Can you get life insurance with epilepsy?

Approximately 625,800 people in the UK have epilepsy - equivalent to around 1 in 7 people [1]. It can affect people of all ages and backgrounds, with varying severity and frequency of seizures.

If you have epilepsy, you may be worried about being able to get life insurance. The good news is that you could be accepted for life insurance if you have epilepsy. However, like most types of pre-existing conditions, it may impact your policy in some shape or form. In some cases, this could be an increase in your premiums or the amount of cover you receive.

In this article, we'll look at how epilepsy could impact your cover, and what you need to disclose when you apply for life insurance.

How does epilepsy affect life insurance?

While you may be able to get a life insurance policy with epilepsy, there are certain factors that could impact the cost and availability.

Different types of epilepsy could affect how insurers assess risk. When you apply, they may ask about your condition, such as the type of epilepsy seizures you experience, how frequently they occur, and their severity.

Insurers may view certain types of seizures as a higher risk than others. For example,absence seizures, which are generally less severe and involve brief lapses in awareness. Whereas tonic-clonic seizures can be more serious, potentially resulting in a loss of consciousness.

Another important factor is how well your epilepsy is managed. Insurers may offer lower premiums if you are able to manage your condition through medication or other treatments. If you have not had a seizure for an extended period (often at least one year), this may also influence your premium rates.

Do I need to disclose my epilepsy to my insurer?

As with any kind of medical condition, you need to inform your insurer about your epilepsy when applying for life insurance. Failing to do so could result in your policy being cancelled or a claim being denied in the future.

When disclosing your condition, be prepared to provide details such as:

Under most circumstances, you may only need to answer some questions. It's unlikely you'll need to complete a medical or further test. If there are unusual patterns or complications with your condition then your insurer may ask you for additional information.

How can my insurer find out if I have epilepsy?

While you may be worried about telling your insurer about your epilepsy, it's best to be open with them. Insurers have ways of verifying the information you provide and will want to know more about your medical history. They may request access to your GP medical records to learn more about your health or to check that you provided accurate information on your application.

If your death was caused by complications related to your epilepsy, and you did not disclose this information, the insurer could deny a claim. You should disclose any other health and lifestyle factors, detailing any conditions you may have or if you smoke.

While being honest may affect your premiums, it's better than the alternative of having your policy cancelled or a claim being denied.

What if I'm diagnosed once I have life insurance?

Epilepsy and seizures can occur at any age. If you have a policy when diagnosed with epilepsy, your premium, and cover amount should not be impacted providing you have a fixed policy. This can include policies such as level term life insurance and whole life insurance, where both the premium amount and payout amount stay the same throughout the policy.

It's best to check the terms and conditions of the insurance agreement for a clear understanding of how a new diagnosis may impact your cover.

Can I get critical illness cover if I have epilepsy?

Similar to life insurance, critical illness cover can offer financial protection for your family/loved ones. However, instead of death, the policy will pay out in the event you are diagnosed with a serious illness such as a heart attack, stroke or certain types of cancer. The funds from the policy could be used to cover expenses whilst you are unable to work.

Critical illness cover could be available to people with epilepsy in the same way as life insurance. However, you may find your premiums are more expensive depending on the type, severity and how well-managed your condition is.

Additionally, whilst life insurance cannot exclude certain medical conditions, critical illness cover can, so you may want to reach out to an insurance adviser to help find you the most comprehensive cover based on your circumstances. 

When applying for critical illness cover, you will need to disclose similar information as you would for life insurance. This may include additional medical questions to learn more about your condition.