Income protection insurance exclusions

Gazelle1985

I applied for income protection insurance recently and disclosed that I had taken anti-depressants for 3 months last year. As a result the terms of the insurance exclude:

Anxiety, stress, depression or any mental or behavioural disorder, or any functional somatic symptoms (also known as medically unexplained symptoms) including chronic fatigue, chronic pain or irritable bowel syndromes, or myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME), or Fibromyalgia.

Is this normal? I was expecting some exclusions but this seems excessive and covers a huge spectrum of conditions. I'm probably not going to go ahead as a result as it's pretty expensive but was interested to know if this is typical.

kingstreet

I've just run the Royal London pre-underwriting checker and based on some assumptions on my part as well as the data supplied, I got;-

"We will not pay a claim if it is directly or indirectly because of any mental, behavioural or functional disorder including, but not limited to, anxiety, stress, depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, post-traumatic stress disorder, chronic fatigue, myalgic encephalomyelitis, fibromyalgia or chronic pain syndromes"

so I suspect this will be the standard industry response.

Gazelle1985

Thank you. So that's a standard exclusion for any mental health disclosures?

Do you know how far back most insurers will need you to disclose mental health issues? I'm wondering if I might be better off trying again in a few year's time.

Nearlyold

How was the mental health question on the application phrased? If it asked "have you ever?" then waiting a few years might not make any difference to those exclusions being imposed. 

Is the insurer accepting you at the standard premium but with those exclusions,  if so there could still be value in taking the policy now as there are a myriad of other health conditions or accidents that could stop you working.

Gazelle1985

The questionnaire was over the phone and I honestly can't remember how it was worded - whether it was 'ever' or within a time period. What's typical for this kind of insurace?

The premium was reduced slightly with the exclusions, but still expensive.

Weighty1

Gazelle1985 said:

The questionnaire was over the phone and I honestly can't remember how it was wondered - whether it was 'ever' or within a time period. What's typical for this kind of insurace?

The premium was reduced slightly with the exclusions, but still expensive.

Ordinarily it would result in an exclusion if it was within the last 5-years with most providers but within 4-years with Aviva and it's totally standard.  If you were my client I'd have told you before we reached the end to expect the exclusion.

Gazelle1985

Weighty1 said:

Gazelle1985 said:

The questionnaire was over the phone and I honestly can't remember how it was wondered - whether it was 'ever' or within a time period. What's typical for this kind of insurace?

The premium was reduced slightly with the exclusions, but still expensive.

Ordinarily it would result in an exclusion if it was within the last 5-years with most providers but within 4-years with Aviva and it's totally standard.  If you were my client I'd have told you before we reached the end to expect the exclusion.

Thanks very much, that's really useful. I don't suppose after 4 or 5 years, insurers will lift the exclusions if the conditions haven't reoccurred though?

DullGreyGuy

Gazelle1985 said:

Weighty1 said:

Gazelle1985 said:

The questionnaire was over the phone and I honestly can't remember how it was wondered - whether it was 'ever' or within a time period. What's typical for this kind of insurace?

The premium was reduced slightly with the exclusions, but still expensive.

Ordinarily it would result in an exclusion if it was within the last 5-years with most providers but within 4-years with Aviva and it's totally standard.  If you were my client I'd have told you before we reached the end to expect the exclusion.

Thanks very much, that's really useful. I don't suppose after 4 or 5 years, insurers will lift the exclusions if the conditions haven't reoccurred though?

Will bow to @Weighty1's knowledge if they say otherwise but never come across any with a moratorium type setup as you suggest.

I had a one off inner ear infection (all the worst bits of being drunk without any of the positive sides) a few months before buying PHI and so I'm now stuck with a policy long exclusion for anything related to the ear. 

Gazelle1985

DullGreyGuy said:

Gazelle1985 said:

Weighty1 said:

Gazelle1985 said:

The questionnaire was over the phone and I honestly can't remember how it was wondered - whether it was 'ever' or within a time period. What's typical for this kind of insurace?

The premium was reduced slightly with the exclusions, but still expensive.

Ordinarily it would result in an exclusion if it was within the last 5-years with most providers but within 4-years with Aviva and it's totally standard.  If you were my client I'd have told you before we reached the end to expect the exclusion.

Thanks very much, that's really useful. I don't suppose after 4 or 5 years, insurers will lift the exclusions if the conditions haven't reoccurred though?

Will bow to @Weighty1's knowledge if they say otherwise but never come across any with a moratorium type setup as you suggest.

I had a one off inner ear infection (all the worst bits of being drunk without any of the positive sides) a few months before buying PHI and so I'm now stuck with a policy long exclusion for anything related to the ear. 

Yes I imagine this will be the same thing.

Angelica123

I have recently looked into income protection and I remember some of the health questions were "have you ever" and some were "in the last 5 years, have you".

You could wait 5 years from when you had your last antidepressants before applying for income protection. 

Gazelle1985

I might take out this policy for 4 years, then cancel and take out a different one without having to disclose hopefully.