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New rules introduced by the insurance industry’s trade body will ensure that fewer people have their claims refused, it has been claimed.

According to the Association of British Insurers (ABI), the move marks a commitment to pay out on protection policies, even where people have not disclosed medical information (unless it was withheld deliberately).

Every year, thousands of critical illness, income protection and life insurance claims are rejected as a result of people’s failure to provide relevant medical information.

The ABI claims that insurers will now pay out a "fair sum, reflecting risk and premiums paid" in instances where information has inadvertently been withheld.

Stephen Haddrill, director general of the organisation, remarked: "Customers want to know that their insurance claim will always be assessed fairly and paid without fuss.

"The industry wants customers to be able to take out insurance with confidence."

Life insurance provider Legal and General responded to the news by reminding customers that deliberately withholding relevant information will still lead to claims being declined.

The Insurance Helpline specialises in obtaining cover for people with medical conditions

Individuals should make sure they read the small print when buying life insurance or critical illness cover, according to one independent advisor.

Jock Cassidy, the director of Ashley Law Limited, observed that a large proportion of customers tend to overlook the finer details of a premium.

"People tend to look at the top line and not the small print and, if you take critical illness cover as an example, some critical illness cover will have lesser benefits than others, but obviously the premiums are also lesser," remarked Mr Cassidy.

He continued: "If people don’t take the time to read the small print, then they’ll go for the cheapest option, but it does depend on each person’s circumstances."

The financial specialist pointed that more affluent customers tend to turn to a financial advisor to do the "shopping around" for them.

According to website Unbiased.co.uk, a growing number of customers have been seeking independent financial advice in order to get the best deals on life insurance, critical illness cover and other products.

The Insurance Helpline specialises in obtaining cover for people living with medical conditions

More people should buy life insurance because it provides a "basic form of protection" for families, according to one provider.

Friends Provident issued the advice after research conducted by the insurer revealed that more than half of Britons do not have life cover.

Its poll indicated that over 27 per cent of individuals would invest in life insurance if they had £5 a month dedicated to it, while six per cent admitted they would swap their mobile phone for a free policy.

Of the 46 per cent of people who said they had life insurance, almost seven in ten revealed that they seek professional advice when considering cover.

Mark Jones, protection products and actuarial manager at Friends Provident, confirmed that life insurance is a basic way of providing for loved ones at a difficult time.

"Understandably, none of us really want to think about our own mortality, but we do owe it our families to ensure that we have made provision - be it to pay off the mortgage or provide a lump cash sum," he remarked.

According to a recent study by Aegon, British people are now living longer, with 9,000 people aged 100 years or older living in the UK in 2006.

The Insurance Helpline specialises in obtaining cover for people living with medical conditions

Insurance for high-risk individuals such as professional football players presents a "grey area" for bosses, according to experts.

Representatives of financial firm Aon noted that although national associations are not obliged to buy cover, some choose to do so.

James Hands, the company’s executive director, spoke in the wake of numerous high-profile incidents involving players being injured while playing for their countries.

"Every club has a different way of looking at these things - some national associations take out insurance and some don’t," he observed.

"They can insure against whatever they want to insure against – whether that be just a player’s salary or whether that be a player having an injury that will end his career," he added.

During a match against Sweden in the 2006 World Cup, England player Michael Owen ruptured a knee ligament.

The Guardian reported that the maximum amount his club, Newcastle, could receive in compensation was £55,000 a week from the FA’s insurance policy, although this did not cover his full weekly wage.

When he was injured again, playing for England last year, the maximum potential figure had gone up to £100,000 per week.

Sports players have the option of taking out their own insurance against being injured and to secure themselves against loss of future earnings.

The Insurance Helpline specialises in obtaining cover for people with high risk jobs or hobbies.

Making four simple lifestyle changes can boost people’s chances of finding affordable life insurance, according to experts.

Researchers at the Medical Research Council and Cambridge University concluded that individuals who exercise regularly, refrain from smoking, drink moderate alcohol amounts and eat five daily portions of fruit and vegetables can live an average 14 years longer than those who do not.

While previous studies have illustrated how the individual steps can have a beneficial effect on health, the latest research focused on their combined effect.

To assess this, the scientists investigated the diets and lifestyles of 20,000 men and women aged between 45 and 79, with deaths among the participants recorded until 2006.

Writing in the journal PLoS Medicine, the team noted that the results "may provide further support for the idea that even small differences in lifestyle may make a big difference to health in the population and encourage behaviour change".

Cancer Research UK has underlined that making healthy lifestyle choices has a "combined positive effect on health" and can help people live longer, with around half of all cancers potentially prevented by such changes.

The Insurance Helpline specialises in obtaining cover for people with medical conditions

Many British people are dishonest about their lifestyles when it comes to filling in application forms, including those for life insurance.

