you live with Crohn’s disease, you can usually still get life insurance in the UK, but your condition may affect the price you pay, the questions you are asked, and, in some cases, the policy terms you are offered. Insurers look at how stable and well-managed your Crohn’s is, along with your age, lifestyle, and the type of cover you want, so it is often worth using a specialist broker to shop around for the most affordable deal.
Can you be declined life insurance because of Crohn’s?
Yes, it can happen, especially if your diagnosis is recent, you have severe symptoms, frequent flare ups or recent surgery, but many people are accepted once things are stable or when they apply through an insurer experienced with inflammatory bowel disease.
Will everyone with Crohn’s pay higher premiums?
Not necessarily, as some people with mild, well-controlled Crohn’s disease are offered standard rates, while those with more complex medical histories are more likely to see an increase in premiums.
Is Crohn’s disease always treated as a pre-existing medical condition?
If you already have a Crohn’s diagnosis when you apply, insurers will treat it as a pre-existing condition, which means you must declare it fully, and it will be taken into account during underwriting.
Is specialist advice worth it if you have Crohn’s?
For many people with Crohn’s disease, using a life insurance broker that understands pre-existing conditions saves time, reduces the chance of unnecessary declines and can uncover insurers that offer more flexible terms.
Key Points: Life insurance with Crohn’s disease guide 2026.
- You can usually get life insurance with Crohn’s disease, although your condition will be treated as a pre existing medical condition.
- Mild, stable Crohn’s can sometimes be accepted on standard terms, while more severe or unstable cases often attract higher premiums.
- The insurer will ask detailed questions about your diagnosis, flare ups, treatment, medication and any surgery or hospital stays.
- Over 50 life insurance can offer guaranteed acceptance without medical questions, which may help if you have struggled to get standard cover.
- Critical illness cover and income protection may be available, but Crohn’s is often excluded if it is pre existing.
- Comparing multiple insurers and using a broker experienced in Crohn’s and IBD can significantly improve your chances of securing affordable cover.
Life insurance will pay out a cash lump sum in the event of your death and provides financial security and peace of mind for your family. People with Crohn’s disease can often buy life insurance to support their loved ones with key expenses, like repaying a mortgage or paying for their funeral.
Choosing the right life insurance company can save you thousands of pounds during your policy term, and you can end up paying more than you need to if you apply to the wrong insurers. Certain insurance companies are much more suitable for people with Crohn’s disease, but you may find that you can get cover from popular insurers like AIG, Vitality, or Aviva.
In this comprehensive guide, our team of insurance experts look at how Crohn’s disease life insurance works for individuals and their families in 2025. This guide aims to give you a rough idea of how much you might pay for your policy and the kind of questions that you will be asked when you apply.
Can you get life insurance with Crohn’s disease?
Buying life insurance with Crohn’s disease can sometimes be more complicated, but you are likely to have more options for cover than you might imagine. It’s generally possible to get cover through mainstream insurance companies if your symptoms are mild or you have had no recent flare-ups.
Certain specialist insurers can help if your symptoms are more severe and there are a few who are especially good for conditions like Crohn’s and ulcerative colitis.
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As Crohn’s disease symptoms will vary in severity, the best policy for you will be based on your health and lifestyle at the time when you apply. You should also consider the level of cover that you need and how much you can afford to pay each month.
Does Crohn’s disease affect life insurance?
Some life insurance companies will work better than others for people with Crohn’s disease, as some will have more experience with Crohn’s. The main point to remember is that your policy shouldn’t be any different because you have Crohn’s, but you might have to answer a few extra questions when you apply.
Crohn’s disease shouldn’t prevent you from getting cover in most cases, and you will have the same options for types of cover (e.g. family or mortgage life insurance).
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Crohn’s Disease Life Insurance Summary
You will normally be able to buy life insurance if you have Crohn’s disease, which provides financial security for your partner, children, or other family members.
Several mainstream insurance companies like AIG and Vitality will accept applications from people with Crohn’s disease. In some cases, you may need to apply to a specialist insurer if your symptoms are very severe or you have multiple medical conditions or complications.
When you apply for your policy, you will be asked a range of questions about your medical history and background. This will usually include specific questions about Crohn’s disease, though the exact questions can vary depending on the insurer that you apply to.
Key factors for life insurance with Crohn’s disease:
- When were you first diagnosed with Crohn’s disease?
- Are you awaiting results or referrals for any scans, tests, investigations, or surgery?
- Have you suffered any symptoms such as eye problems, joint pain, liver disease, anaemia, or bile duct problems?
- Have you had any hospital treatment (e.g. surgery to remove part of the bowel) or been treated with medication?
