Life insurance after heart attack [Quick summary]

  • Life insurance could be available after a heart attack depending on your overall health, lifestyle choices and the length of time since your heart attack
  • Insurers will ask additional questions about your heart attack during the application process. They may request further medical evidence in the form of a GP report or medical exam (at no cost to you) before they can decide whether to offer you a policy
  • It’s possible that your monthly premiums will be inflated to account for the increased risk to the insurer. If you’re declined by standard insurers, you may be referred to a specialist insurance company
  • Life insurance will cover you for heart attacks and any other pre-existing condition once your policy has started, as long as your application contains honest and correct information
  • If you’ve had a severe heart attack, have other medical conditions or been declined life insurance in the past, then you may consider an over 50s plan. This offers guaranteed acceptance to UK residents aged 50 - 85 (no medical questions).

Can you get life insurance after a heart attack?

Yes, it’s still possible to secure life insurance after a heart attack, even if you’ve been declined cover in the past.

The options available to you will depend on your personal circumstances, such as your age and smoking status, and the length of time since your heart attack.

Some insurers may accept your application after a recovery period of at least 6 months, but they’ll also consider other factors to determine your eligibility and the cost of your cover.

Alternatively, if you’re aged 50 - 85, you could take out an over 50s plan. This policy allows you to leave a cash lump sum to your family without requiring any medical information, and acceptance is guaranteed.

Continue reading this life insurance after heart attack UK guide to learn more about your options and what to expect when applying for life insurance after a heart attack.

For further assistance and free quotes, get in touch with Reassured. We’re an award-winning life insurance broker.

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Does life insurance cover heart attack?

Yes, life insurance does cover heart attacks, and will pay out if you pass away due to a heart attack.

Insurers always pay out if you pass away during the policy term, as long as:

  1. You keep up to date with your monthly premium payments
  2. Your application is completed fully and accurately

Applying for life insurance after a heart attack: How does it work?

When applying for life insurance after a heart attack you’ll need to provide information about your health, lifestyle and family medical history (unless applying for an over 50s plan).

Further information will also be required in regards to your heart attack. For example:

  • When the heart attack occurred
  • If there are any ongoing symptoms
  • Any treatment, surgery, and/or medication
  • Current blood pressure and cholesterol levels
  • If you have any other pre-existing conditions

Insurers will consider these key factors when assessing your application and decide the outcome based on the level of risk you pose (either accept or decline you cover).

Depending on the severity of your condition, further investigation may be required before your application can be accepted.

In this instance, the insurer may request access to your medical records (from your GP) or that you attend a physical exam with a health professional. These are at no cost to you and will ensure that your application is assessed accurately.

Heart attack survivors may be offered standard life insurance with an increased monthly premium or may be declined cover.

If you’ve been declined previously or worried about being declined life insurance, Reassured are here to help.

We take the time to understand your circumstances and help to find suitable solutions from a panel of leading insurers.

Contact our specialist impaired risk team for expert support and free life insurance quotes.

What is the best life insurance after heart attack?

The best life insurance for heart attack victims will vary from person to person as everyone has different needs and circumstances.

However, we’ve outlined some policy options below that could be available for applicants with a history of heart conditions:

Over 50s life insurance

This policy could be the best choice for you if you’re aged 50 - 85 and living with a pre-existing condition, such as heart disease.

You’re guaranteed to be accepted if you’re within this age range and you don’t have to answer any questions about your health or medical history.

Over 50s life insurance could be ideal if you want to leave a cash lump sum behind to help cover your funeral costs, as an inheritance, or anything your family need.

The maximum payout is £20,000 depending on your age, smoking status and budget.

Quotes start from just £5 a month through Reassured + .

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Term life insurance

Term life insurance may be available and could be an affordable option depending on your health and the severity of your heart condition (as your medical information is required during the application process).

You may consider this type of policy if you want to help protect large expenses during a set term, like a repayment mortgage. The amount of cover you may be able to secure will depend on your individual circumstances and health.

At Reassured, we can help you compare over 50s and term life insurance policies from leading insurers, including specialists, to help you choose the best solution for you.

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How much does life insurance after a heart attack cost?

The cost of life insurance after a heart attack is influenced by a range of factors, including:

The severity of your heart attack, ongoing symptoms and how long it’s been since your heart attack will also weigh heavily on the cost of your life insurance.

With the exception of an over 50s plan, which doesn’t require your medical information and offers guaranteed acceptance if you’re a UK resident aged 50 - 85.

No matter your circumstances, it’s always important to compare policies and quotes from different insurers to help you find a good price.

Why use Reassured for heart attack life insurance quotes?

