Health, underwriting and getting accepted
Underwriting is where an application is won or lost. These guides explain what insurers ask, what they do with the answers, and what a loading, exclusion, deferral or decline actually means.
50 guides in this section
How the process works
- How life insurance underwriting worksHow New Zealand insurers assess an application — the questions, the medical evidence they request, and the five outcomes from standard rates through to decline.
- The duty of disclosureWhat the duty of disclosure means in NZ, what counts as material, why “I forgot” is not a defence, and what happens at claim time.
- Medical exams and tests in underwritingWhen a New Zealand insurer requires a nurse visit, blood tests or a full medical, what is measured, and what happens when a result comes back unexpected.
- GP notes and medical recordsWhen a New Zealand insurer requests your GP notes, what it sees, how consent works, and why reviewing your own records before applying is worth the effort.
- Pre-existing conditionsHow NZ insurers assess a pre-existing condition, why the term means different things on different products, and what improves the outcome.
- Loadings explainedWhat a premium loading is, what commonly causes one in NZ underwriting, and how to ask for it to be reviewed and removed once things are stable.
- Exclusions explainedWhat an underwriting exclusion is, how NZ insurers word them, why income protection exclusions bite hardest, and whether one can be removed.
- Deferral and declineWhat a deferral and a decline mean in NZ, why a decline follows you onto future applications, and how anonymous pre-assessment avoids that record.
Heart, blood pressure and metabolic
- Type 2 diabetes and insurance underwritingHow NZ insurers underwrite type 2 diabetes — the questions asked, the evidence requested, and why income protection terms tighten before life cover does.
- Type 1 diabetes and insurance underwritingHow NZ insurers assess a type 1 diabetes history — the questions, the evidence requested, and why life and income protection terms differ so sharply.
- Pre-diabetes and insurance underwritingHow NZ insurers treat a pre-diabetes or raised blood sugar note in your records — what is asked, what is requested, and why it is often a mild rating factor.
- High blood pressure and insurance underwritingHow NZ insurers underwrite treated and untreated high blood pressure — the questions, the readings requested, and what typically changes the terms.
- High cholesterol and insurance underwritingHow NZ insurers underwrite raised cholesterol — what is asked, why the ratio matters more than the total, and how it combines with other cardiovascular factors.
- Heart conditions and insurance underwritingHow New Zealand insurers underwrite a cardiac history — the questions, the specialist evidence requested, and why time since the event drives the outcome.
- Atrial fibrillation and insurance underwritingHow NZ insurers assess an atrial fibrillation history — the questions asked, the cardiology evidence requested, and which products are most affected.
- Stroke history and insurance underwritingHow NZ insurers underwrite a stroke or TIA history — what is asked, what specialist evidence is requested, and why time since the event drives the outcome.
- Build, BMI and insurance underwritingHow New Zealand insurers use height and weight in underwriting, why build is one of the most commonly loaded factors, and what changes an outcome over time.
Cancer history and family history
- Insurance after cancerHow New Zealand insurers underwrite an application after cancer — the questions, the specialist evidence requested, and why time since treatment matters most.
- Breast cancer history and insurance underwritingHow NZ insurers assess a breast cancer history at underwriting — the questions asked, the oncology evidence requested, and how outcomes change with time.
- Skin cancer, melanoma and insurance underwritingHow New Zealand insurers underwrite a skin cancer history — why the type matters enormously, what evidence is requested, and which products are affected.
- Prostate cancer history and insurance underwritingHow NZ insurers underwrite a prostate cancer history or a raised PSA result — what is asked, what evidence is requested, and which products are most affected.
- Bowel cancer history and insurance underwritingHow New Zealand insurers underwrite a bowel cancer history or a screening finding — the questions, the evidence, and how outcomes change as time passes.
- Thyroid conditions and insurance underwritingHow NZ insurers underwrite a thyroid cancer history or a thyroid condition — the questions asked, the evidence requested, and which products are affected.
- Family history of cancer and insurance underwritingHow New Zealand insurers use a family history of cancer — which relatives count, which ages matter, and why trauma cover is affected more than life cover.
- Family history of heart disease and insurance underwritingHow NZ insurers use a family history of heart disease — which relatives and ages count, how it combines with your own risk factors, and what it affects.