- What part of your bowel is affected, and how much of it?
- What treatment are you on? (e.g. steroids, immunosuppressants or hospital treatment)
- Does Crohn’s disease prevent you from working?
- When did you last experience any symptoms or flare-ups?
Will I need a medical for life insurance with Crohn’s disease?
Some insurers may ask for extra medical information when you apply for life insurance with Crohn’s disease. However, it’s becoming much easier now to get cover for Crohn’s without the insurer needing any further medical information.
Even if the insurer does ask for more medical information (e.g. a GP report), this isn’t anything you need to worry about. This is just to help them get a clearer idea of how Crohn’s affects your overall health and lifestyle. You also don’t need to organise anything yourself, as the insurer will be able to get the information for you.
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Can I buy term life insurance with Crohn’s disease?
It’s often possible to buy term life insurance when you have Crohn’s disease, and term cover is the most popular form of life insurance in the UK. A ‘term’ life insurance policy is a policy which lasts for a set number of years (your ‘policy term’).
Policies like family life insurance and mortgage life insurance are both examples of term life insurance. When you apply, you will be asked if you want to be covered for a specific number of years or to a specific age (e.g. age 90).
Is Crohn’s disease covered by life insurance?
Standard life insurance will typically cover pre-existing medical conditions, so your Crohn’s disease should be covered if the insurer was told about your diagnosis. You will also still be covered if you are diagnosed with Crohn’s or any other conditions during your policy term.
The main issue that could happen is if you did not tell your insurer that you had Crohn’s disease when you applied for your policy. This would be classed as a ‘non-disclosure’ which is one of the most common reasons for life insurance claims being denied.
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Does life insurance pay out for Crohn’s disease?
If you were to die due to any complications related to Crohn’s disease, your life insurance will pay out a cash lump sum to your loved ones. Standard life insurance won’t exclude claims for pre-existing conditions, so Crohn’s disease shouldn’t cause any major issues when claiming.
Your family can also claim if you died of another medical condition (e.g. cancer, heart attack etc.) or after being involved in an accident.
How much does Crohn’s disease life insurance cost?
The price of life insurance can vary massively for people with Crohn’s disease depending on the insurance company that they apply to.
Insurers will ask questions about Crohn’s and your symptoms, and any surgeries or treatments (e.g. colectomy) will affect the price of your policy. Other factors like your general health, age, smoker status, and job will also affect the price that you pay.
People with medical conditions can sometimes end up paying higher prices compared to people with no health issues. Some insurers have much more experience with Crohn’s and will usually offer better prices for people with Crohn’s and other bowel conditions (e.g. colitis, IBD, IBS). This is why it is so important to compare pricing and make sure that you choose the right life insurance company.
Our insurance experts have chosen the examples below to highlight the difference in pricing for life insurance for two applicants with Crohn’s disease. This shows how prices can vary based on your age, health, and the type of cover that you need.
Is Crohn’s disease classed as a critical illness?
Some critical illness insurance companies will pay out for a new diagnosis of Crohn’s disease due to the impact of the condition on your lifestyle. Not all insurers will though, and it will depend on the insurer and on the policy that you have.
If you are diagnosed with Crohn’s and already have critical illness cover, you should contact your insurer to see if you have a valid claim.
Frequently asked questions about life insurance and Crohn’s disease
Is Crohn’s a pre-existing condition for life insurance?
If you have been diagnosed with Crohn’s disease or experienced symptoms/received treatment in the last 5 years, insurance companies would class this as a ‘pre-existing condition’.
Unless you apply for guaranteed life insurance, you should always declare any pre-existing conditions. If you don’t, the insurer could refuse to pay out or cancel your policy if they find out at a later point.
Can you get life insurance if you have IBD?
Crohn’s disease and other inflammatory bowel diseases shouldn’t automatically prevent you from getting life insurance. Life insurance with IBD can be affordable provided you get the right advice and don’t rush into applying with the wrong insurer.
How do I find the best life insurance for people with Crohn’s disease?
Buying life insurance with Crohn’s disease doesn’t need to be a complicated process and you may find that you can get the cover that you need from a standard insurer.
Comparing several quotes for Crohn’s disease life insurance will help you to identify which companies are offering the right level of cover for the lowest price. You can compare these quotes yourself or use a price comparison website or experienced insurance broker to make this process simpler for you.
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Useful resources: Crohn’s Disease
Crohn's and Colitis UK
Crohn's and Colitis UK are the UK's #1 charity supporting people living with Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis and other forms of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Crohn's and Colitis UK was first set up in 1979 and has been campaigning for better care and support for people with bowel diseases ever since.
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