How to Get Life Insurance with Asthma

Applying for life insurance when you have a pre-existing medical condition can feel daunting. For the 5.4 million people in the UK living with asthma, a common worry is whether this respiratory condition will lead to higher premiums or even an outright decline.

The good news is that for the vast majority of people, getting affordable life insurance with asthma is entirely achievable.

Insurers have a sophisticated understanding of the condition. They know that most cases are mild and well-managed. Their primary goal is to understand the severity and level of control you have over your asthma. By providing clear and accurate information, you can secure the financial protection your family needs, often at standard prices.

This guide will demystify the application process. We’ll break down exactly what underwriters look for, how your specific symptoms and treatments affect their decision, and how you can present your application in the best possible light. At WeCovr, we specialise in helping clients with medical conditions like asthma find the right cover from the right insurer, at the right price.

How inhaler usage, hospital admissions, and smoking history affect your rates

When you apply for life insurance, critical illness cover, or income protection, the insurer's underwriting team assesses your application to calculate the level of risk. With asthma, their goal isn't to penalise you for having the condition, but to accurately price the policy based on its severity and the likelihood of a future claim.

They focus on a few key areas to build a complete picture of your respiratory health.

Why Insurers Ask About Asthma

Asthma is a long-term condition affecting the airways. In severe, poorly controlled cases, it can lead to life-threatening attacks and is associated with a higher risk of other respiratory illnesses. Therefore, insurers need to understand:

1. Mortality Risk (for Life Insurance): The risk of a claim arising from death. While death from asthma is rare in the UK, severe and brittle asthma does carry an increased statistical risk.
2. Morbidity Risk (for Critical Illness & Income Protection): The risk of a claim arising from serious illness or an inability to work. A severe asthma attack could lead to hospitalisation, and the condition itself might impact your ability to perform your job.

To gauge this risk, underwriters will ask specific questions about your medical history. Honesty and accuracy here are not just recommended; they are a contractual requirement.

The Key Underwriting Factors for Asthma

Your application will be assessed based on the following factors:

• Date of Diagnosis: When you were first diagnosed gives an indication of how long you've managed the condition.
• Severity and Control: This is the most crucial element. Is your asthma classed as mild, moderate, or severe? How often do you experience symptoms?
• Treatment and Medication: The type and frequency of your medication, especially inhalers and tablets, are a primary indicator of severity.
• Hospitalisations: Any A&E visits or hospital admissions due to asthma are a significant red flag for poor control.
• Smoking Status: This is a critical multiplier. Smoking dramatically increases any risk associated with a respiratory condition.
• Time Off Work: For income protection, any history of sick leave due to asthma will be closely examined.
• Other Related Conditions: Insurers will check for associated conditions like eczema, rhinitis, or nasal polyps.

The Underwriter's View: Deconstructing Your Asthma History

Let's dive deeper into how an underwriter interprets the information you provide. Understanding this perspective is the key to a successful application.

Inhaler Usage: What Your Prescription Reveals

The type of inhaler you use and how often you need it tells an underwriter a great deal about your asthma's stability.

• Reliever Inhalers (e.g., Salbutamol - usually blue): These provide on-the-spot relief from symptoms. If you only use a reliever inhaler infrequently (e.g., less than three times a week) and have no other treatment, your asthma is considered very mild. This will almost always result in standard rates for life insurance.
• Preventer Inhalers (e.g., Beclometasone, Fluticasone - usually brown, red, or orange): These contain a small dose of steroid medication to reduce inflammation in the airways and prevent symptoms. Daily use is standard for managing persistent asthma. Using a regular preventer alongside infrequent reliever use often results in standard rates or a very small premium loading.
• Combination Inhalers (e.g., Seretide, Fostair, Symbicort): These contain both a long-acting reliever and a steroid preventer. They are prescribed when a standard preventer isn't enough to control the condition. This indicates more moderate asthma and will likely lead to a small or moderate premium increase.
• Other Medications: If you require steroid tablets (like Prednisolone), have ever used a nebuliser at home, or take other tablets like Montelukast, this signals more severe and complex asthma. These cases will be assessed individually and will almost certainly result in higher premiums or, in some cases, a postponement of cover.

