Blood pressure shake-up 'could mean fairer protection rates'
Will insurers adopt more accurate forms of screening?
Protection applicants may get fairer rates if insurers adopt a radical new approach to measuring blood pressure, set to be adopted by the NHS.
Blood pressure should be monitored over the course of 24 hours, rather than measured during visits to a clinic, according to a new set of NHS guidelines published this week by the National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE).
New evidence has shown that this gives a more accurate reading of blood pressure and can reduce misdiagnosis of hypertension (high blood pressure), saving the NHS money.
High blood pressure is a major risk factor for conditions including stroke, heart attack, heart failure, and chronic kidney disease and is used by insurers to assess potential longevity and calculate premiums. Although not all protection applicants are required to submit medical reports or undergo screening, those deemed to present potential risks may undergo a blood pressure test. As the new approach is rolled out in the NHS, insurers may choose to follow suit in order to more accurately caluclate risk, although this could lengthen the time it takes to get an applicant on risk as the measurement will no longer be taken during a single visit by a nurse or doctor.
Joseph Lu, longevity expert at Legal & General, welcomed the new guidance, which has been described as the biggest shake-up in blood pressure diagnosis in more than a century.
"The improved diagnosis will mean that in going forward we will be able to use this more accurate assessment in the calculations we make to estimate a person’s life expectancy," he said. "This can then be reflected, for example, in the annuity rates we offer retirees so those customers with high blood pressure receive an uplift in the pension annuity payment they receive based on the actual risk they present."
Phil Brown, head of protection and underwriting for Zurich UK Life, also welcomed the development but said that good practice designed to avoid "falsely raised blood pressure" was already in place, which "does not put customers through any unreasonably lengthy processes".
"While requests for blood pressure readings still form a small percentage of our overall underwriting requests we recognise the importance of basing our decisions on the best information available and we believe our current approach achieves this," he said. "We also respect the fact that for some people undergoing any physical examination can cause some concern or anxiousness.
"Zurich underwriters have always been aware of the possibility that a raised blood pressure reading on a routine medical examination could be due to white coat syndrome. We always request three blood pressure readings, usually taken at five to ten minute intervals, in order to get the most accurate and representative blood pressure readings for a patient. Where the readings remain at a level above the normal expected for the patient's age, we can apply a small loading, based on the consistency of the levels recorded.
"Where the blood pressure readings recorded are extremely high for that patient's age, we may need to refer them back to their GP. We would then await the outcome of any investigations carried out by the GP, and for blood pressure readings to return to normal, with or without treatment."Hypertension affects about 12 million people in the UK, more than half of whom are over the age of 60. It can be treated through changes to lifestyle and medication.
Problems getting insurance free quotes and advice on Insuring the Uninsurable
Back to all Health Insurance Articles
