is a real need for protection . Thankfully , these days , most protection providers have taken steps to make protection accessible to clients who have chronic health conditions such as diabetes .
So why not reach out to clients to remind them about how their policy works ; it might even encourage them to look at ways of improving how they manage the condition
A huge portion of the UK already live with a diagnosis of type 1 or type 2 diabetes .
While premiums can reduce if HbA1c results improve over time , they will never increase above the initial premium .
At Royal London we developed Diabetes Life Cover , which is a product designed specifically for people living with type 1 and type 2 diabetes .
The product offers life cover to your clients who have high HbA1c results , who might otherwise be subject to substantial loadings or not accepted elsewhere . Clients receive immediate acceptance through a simplified application process , and they can even see their premiums reduce over time if their HbA1c results improve .
Diabetes Life Cover during the pandemic
As the Manchester University research highlighted , many people with diabetes have found it difficult to attend their regular diabetic clinic during the pandemic , which is why we introduced some temporary changes to make it easier for those applying for protection .
For new Diabetes Life Cover applications , a recent HbA1c reading ( the results must be dated within the last 12 months ) needs to be sent to us within three months of the plan starting . To give clients more flexibility , we extended the three-month window to six months .
Added-value benefits are commonplace amongst protection providers these days , offering comprehensive tailored support . Often these services can be accessed at any time during the policy term , meaning clients don ’ t need to make a claim to benefit . So , if you ’ ve arranged protection policies for clients with diabetes , why not check if they have access to these valuable services .
Finally , I thought I ’ d finish with a reminder that if you , a member of your family , a friend or even a client appears to be experiencing symptoms linked to diabetes – think ‘ 4Ts ’, that ’ s Toilet – frequent urination , Thirst – an unquenchable thirst , Tiredness and Thinner – a sudden loss of weight – then they should make contact with their GP as soon as possible .
For more information on Diabetes Life Cover and
Helping Hand please get in touch with your usual Royal London contact or visit our adviser website .
We also relaxed the rules on the types of evidence we ’ ll accept when a client is disclosing their HbA1c results , meaning we accept an email from the client ’ s GP and / or a recorded phone call from the client advising what their GP has told them was their last HbA1c result , alongside the date it was taken .
How can you provide extra support for diabetic clients ?
For clients who have a Diabetes Life Cover policy and have found their HbA1c results have worsened , remember that while premiums can reduce if HbA1c results improve over time , they will never increase above the initial premium .
Sources :
1
Type 2 diabetes missed or diagnosis delayed for 60,000 UK people in 2020 . Manchester University , 17 May 2021 . Also “ Impact of COVID-19 on diagnoses , monitoring and mortality in people with Type 2 diabetes in the UK ” published in The Lancet Diabetes Endocrinology 2020 , 13 August 2020 .
2
Cancer Research UK , What ’ s happened to cancer services during the COVID-19 pandemic ?, September 11 , 2020 .
3
Diabetes . org , Number of people with diabetes hits 4.8 million , 2 October 2020 .
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