Can I get Life Assurance With Chronic Back Pain?

Back pain won’t increase the cost of life cover or mortgage protection; however it can affect serious illness cover and income protection.

Back pain is a very common condition which most people experience at least once throughout their lives. Depending on the insurer you are going with, you may not even have to mention it on your application form (this depends on the way the questions are phrased)

Evidently there are different types of back pain.

Chronic Back Pain

Unfortunately, some back issues are long term and ongoing, for example arthritis or scoliosis. These conditions can result in severe back pain and your insurer will require more details. A difficult aspect of chronic back pain is that it differs from person to person. Every person experiences different levels of pain which can range from mild to severe where even basic movements are impossible.

For life and serious illness cover, back pain is generally seen as a common ailment so stand alone back pain shouldn’t be too big an issue. The exception is where the back pain is severe and medication is required.

What information will the insurer need?

Once you mention back pain, you will be directed to a back questionnaire. This will delve into the details in relation to your back pain.

This list of questions range from questions about your overall health, diet and exercise, they will also ask about the cause of your pain and how long you have experienced it, and the frequency of it. They will also ask about any treatments you may have had to relieve your back pain and if you’ve had to take any time off work. The questionnaire will also inquire about any surgery you may have had.

Will my occupation affect my application for Life cover if I have a pre existing back condition?

Yes your occupation will be taken into consideration when assessing your application. Physically demanding jobs can obviously be very damaging for people who experience bad back pain.

Can I get Income Protection with back pain?

Back pain is the leading cause of disability and a large cause of income protection claims, so having a history of back pain is very significant for people looking to take out income protection. Back pain can worsen if you are carrying weight, and chronic back pain may also affect other conditions like depression.

So as a result of this, insurers are very wary when they hear that a potential client has back pain. In most cases this means that back pain will trigger an income protection exclusion. Their decision will be based on length of time off work, time since the person last had symptoms, how many separate episodes there have been, and over what time frame.

An exclusion will most certainly be imposed if the person has had symptoms within the last year, and if the person has had more than a month off work in the last five years.

Can I get Serious Illness cover with back pain?

Yes you can, however the insurance company may exclude permanent total disablement or loss of independent existence from the policy. This would depend on the severity of your back pain.

What should I do next?

We can help you find the best insurance policy for you. If you would like to schedule a consultation with one of our brokers, get in contact with Citywide Financial Solutions today. www.citywidefinancial.ie

01 513 8710