Will my life insurance assessment be confidential?

When filling out a life insurance assessment, you disclose a certain amount of personal information. You may wonder who has access to this information and whether it will remain confidential.

The answer to the question is: yes, it will be confidential. As some of the information on life insurance applications is sensitive, insurers recognise the importance of keeping it private. They have to take notice of their responsibilities under data protection and other legislation.

Are life insurance companies ever allowed to break confidentiality?

There are usually only very specific circumstances where your insurer can disclose your information to any other person or company. These include when you have given your full consent or if they are required to by law.

What kind of information could be on my life insurance assessment?

Confidentiality between the insurer and the insured is important because the information disclosed in applications is sometimes very sensitive. This information can include:

• Personal details about your age, gender and job.
• Your BMI (body mass index) and whether you are a smoker.
• Your medical history. You will need to inform your insurance company about any relevant medical conditions you have suffered from in the past. These conditions can include cancer and heart attack.
• Any conditions you are currently suffering from. A particularly sensitive medical condition is HIV/AIDS. People may not want their family or employer to find out if they have had an HIV test.
• Your family's medical history. Some conditions are hereditary and therefore relevant to your life insurance company when they consider insuring you.

It is natural to value your privacy, especially when the information is so sensitive. It is therefore reassuring to know that information disclosed on a life insurance assessment will remain confidential under almost all circumstances. Although nobody can access your life insurance records, it is worth remembering that people such as your employer could request to see your medical records. They can only do this with due cause, and with your permission.

Let Think Insure help you get a great deal on your car, home or life insurance

Call us for a quote on 0800 195 2914.

Or fill in your name and number and we'll call you back for free.

Name: Please tick here to agree to our privacy policy

Telephone:

Tags: insurance, life insurance, life insurance assessment, privacy, legal

Subject to eligibility and exclusions. Insurance is provided from our panel of insurers. Policy conditions apply. Calls may be recorded for quality and training purposes. Calls to 0800 numbers from BT landlines are usually free, but you should check with your network provider for full details of your service.