Typical Underwriting Outcomes Based on Medication

The table below gives a general guide to how insurers view different treatment plans. Please note that this is for illustrative purposes, and the final decision depends on the insurer and your full medical history.

Hospital Admissions: A Marker of Instability

A history of A&E visits or hospital stays due to your asthma is one of the most significant factors for an underwriter. It demonstrates that your condition has, at times, been unstable and required urgent medical intervention.

The key questions they will ask are:

• When was your last A&E visit or hospital admission for asthma?
• How long was your stay?
• Did you require treatment in an Intensive Therapy Unit (ITU) or High Dependency Unit (HDU)?

The more recent and more serious the admission, the greater the impact on your application.

Typical Underwriting Outcomes Based on Hospitalisation

The Critical Impact of Smoking and Vaping

This point cannot be overstated: if you have asthma, smoking is the single worst thing you can do for both your health and your chances of getting affordable insurance.

From an insurer's perspective:

• Smokers pay significantly more for life insurance – often double the price of a non-smoker, even with no health conditions.
• Smoking with a respiratory condition like asthma creates a compounded risk. It dramatically increases the chances of developing conditions like Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and lung cancer.

Because of this, an applicant with asthma who also smokes will face one of two outcomes:

1. Extremely high premiums.
2. An outright decline.

Most insurers classify you as a 'non-smoker' if you have been free of all nicotine and tobacco products, including cigarettes, cigars, vapes, and nicotine replacement therapies (patches, gum), for at least 12 months. Some may require a longer period of 24 or even 36 months.

Quitting smoking is the most effective step you can take to lower your insurance premiums.

What Protection Insurance Can I Get With Asthma?

Having asthma doesn't limit the types of cover you can apply for, but it will influence the terms you are offered. It's vital to consider a full suite of protection, not just life insurance.

Life Insurance

Life insurance pays out a lump sum or regular income to your loved ones if you pass away during the policy term. It’s designed to clear debts like a mortgage and provide for your family's financial future.

• Term Life Insurance: This is the most common and affordable type, covering you for a fixed period (e.g., 25 years). For mild to moderate, well-controlled asthma, you can often secure this cover at standard rates or with a small loading.
• Family Income Benefit: This is a variant of term insurance. Instead of a single lump sum, it pays out a tax-free monthly income to your family until the policy term ends. It’s an excellent, budget-friendly option for protecting young families. The underwriting process is identical to standard term insurance.
• Whole of Life Insurance: This policy guarantees a payout whenever you die, making it a permanent solution. It's most commonly used for two purposes: leaving a guaranteed inheritance or covering a future Inheritance Tax (IHT) bill.

Important Note on Whole of Life Policies It's crucial to understand how modern Whole of Life plans work.

In the UK market today, the vast majority of Whole of Life policies sold for protection planning are pure protection plans with no cash-in or investment value.

• You pay a fixed premium for a guaranteed amount of cover.
• If you stop paying your premiums, the cover ceases, and you get nothing back.
• These plans are simple, transparent, and relatively affordable, making them ideal for IHT planning and legacy goals. At WeCovr, we focus on comparing these straightforward guaranteed protection plans from across the market.

This is very different from older 'with-profits' or 'investment-linked' Whole of Life policies. With those complex plans, part of your premium paid for the life cover, and the rest was invested. They were designed to build a 'surrender value' over time but were often expensive, inflexible, and provided poor returns. Surrendering them early frequently resulted in getting back less than you had paid in.

Critical Illness Cover

Critical Illness Cover pays out a tax-free lump sum if you are diagnosed with one of a list of specific serious conditions, such as some forms of cancer, heart attack, or stroke.

When underwriting for critical illness cover, insurers are naturally more cautious about respiratory conditions. While a severe asthma attack is not typically a defined critical illness, poorly controlled asthma can be linked to other health complications.

• Mild Asthma: You can often get full cover at standard rates.
• Moderate Asthma: A premium loading is common. In some cases, the insurer might apply a "respiratory exclusion." This means the policy would still cover you for cancer, a heart attack, or a stroke, but would not pay out for a claim related to a specified lung condition.
• Severe Asthma: It can be difficult to get critical illness cover. An experienced broker is essential to navigate the specialist market.

