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 conditions are present but mild and well controlled they may not have any effect on a persons ability to obtain life cover.

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

The main things life insurance companies will want to know is what the 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.

Recent ailments may result in life insurance being postponed until medication has brought the condition under control or symptoms have subsided.

Serious ailments 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 your GP.

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.

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

‘Standard’ or ‘Ordinary’ terms means the price will not be affected whereas Special Terms means a ‘loading’ may be applied which increases 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 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.