Von Willebrand Disease & Life Insurance

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Von Willebrand Disease & Life InsuranceWe understand that being told that you have Von Willebrand Disease can be worrying. It is our job, to take the worry out of arranging your insurances.

Things we need to know:

  • When were you diagnosed with Von Willebrand Disease?
  • Do you have type 1, type 2, type 3 or acquired Von Willebrand Disease?
  • How many episodes of excessive bleeding and bruising have you had?
  • How often do you bleed excessively?
  • Does the Von Willebrand Disease affect your ability to work?

Life Insurance for people with Von Willebrand Disease may be available at standard terms with some insurers. The insurance provider that you approach will be particularly interested in knowing how long you have been diagnosed with the condition, the type of Von Willebrand Disease you have and how many episodes of bleeding you have had. Depending upon the type of Von Willebrand Disease that you have the insurer may want to see a report from your GP to fully establish how the condition affects your health. Following your application for Life Insurance the insurer may choose to offer Life Insurance at standard terms or at special terms (premium increase).

Critical Illness Cover for people with Von Willebrand Disease may be available at normal terms with certain insurance providers. The insurer that you place your Critical Illness Cover application with will want to know how many episodes of bleeding you have had, the length of time since you were diagnosed and the type/severity of the condition. The application process will probably involve the insurance provider requesting a report from your GP to establish your overall state of health; these reports are paid for by the insurer and cost no expense to yourself. If Critical Illness Cover is available to you, the policy may be available at standard or non-standard terms.

It is unlikely that a person with Type 2 or Type 3 Von Willebrand Disease will be able to secure Critical Illness Cover on the standard market. You will be able to arrange a Critical Illness policy with a specialist insurer, that can offer cover to people with Von Willebrand Disease.

Income Protection for people with Von Willebrand Disease, may be available at non-standard terms with some insurers. The insurer will usually ask to see a report from your GP to establish how the illness impacts upon your general health, how long you have been diagnosed with Von Willebrand Disease and how many episodes of bleeding you have had. They will also typically enquire as to how much time you have spent off work due to the condition. When you apply for Income Protection, you ideally want to arrange cover under an ‘own occupation’ claims definition.

It is unlikely that a person with Type 2 or Type 3 Von Willebrand Disease will be able to arrange Income Protection. In these circumstances you may want to consider Accident, Sickness and Unemployment Cover. This type of policy will pay a regular monthly income for between 12 and 24 months if you are unable to work due to disability, long-term illness and involuntary redundancy. Accident, Sickness and Unemployment policies are not medically underwritten meaning that you will not need to detail the Von Willebrand Disease when you apply. However, any claim that you place will exclude inability to work due to a pre-existing medical condition, including Von Willebrand Disease.

Off on holiday? It can be worthwhile speaking with a specialist travel insurance broker, that can talk you through how the insurance works with Von Willebrand Disease. For more details, please visit our travel page here.

What is Von Willebrand Disease?

Von Willebrand Disease is typically an inherited condition and the severity of the illness is often determined by whether it has been inherited from one or both parents. The illness is caused when there is a deficiency in the blood protein, Von Willebrand factor, or when this protein is not working properly. Symptoms of Von Willebrand Disease are primarily focused around excessive bleeding as the blood is unable to clot effectively. Individuals with Von Willebrand Disease should take more caution when performing any activities that have the potential to cause bleeding or bruising. Acquired Von Willebrand Disease can occur when the efficiency and presence of the Von Willebrand factor in the blood is affected by a secondary illness.

Also: Type 1 VWD, Type 2 VWD, Type 3 VWD, Pseudo (platelet) VWD, Acquired Von Willebrand disease (AVWD)

Linked with: Haemophilia, systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism)cancer

Some potential problems experienced by individuals who have Von Willebrand Disease include:

  • Avoiding contact sports
  • Avoiding some medications e.g. aspirin and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)
  • Excessive bleeding and bruising
  • Family planning
  • Heavy periods
  • Heightened caution during surgery
  • Use of protective equipment
  • Desmopressin
  • Intrauterine device (IUD)
  • Oral contraceptive pill
  • Tranexamic acid
  • Von Willebrand factor concentrate

Common Questions

Speak to us! Without knowing more details about you, it’s not easy to say for definite why you were decline life insurance. But, we can say that many of our clients are people with medical conditions, that have been declined life insurance through their bank. Banks are often tied to one insurer, we’re not, and we can look at the whole of the market to find an insurer that will work for you. Depending upon the type of Von Willebrand Disease you have been diagnosed with, you may need to go to a specialist insurer for the Life Insurance, but don’t worry there are options out there for you.

Yes. You could look at the standard insurance market if you have Type 1 Von Willebrand Disease. Getting Critical Illness Cover will depend on any medications that you take and how sever your symptoms are. If you have Type 2 or Type 3 Von Willebrand Disease, you will probably need to look at a specialist insurer.

Client Reviews

Cura Financial Services has been rated 5 out of 5 based on 739 reviews.

Review by Andrea on 22nd April 2017

Great service and i would defenetely use Cura again - 5 

You can read more of our reviews here.

Von Willebrand Disease & Life Insurance

Dr Kathryn Knowles Phd

Author
This page was written by Dr Kathryn Knowles Phd, an award-winning insurance adviser. To read more about Kathryn please see her bio here

Von Willebrand Disease & Life Insurance

Client Reviews

Von Willebrand Disease & Life Insurance

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