Research carried out by Norwich Union revealed that out of the 1,460 adults polled, more than half (58 per cent) are embarrassed about their lifestyle, although they are more likely to make false claims than change their bad habits.

Up to one in 14 customers admitted bending the truth when it came to filling in forms, whether it concerned smoking, drinking, exercise or eating patterns.

Psychologist Corinne Sweet remarked: "People can minimise their bad habits when put on the spot at the doctor’s or when registering at the gym because they fear facing the truth about their behaviour.

"The problem is, being economical with the truth about your bad habits means you won’t do anything to improve your health.

"Plus, you may be sitting on a health time bomb, like heart disease, without realising until it’s too late."

Previous studies by the life insurance giant have also suggested that a significant number of people in the UK flex the truth when applying for either life cover or a critical illness policy.

The Insurance Helpline specialises in obtaining cover for people with medical conditions

High-risk insurance customers such as soldiers are unlikely to get cover from many life insurance companies, it has been claimed.

According to one UK financial services company, soldiers may only be able to get a standard-rate policy if they are not under order to go to an area of conflict.

"Once a soldier had been given notification that he was to go to Afghanistan or Iraq, nobody will insure them - they won’t be able to get cover from any life insurance companies," remarked William McCartney from Armed Forces specialists Apple Insurance Brokers.

He recommended that any soldier exploring his or her cover options purchase cover "sooner rather than later".

Figures from the Defence Analytical Services Agency indicate that in July this year there were 183,530 members of the UK Armed Forces at all ranks.

In 2006, a total of 190 deaths occurred among the Forces, half of which were the result of accidents.

Mr McCartney pointed out that although many life insurance policies state that an individual would not be covered under acts of war, the majority of providers would pay out regardless to avoid negative publicity.

The Insurance Helpline specialises in obtaining cover for people with medical conditions and high-risk jobs

US cancer sufferers who do not have adequate health insurance are less likely to get the recommended screening tests, it has been claimed.

A new report from the American Cancer Society found "substantial evidence" that a lack of adequate insurance coverage is associated with less access to care and poorer outcomes for patients.

Uninsured individuals were also revealed to be more likely to be diagnosed with later-stage disease and have lower survival rates than those with insurance.

Consulting data from the National Cancer Database (NCDB), the organisation concluded that insurance and cost-related barriers to care are "critical" issues to address if the population is to gain equal access to high-quality cancer prevention, early detection and treatment services.

"As our nations investments in cancer research provide greater understanding of how to prevent cancer, detect it early and treat it effectively, access to healthcare becomes even more important to the American Cancer Society’s goal of eliminating cancer as a major public health problem," remarked Dr Otis Brawley, chief medical officer for the American Cancer Society.

Recent research by the Fair Investment Company revealed that enquiries for private medical insurance more than doubled in September compared with the previous month.


The Insurance Helpline specialises in obtaining cover for people living with cancer

Life insurance companies play a role in encouraging customers to make healthy lifestyle changes, the Association of British Insurers (ABI) has claimed.

According to the organisation, some providers focus on lifestyle tweaks that improve a person’s mortality and mobility.

"What insurers do is obviously look at demographic trends, but also they look at individual risks presented to them - it is a competitive market, and it will continue to remain competitive," explained a spokesperson for the organisation.

"Insurers have a role to play in encouraging people to adopt healthy lifestyles and recognise where people do adopt healthy lifestyles where that has an implication on their mortality," he added.

With long term life insurance contracts, the ABI’s representative explained, customers do not normally have to disclose changes in their circumstances after a policy has been taken out, providing all relevant information has been provided originally.

Recent ABI figures revealed that 40 per cent of UK households have life insurance, with the industry paying out £17 million in death benefits every day throughout 2006.

The Insurance Helpline specialises in obtaining cover for people living with medical conditions

Life insurance in the UK is easier to come by as critical illness treatments improve and people live longer, it has been claimed.

According to independent financial advisers Libra Financial Planning, insurance providers "are not expecting people to die" and therefore they offer products at a lower price.

"The impact of medical improvements is quite significant on our population and that’s why people are living longer…healthier lifestyles, those sorts of things," confirmed a spokesperson for the group.

"Life insurance companies aren’t expecting people to die - they’re more likely to have a critical illness like cancer or heart disease," the financial specialist continued.

Recent figures released by the Financial Services Authority revealed that life expectancy for British men will be 81 by 2031, while women are predicted to live until the age of 85 on average.

Libra’s representative concluded that the UK’s life insurance market has been the largest in Europe and the third largest in the world because it is "very competitive" with a varied and sophisticated range of products.

The Insurance Helpline specialises in obtaining cover for people with medical conditions