Can I qualify for Life Insurance or Mortgage Protection if I have been diagnosed with Fibromyalgia?

I have good news. It is possible to qualify for life insurance if you have been diagnosed with fibromyalgia. However, the terms of your policy and the premiums you will pay may be affected by your diagnosis.

If you have been diagnosed with fibromyalgia, the insurance company may ask for more information about your condition and how it is being managed. They may also ask about any other medical conditions you have, as well as your family medical history.

Each insurer has different underwriting guidelines and may have different underwriting approaches when underwriting those with fibromyalgia. 

If you have been diagnosed with fibromyalgia, the insurance company may ask for more information about your condition and how it is being managed. Some of the information they may request includes:

• When you were diagnosed.
• What symptoms you experience.
• Any medications / treatment you are taking.
• Does the condition affect your work schedule and your daily life.
• Do you suffer from depression or any other mental health conditions.

Once your fibromyalgia is well controlled and your condition is not severe, then you may be offered cover.

If you suffer from a more “serious” case of Fibromyalgia, the good news is that you may still be able to qualify for a traditional life insurance policy with an added ‘loading’ to the standard premium (this is an additional sum charged on top of their standard monthly premium to reflect their additional risk).

Our Process

At OneLife Insure, we have access to all insurers in Ireland and some UK insurers too.

Our research process involves us contacting all these insurers to find out the best possible outcome for our clients. 

We have up to date knowledge of the ever-changing landscape of underwriting for all providers in Ireland. What’s more, our advice comes at no obligation and with no hidden costs.  You don’t pay us directly, but we do get paid by the insurer if you decide to start a policy with them.

Next steps

Whilst you are welcome to get a quote online at Get a Quote – OneLife Insurance, we would recommend you speak to one of our advisers.

Any quote that our advisers provide will consider your circumstances and medical history, as well as your budget.

It’s worth noting that an online quote is just that – a quote – it is NOT an offer of cover. What really matters is the cover and the premium you are offered, after your application has been assessed.

Call us on 01-5390410 – Monday to Thursday from 09.00 to 19.00 and on Friday between 09.00 and 17.00.

Whilst we will make every endeavour to help someone to arrange insurance, there is no guarantee of success.  If there is cover to be got for you, we will find it. All applications are subject to underwriting.

Over the years OneLife Insure has had many interesting characters contacting us regarding Life Insurance, such as Santa Claus, and Harry and Megan to name a few, but none scarier than Freddy
Kreuger.

Yes, Freddy contacted our advisors this week, looking for a protection plan to be put in place. He was a complete ‘nightmare’ of a customer, very rude and we knew he was withholding information to us regarding his health and lifestyle. Freddy … We have all seen the movie.

The importance of Full Disclosure

We highlighted the importance of full disclosure to Freddy and the reasons why he must answer his health and lifestyle truthfully when applying for Life Insurance. We told him:

1. By providing full details of any medical history and his ‘interesting pastimes’ at the outset he
   will remove any doubt that a claim will be refused for failure to disclose.
2. We want Freddy’s insurance to pay out – If he makes a claim on his policy, he will want the
   claim to be paid. If the insurers find during the claims process that he withheld details at the
   time of his original application, his claim may not be paid.

Freddy being Freddy, he was having none of this. He was giving the insurer false information and he was purposely omitting to disclose material facts. The insurer had no option to consider his
application as invalid.

On rare occasions, people, like Freddy, might not be fully truthful in their life insurance application to avoid paying a higher premium. Someone who has significant pre-existing health conditions are likely pay a higher rate than someone who is in good health.

Despite a fear of a higher premium, the best course of action is to truthfully answer Life Insurance application questions to avoid policy denial or cancellation during a claim.

If you are worried about paying a higher rate based on your health status, please contact our
advisors. We are here to help you tailor a plan to suit your needs and your budget.

Thankfully Freddy did not become a client of OneLife Insure… as for his neighbours. Our advice to
them is to contact us as soon as possible…. as One Two, Freddy’s coming for you!

