Many people in the UK are able to enjoy the peace of mind life insurance brings despite having pre-existing medical conditions or health problems.

If you are not sure if your particular medical condition will affect your chances of getting life insurance it is better to speak with a specialist adviser before submiting any applications. An adviser will be able to find out which insurance companies will consider cover and may even be able to get a better price than going direct.

If pre-existing medical conditions are present but mild and they are well controlled they may not have any effect on the ability to obtain life insurance.

In many cases people are able to find life cover at standard prices despite having health or medical problems.

The main things life insurance companies will want to know is what the medical condition is, how severe it is (does it affect day to day living), how long ago was it diagnosed and if it is well controlled.

Recently diagnosed medical conditions may mean that life insurance is postponed until medication has brought the condition under control or the symptoms have subsided.

Even serious medical conditions may not prevent someone having life cover but life insurance companies are likely to want to know more information which could mean obtaining a medical report from a doctor. This is done at the expense of the insurance company and the applicant can look at this before the life insurance company if they want to.

Many life insurance companies are now able to conduct ‘tele-underwriting’ which means the applicant is telephoned by an underwriter and asked a series of health questions. This can be done instead of getting a GP report and speed up the life insurance application process. It enables the life insurance company to understand the medical condition or health problem and how serious it is.

Once an insurance company has assessed all of the medical information they will decide if they are able to offer cover and on what terms.

‘Standard’ or ‘Ordinary’ rates means the price will not be affected whereas Special Rates means a ‘loading’ may be applied which can increase the cost. Alternatively certain elements of the cover may be excluded.

Because there are a vast number of potential pre-existing medical conditions or health problems and because life insurance companies all look at them slightly differently it can be a minefield trying to find the right price and the right cover.

Speaking with an independent adviser and providing details of your medical condition or health problem will allow them to discuss your case with insurance underwriters and find you the most competitive option for the cover required.

Specialist advisers can do this before submitting an application for life insurance so that they have a good idea what the decision and monthly price is likely to be.