Mental illness is not necessarily something that affects you all the time; it can be episodic and can occur once and then never again. But some insurers may not take this into consideration.Many life insurance providers will only ask a couple of general questions about a person’s mental illness issues, giving them little opportunity to explain their individual circumstances.
However, insurers may take into account:
- The severity of the mental illness
- The client's medical history
The Disability Act 1995 makes it illegal for anyone who has a disability to be discriminated against. If you feel your insurer is treating you unfairly, then you may want to question their motives or seek advice. Remember:
- If you are turned down for an insurance policy or the premiums seem high, the insurer must be able to justify his/her reasons for this.
- If the premiums are raised, then this must be done so on the basis that they can provide reliable and relative information with regards to why the customer in considered high risk.
- The information given must be current and relevant to the customer’s present medical health issue.
- The insurer must be able to back up their actions with medical, reliable and statistical information.
Remember to be accurate and concise with your health issues and medical history when applying for life insurance.