  • Compare life insurance quotes from leading UK insurers, including smaller specialists (available through our advised team)
  • Award-winning, fee-free and no-obligation service helping to protect UK families for over 15 years
  • Rated ‘Excellent’ overall on Trustpilot from over 77,000 reviews
  • Specialist impaired risk life insurance team to help applicants with serious pre-existing conditions find a suitable policy
  • Regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA)
  • Compare term life insurance, over 50s life insurance and other policy types to find the right cover to suit your needs and budget

Top tips for getting life insurance after a heart attack

  • Compare multiple quotes. Comparing policies and quotes from various insurers will give you a better chance of finding the right policy at the right price
  • Have your medical details to hand. This could help save time during the application and reduce the need for a medical report
  • Lead a healthy lifestyle. Things like smoking, high BMI and heavy drinking can also higher your risk and impact your life insurance application
  • Consider guaranteed over 50s life insurance. This type of cover is specially designed for people aged 50 - 85 who may struggle to secure standard types of life insurance
  • Use a fee-free broker (like Reassured). If you’re worried about applying for life insurance after a heart attack or need support finding the right policy, a broker can help. We understand the criteria of each of the insurers we work with and use this knowledge to help you find suitable protection for your loved ones

Heart attack UK statistics

According to the British Heart Foundation, in the UK:

  • Around 100,000 people are admitted to hospital each year due to a heart attack, that’s one person every 5 minutes
  • 7 out of 10 people survive a heart attack in the UK
  • Around 1.4 million people alive in the UK today have survived a heart attack[1]

What is a heart attack?

A heart attack is a medical emergency that occurs when there’s a sudden loss of blood flow to the heart[2].

Symptoms can include:

  • Pain, tightness or heaviness in the chest
  • Pain that spreads to your left or right arm, or other parts of the body (jaw, neck, back or stomach)
  • Dizziness, shortness of breath, coughing, sweating or nausea
  • A feeling of anxiety similar to a panic attack

If you think that you’re having a heart attack, it’s essential that you call 999 for an ambulance immediately.

What causes a heart attack?

Heart attacks are usually caused by coronary heart disease (CHD), a condition that causes your coronary arteries to become narrowed by a build-up of fatty material.

This fatty material can cause blood clots, leading to a lack of blood flow and oxygen to your heart muscle, resulting in a heart attack.

Less common causes of heart attack include hypoxia and spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD).

Treatment after a heart attack

The treatment you’ll need after a heart attack will depend on the severity of the heart attack, but the two main treatments are:

  1. Medicines to help remove blood clots, lower your blood pressure or cholesterol levels and reduce your chances of another heart attack
  2. Surgery to get the blood flowing to your heart again. This may be a coronary angioplasty, thrombolysis or coronary bypass surgery

How do you reduce your risk of a heart attack?

Taking your prescribed medication and living a healthy lifestyle can help to reduce your risk of another heart attack.

For example:

  • Not smoking or vaping
  • Maintaining a healthy weight
  • Eating a well-balanced diet
  • Regular exercise

See the British Heart Foundation healthy living guide for more information on how you can improve your health and help reduce your risk of a heart attack.

Help protect your loved ones today with life insurance

Fortunately, many people who’ve survived a heart attack have secured life insurance to protect their loved ones should the worst happen.

One of the quickest and easiest ways to find suitable insurers and policy options is to use a fee-free life insurance broker, like Reassured.

Our UK-based experts know the criteria for each of the insurers we work with, so we can identify those who are most likely to accept your application.

We work hard to find you affordable rates for a policy that suits your needs. Make the most of our fee-free comparison service today.

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Life insurance after heart attack FAQs:

Do you need life insurance after a heart attack?

You may need life insurance after a heart attack if you have a partner or other dependents who rely on you financially.

A policy can help to cover a range of financial commitments and other expenses that may fall to your loved ones in the event of your passing.

For example, a payout could help towards:

  • Mortgage or rent payments
  • Outstanding debts
  • Bills and family living costs
  • Funeral expenses
  • An inheritance

Taking out life insurance after surviving a heart attack can offer peace of mind for you and your family.

Will I need to have a medical for life insurance after heart attack?

You may need to have a medical for life insurance after a heart attack depending on your specific circumstances (and the policy you apply for).

In many cases, a medical exam isn’t required, and the insurer may request access to your medical records (from your GP) to confirm the details you’ve provided on your application.

This will help them to make a fully informed decision as to whether they can offer you a policy. However, an insurer will require your permission to access your records. Without this, they won’t be able to continue with your application.

We have written a life insurance medical exam article if you’d like to learn more about how this process works.

Can you get critical illness after a heart attack?

Yes, it could still be possible to secure critical illness cover (CIC) after a heart attack, depending on your personal circumstance and the severity of your condition.

Critical illness cover will pay out a cash lump sum if you’re diagnosed with a critical, but non-life-threatening illness, for example:

  • Cancer
  • Liver or kidney failure
  • Multiple Sclerosis
  • Dementia
  • Blindness

It can also cover heart conditions, but if a heart condition is pre-existing, then insurers may exclude this condition, and any related conditions, from your cover.

However, critical illness cover can still help protect you against the financial impact of other serious conditions listed in your policy.

Sources:

[1] https://www.bhf.org.uk/-/media/files/for-professionals/research/heart-statistics/bhf-cvd-statistics-uk-factsheet.pdf

[2] https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/heart-attack/

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