In this article, we wanted to take a moment to answer some of the most common questions we get from clients wishing to apply for life insurance after having been diagnosed with Ankylosing Spondylitis.

• Can I get Life Insurance and Serious Illness Cover, I have been diagnosed with Ankylosing Spondylitis?
• What kind of information will the insurance companies ask me or be interested in?
• How much will the cover be?
• What can I do to help ensure that I get the most appropriate cover at the best rate?

Can I qualify for Life Insurance and Serious Illness cover if I have been diagnosed with Ankylosing Spondylitis?

Yes, individuals who have been diagnosed with Ankylosing Spondylitis should be able to qualify for Life Insurance and Serious Illness Cover.

What kind of information will the insurance companies ask me or be interested in?

Typical questions you’ll likely be asked may include:

• Date of diagnosis
• Symptoms
• Treatment / medication
• Any planned surgery
• Severity of condition
• Your Lifestyle (Gym, Swimming, Sports etc)

How much will my cover cost?

As a specialist broker, we know which insurers are most lenient when it comes to Ankylosing Spondylitis.

As you can see, there are many factors that the insurer will look at. Therefore, it’s pretty much impossible to know for sure what kind of cover you might be able to qualify for without first speaking with you for a few minutes.

Many people with AS respond well to treatment and thankfully can lead a life where it does not affect their day to day living. Many of our clients with AS work full time, they regularly play golf, badminton and cricket. If your condition is well managed and you don’t have any complications, you may be able to get standard terms life insurance.

If your condition is preventing you from working or preventing you from being able to live a “normal” life, chances are you’re going to have a more difficult time qualifying for a Life and Serious Illness Cover. It is best to talk to us first.

What can I do to help ensure that I get the most appropriate cover at the best rate?

Look for a specialist Life Insurance advisor, who not only have experience working with individuals who have been diagnosed with AS but also have access to all the life insurance companies.

The good news is that this is exactly what you’re going to find here at OneLife Insure.

When speaking to us, don’t just tell us about your AS, make sure to tell us about your lifestyle which may help your application.

If you are looking for ankylosing spondylitis Life Cover, Serious or Critical Illness cover or Income Protection, contact our team of experts at OneLife Insure to see what we can do to help you protect your loved ones and save you money.

Let me guess you have recently received a letter from EBS to inform you that they have sold your mortgage to Mars Capital Finance Ireland, which is one of the biggest foreign buyers of Irish mortgages in the aftermath of the financial crisis.

You will also have received a letter from EBS informing you that they have stopped paying premiums to your Life Insurance/ Mortgage Protection.

What does this mean to your cover?

Firstly, let me explain what is happening. When you took out your Mortgage with EBS, you also took out your Mortgage Protection with them, and your premiums were part of your mortgage payment. You had what is known as a block policy.

Now that EBS has sold your mortgage, they have no interest in this Mortgage Protection Plan anymore, and it has not been passed over to Mars Capital.

Your payments to Mars Capital do not include your Mortgage Protection, so the insurers are not getting paid for your cover.

What do you need to do?

If you do not take action quickly your cover will lapse and all the premiums you have paid into it will be lost. No benefit will be paid as the result of a claim.

You can contact Irish Life directly, however they will only advise you on their products, and to be honest they will admit themselves that their joint mortgage protection cover is not the best cover or cheapest in the market.

Your best option is to contact a Protection Specialist Broker (Ahem!! Ahem!!) who will give you the best advice on the best plan to suit your needs, and run through all your options.

If you have received a letter from your Bank/ Lender informing you that they have sold your mortgage and you are not sure what is happening to your existing Life Insurance/ MortgageProtection, please get in touch with us.

We will be glad to advise you on the most appropriate cover to suit your needs.

Contact Name: Tom Grant

Email: tom@onelifeinsure

Phone: 01-5390410

Web: www.onelifeinsure.ie