- Genetic testing and insurance underwritingWhat NZ insurers currently ask about genetic testing, why the rules are contested and changing, and why you should check the current position first.
Mental health
- Mental health history and insurance underwritingHow NZ insurers underwrite a mental health history — what is asked, why an income protection exclusion is common, and why disclosure is still mandatory.
- Depression and insurance underwritingHow NZ insurers assess a history of depression — the questions asked, why income protection exclusions are common, and what changes the outcome.
- Anxiety and insurance underwritingHow NZ insurers assess an anxiety history — what is asked, why income protection exclusions are common, and how a short, resolved episode is treated.
- ADHD and insurance underwritingHow NZ insurers assess an ADHD diagnosis — what is asked, why the assessment focuses on function and treatment, and which products are affected.
Respiratory, musculoskeletal and neurological
- Asthma and insurance underwritingHow New Zealand insurers assess asthma — the questions about severity and control, what evidence is requested, and why most applications are unaffected.
- Sleep apnoea and insurance underwritingHow NZ insurers assess sleep apnoea — the questions about diagnosis and treatment, why compliance with CPAP matters, and which products are affected.
- COPD and lung conditions in underwritingHow NZ insurers underwrite COPD and chronic lung conditions — the questions, the lung function evidence requested, and which products are affected.
- Back injuries and insurance underwritingWhy a back injury barely affects life cover but often produces a permanent spine exclusion on NZ income protection, and what that wording removes.
- Knee and joint injuries in underwritingHow NZ insurers underwrite knee, shoulder and other joint injuries — what is asked, why income protection exclusions are common, and how wording differs.
- Arthritis and insurance underwritingHow NZ insurers assess arthritis — why the type matters, what evidence is requested, and why income protection terms tighten before life cover does.
- Autoimmune conditions and insurance underwritingHow New Zealand insurers underwrite autoimmune conditions — what is asked, why specialist evidence matters, and why income protection is assessed most tightly.
- Epilepsy and insurance underwritingHow NZ insurers assess an epilepsy or seizure history — the questions about frequency and control, what evidence is requested, and which products are affected.
- Neurological conditions and insurance underwritingHow NZ insurers underwrite MS and other neurological conditions — what is asked, why specialist evidence decides it, and which products are affected.
Lifestyle and pursuits
- Smoking and insurance underwritingHow New Zealand insurers define a smoker, why smoker rates are so much higher, and how the definition catches products people do not think of as smoking.
- Vaping and insurance underwritingHow NZ insurers treat vaping at underwriting — why most definitions capture it, how cotinine testing works, and why the wording differs between insurers.
- Quitting smoking and your insurance ratesHow to move from smoker to non-smoker rates in New Zealand — the clear period each insurer requires, how to request reassessment, and what evidence is needed.
- Alcohol and insurance underwritingHow New Zealand insurers ask about alcohol, what liver markers on a blood panel show, and why an accurate answer matters more than a flattering one.
- Pregnancy and insurance underwritingHow NZ insurers handle an application made during pregnancy — what is asked, why a temporary exclusion is common, and how income protection works.
- Fertility treatment and insurance underwritingHow New Zealand insurers handle an application during or after fertility treatment — what is asked, why deferrals are common, and which benefits are affected.
- Hazardous pursuits and insurance underwritingHow New Zealand insurers underwrite dangerous sports and pastimes — the questionnaires used, when a loading beats an exclusion, and which products are affected.
- Motorcycling and insurance underwritingHow New Zealand insurers underwrite motorcycling — the questions about engine size, use and experience, and whether a loading or an exclusion is offered.
- Diving, aviation and insurance underwritingHow NZ insurers underwrite scuba diving and private aviation — the questionnaires used, the variables that matter, and when a loading or exclusion applies.
- Contact sport and insurance underwritingHow NZ insurers underwrite rugby and other contact sports — why amateur play rarely matters, and why the injury history counts for more than the sport.
- Overseas travel, residence and underwritingHow New Zealand insurers treat overseas travel and living abroad — the questions asked, when a deferral applies, and what happens to cover if you move.
Not sure what cover you actually need?
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