Income Protection

For anyone who earns an income, especially the self-employed or those with limited sick pay, Income Protection is arguably the most vital insurance policy. It pays a replacement monthly salary if you're unable to work due to any illness or injury.

For someone with a chronic condition like asthma, this cover is a powerful safety net. Insurers will want to know if asthma has ever caused you to take time off work.

Possible outcomes for an income protection application include:

1. Standard Terms: Offered for very mild, well-controlled asthma with no history of time off work.
2. Premium Loading: A price increase of 25-100% is common for moderate asthma.
3. Respiratory System Exclusion: The insurer may offer cover but exclude any claim caused by asthma or a related lung condition. While not ideal, this policy is still incredibly valuable as it protects you from the financial impact of cancer, mental health issues, back pain, and thousands of other conditions that stop people from working.
4. Decline: For severe, unstable asthma with a history of significant time off work, cover may be declined by standard insurers.

A short-term version of this cover, often called Personal Sick Pay, is also available. These policies typically pay out for a maximum of 1 or 2 years per claim and can have simpler underwriting, making them a good option for freelancers and contractors.

Specialist Insurance for Business Owners and Directors with Asthma

If you run your own business, your health is one of your company's most important assets. Asthma can impact the specific types of business protection you need.

Key Person Insurance

Key Person Insurance is a policy taken out and paid for by a business on a crucial employee or director. If that "key person" dies or is diagnosed with a critical illness, the policy pays a lump sum directly to the business. This money can be used to cover lost profits, recruit a replacement, or repay business loans.

The underwriting is based on the key person's health. If a vital director has moderate or severe asthma, the premiums will be higher. A specialist broker can help the business find an insurer with a more favourable view of the condition, managing costs effectively.

Executive Income Protection

This is an Income Protection policy owned and paid for by a director's limited company. It's a highly tax-efficient way to provide a financial safety net for directors, as the premiums are usually an allowable business expense.

The underwriting for the director is identical to a personal income protection application. An adviser can help structure the policy to ensure it meets the director's needs, even if a premium loading or exclusion is applied due to their asthma.

Shareholder Protection

This is a vital arrangement for companies with multiple owners. It combines life insurance (and often critical illness cover) with a legal agreement. If one shareholder dies, the policy provides the funds for the remaining shareholders to buy their shares from their estate. This ensures business continuity and a fair value for the deceased's family.

Each shareholder is underwritten individually. If one partner has severe asthma, their policy will be more expensive. This needs to be factored into the overall business plan, and a broker can help find the most cost-effective solution across all partners.

Practical Steps to Getting an appropriate level of cover with Asthma

Navigating the insurance market with a medical condition is about strategy. Following these steps will significantly improve your chances of getting the right cover at the best price.

Step 1: Get Your Medical Information in Order

Before you apply, gather the key details. Being prepared shows you are on top of your condition and speeds up the process.

• Date of diagnosis.
• Names of all your inhalers and any other medications.
• The dosage and frequency of use for each.
• The date of your last asthma-related hospital or A&E visit (if any).
• The date you last used oral steroids (if any).
• Your smoking and vaping history.

Step 2: Never Apply Directly to Just One Insurer

This is the single biggest mistake you can make. Different insurers have different underwriting philosophies (their 'appetite' for risk).

• Insurer A might add a 100% loading for moderate asthma.
• Insurer B might only add 50%.
• Insurer C might offer standard rates.

If you apply directly to Insurer A and get a bad decision or a decline, you are legally obliged to disclose this on all future applications, which can make it harder to get cover elsewhere.

Step 3: Be 100% Honest on Your Application

It can be tempting to downplay your symptoms to get a lower premium. Do not do this. An insurance policy is a legal contract based on the principle of 'utmost good faith'. If you fail to disclose your full medical history and the insurer discovers this during a claim, they are entitled to void the policy and refuse to pay out, leaving your family with nothing.

