Health Insurance And Cancer
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When you take out a life insurance policy, you'll probably be asked some questions about your health, lifestyle and medical history. Depending on your answers some insurers might want to see your full medical history.
Giving your insurer access to your medical history might feel like an invasion of privacy. But knowing the facts about life insurance and medical records can help put your mind at ease.
Why do life insurance companies request medical records?
Life insurance provider could request to see your medical records to assess the risk involved in offering you a policy. They will want to know if you have had or recovered from any serious illnesses.
Insurer may ask for medical report to check your age, weight and lifestyle - if you are heavy smoker or heavy drinker.
By seeing your medical records, a provider will then decide how likely you are to make an insurance claim in the future which may impact your life premiums.
Can life insurance access medical reports without consent?
No. The only organisations that can access your medical records without your consent would be the police, social services and the DVLA. And even then, it would need to be for good reason.
If you don't want your insurance provider to view any part of your medical history then you can deny their request. Though you should be aware this could result in your life insurance application being rejected.
Can life insurance companies access medical records?
When you are apply for a insurance policy, insurers may ask you for you medical history, But only when they have your permission, they will contact your GP for a medical report.
Here's how this works in practice:
- You apply for a life insurance.
- Your insurer will ask you for written permission to access medical history.
- Once they have your permission, they will contact your GP and ask for a medical report.
- You will have 21 days to review the report with your GP before they send it to your insurers.
- Your GP will then send a statement about your health to the insurer.
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Can my medical history affect my application?
No, in fact in most cases they won't ask to see your medical records. When you apply for life insurance, they'll ask you a series of questions about your health and life in general. Your insurer will then assess these before requesting your medical records.
Most answers don't raise red flags or need more investigation. But, it's vital that you are honest on your application. If you withhold information because you don't want to submit your medical records, then you risk voiding your policy. This means the insurer can refuse to pay out in the event of your death.
How far back do life insurance companies look at medical records?
Your medical history can go as far back as twenty years. But, most life insurance medical requests will focus on the last five to ten. This is because the insurer is most interested in recent illnesses and treatments.
They'll also want reassurance that you have been clear of any illnesses for a couple of years. Sometimes insurers might want to go beyond ten years but this would be unusual.
What information will insurers request in my medical report?
Your insurance company is trying to build a picture of your general health so they can assess the level of risk you pose. In light of this, they might request the following information from your GP:
- Height and weight measurements
- Blood pressure and cholesterol readings
- Any medication or treatment you are currently taking or have previously been prescribed
- Test and scan results
- Hospital admission and discharge summaries
- General lifestyle information such as your smoker status or alcohol intake
- Details of any pre-existing health conditions such as diabetes, cancer or Crohn's disease
- Consultation details
Remember though, the insurance company can only use relevant information so they might not necessarily request all of the above.