“Cosmetic” surgery - Life Insurance

Kristykake2000

I would like to have breast reduction surgery because I have constant back pain.

The NHS won’t pay for this,

I have a daughter who would be greatly affected financially if i died or had serious complications:

My question: does anybody know if I can get life insurance or cover that is specifically for cosmetic surgery or includes cosmetic surgery. Anyone have experience of this?

Surgery will be in theUK

paddyandstumpy

As it's a pre existing condition you're looking for cover for I doubt you'll find any insurer that would agree to pay, even if you found one which covered cosmetic procedures.

Basically you're offering an insurance company £20 per month (for arguments sake, it may be more or less depending on your infomation) and for them to straight away pay out multiple thousands of pounds for private surgery.
It's not good business for them, hope that helps explain it from their perspective?

Aretnap

I think the question was about life insurance which would pay out in the event of the OP dying during the surgery, rather than about health insurance which would pay for the surgery itself.


The answer is that any life insurance policy will pay for death as a result of complications form surgery - including cosmetic surgery. Life insurance is actually a rather simple product. It pays out if you die (or sometimes if you receive a terminal diagnosis); it doesn't pay out if you're alive. It doesn't generally come with a long list of exclusions. The only common significant exclusion is suicide, and then only if it takes place during the first year of the policy. Beyond that the only common reason for not paying out would be if you hadn't answered the medical questions accurately at the time you bought the policy.


The fly in the ointment would be that if you don't have life insurance already (and with a dependant daughter you probably should, surgery or no surgery) then you'll have to disclose any planned medical treatment as part of your medical history when you apply, and an upcoming operation might make it more difficult to be accepted. Someone else might be able to comment on how big a problem that is likely to be in this particular case.

Weighty1

Aretnap is correct, the biggest issue is the impending surgery. General Anaesthetics carry a risk of death and the fact that you are trying to cover yourself during this risk isn't something that insurer's particularly like. They call it anti-selection ie. you want it whilst there's a risk but not during other times. Some insurers will sometimes cover an applicant who is due to have surgery and increase the premium during the first year. I'm just not so sure which insurer's would be willing to insurer just whilst this the surgery takes place and no other period.

The question I'd ask you to consider is if you need life insurance when this surgery is going to go ahead then what don't you need it all the time? What if you die from cancer, a road traffic accident, a house fire, suffer a heart attack etc etc etc. If you need life insurance, you need it.

System

It sounds more like gambling than insurance.
What are the odds of dying during this particular kind of surgery - 1 in 100?
How much money would your daughter need if you died - £100,000? There's your answer then - you need to find someone who will take your bet - you put up £1,000, and get £100,000 if you die.

Kristykake2000

Thank you for all of the replies.

I guess I will need life insurance for life, but one that will include the cover for the operation.

Thank you