Step 4: Use a Specialist Protection Adviser

An independent, expert broker like WeCovr adds value in several ways:

• Market Knowledge: We know which insurers are most lenient for asthma.
• Pre-Application Enquiries: We can speak to underwriters informally and anonymously on your behalf before submitting a formal application, gauging the likely outcome without leaving a mark on your record.
• Application Management: We handle the paperwork and present your case in the most professional way.
• Trust Planning: We can help you place your policy into trust, ensuring the payout goes quickly to the right people without going through probate, and often outside your estate for Inheritance Tax purposes.
• No Extra Cost: Our service is free for you. We are paid a commission by the insurer you choose.

Step 5: Prioritise Your Wellbeing

While we focus on insurance, it's clear that well-managed health leads to better insurance outcomes. Taking your medication as prescribed, attending regular asthma reviews, and maintaining a healthy lifestyle all contribute to better control. As part of our commitment to our clients' long-term wellbeing, WeCovr provides complimentary access to our AI-powered nutrition and calorie tracking app, CalorieHero, to support your health goals.

Case Studies: Real-Life Asthma Application Outcomes

These anonymised examples show how the principles work in practice.

Scenario 1: Sarah, 32, Mild Asthma

• Profile: A non-smoking marketing manager. Diagnosed with childhood asthma, which is now very mild. She uses a blue reliever inhaler once or twice a month, usually when exercising in cold weather. No preventer inhaler, no hospital admissions ever.
• Need: £300,000 of Level Term Life Insurance to cover her new mortgage.
• Process: Sarah contacted WeCovr. We identified her asthma as very low risk. We submitted her application to an insurer known to offer excellent terms for mild respiratory conditions.
• Outcome: Accepted immediately at standard rates, with no premium increase. Her monthly premium was exactly the same as for someone with no medical conditions.

Scenario 2: David, 45, Moderate Asthma & Ex-Smoker

• Profile: A self-employed builder who quit smoking four years ago. He uses a Fostair combination inhaler twice daily and a reliever inhaler about four times a week. He had one A&E visit for wheezing three years ago but was discharged the same day.
• Need: Income Protection to provide £2,500 per month if he's unable to work.
• Process: David was worried he'd be declined. We approached three insurers with his profile.
  • Insurer 1 offered cover with a 75% premium loading.
  • Insurer 2 offered cover with a 50% loading and no exclusions.
  • Insurer 3 offered cover with a respiratory exclusion.
• Outcome: We explained the options. The policy with the 50% loading and no exclusions was the best choice, providing comprehensive cover at a competitive price. David secured his income protection, giving him crucial peace of mind.

Scenario 3: Fatima, 55, Complex History

• Profile: A company director who still smokes 5-10 cigarettes a day. She has severe, persistent asthma requiring a high-dose combination inhaler and two courses of oral steroids in the last year. She was hospitalised for three days 18 months ago.
• Need: £150,000 of life insurance to provide a legacy for her grandchildren.
• Process: This was a challenging case. Mainstream insurers declined to offer cover due to the combination of severe asthma and current smoking status.
• Outcome: We didn't give up. We approached a specialist insurer that deals with high-risk cases. They agreed to offer cover but with a 200% premium loading, making it expensive. We also presented an alternative: a 'Guaranteed Acceptance' plan, which asks no medical questions but has a lower maximum cover amount and typically doesn't pay out for death in the first 1-2 years. Fatima was able to make a fully informed decision, ultimately choosing the specialist policy despite the cost.

Having asthma should not be a barrier to securing financial protection for you and your family. While the application process requires more detail, a well-managed condition is viewed favourably by most UK insurers.

The key is to be prepared, be honest, and seek expert advice. By understanding how underwriters assess your inhaler usage, hospital history, and smoking status, you can approach the process with confidence. A specialist broker can guide you to the insurers most likely to offer you the best terms, saving you time, money, and stress.

Don't let uncertainty stop you from putting this vital protection in place. Contact our friendly team at WeCovr today for a free, no-obligation chat and personalised quotes.

Sources

• NHS
• Asthma + Lung UK
• Office for National Statistics (ONS)
• Financial Conduct Authority (FCA)
• Association of British Insurers (ABI)

Disclaimer: This is general guidance only and does not constitute formal tax or financial advice. Tax treatment depends on individual circumstances, policy terms, and HMRC interpretation, which cannot be guaranteed in advance. Whenever applicable, businesses and individuals should always consult a qualified accountant or tax adviser before arranging such policies.