10-second summary: A parent or sibling with a health condition does not automatically stop you getting life insurance. What matters is the condition, who was affected, how old they were, and which insurer you apply to. Insurers assess family history differently, so the first application matters.
If you’re here, I’m guessing something in your family history is playing on your mind.
Maybe your mum had breast cancer in her 40s.
Maybe your dad had a heart attack at a young age.
Maybe more than one relative has had the same condition.
And now you’re wondering whether that’s going to count against you.
That’s a completely fair question.
The good news is this: in most cases, family history on its own does not stop you getting life insurance or mortgage protection.
But it can influence how an insurer assesses your application. And that’s where things start to matter.
What Insurers Actually Look At
When insurers ask about family history, they’re usually focused on your parents, brothers and sisters.
They’re not just ticking boxes. They’re trying to understand inherited risk.
Here’s what tends to matter:
- What condition your relative had
- How old they were when diagnosed
- How many close relatives were affected
- Whether you’ve had screening or tests yourself
Age of diagnosis is a big one.
A parent diagnosed with heart disease at 78 is very different to one diagnosed at 48.
One relative affected is different to two or three with the same condition.
And if you’ve reached an age beyond when your parent was diagnosed and you’re still healthy, that carries weight too.
Does Family History Mean You’ll Pay More?
Not automatically.
Plenty of people are accepted at normal rates, even with cancer or heart disease in the family.
Where insurers believe the inherited risk is higher, they may apply a premium loading.
Sometimes they’ll wait for screening results before making a final decision.
Declines are rare for family history alone. They usually arise where family history is combined with other personal risk factors such as smoking, high BMI or raised cholesterol.
If you’re unsure how underwriting works, we’ve explained it clearly in our underwriting guide.
Life Insurance Is Different From Serious Illness Cover
This is where confusion often creeps in.
With life insurance and mortgage protection, there are no condition exclusions. You’re either accepted at the normal price, loaded, postponed, or declined.
With serious illness cover or income protection, insurers can sometimes exclude a specific condition linked to your family history while still offering cover for everything else.
For example, a family history of breast cancer may lead to a breast cancer exclusion on serious illness cover.
It depends on the product and the insurer.
Do All Insurers Treat Family History the Same?
No.
And this is where people can unintentionally make things harder for themselves.
Each insurer has slightly different underwriting criteria.
Some only consider family diagnoses before age 50. Others look right up to age 60 or 65. Some may ignore a single isolated case. Others may apply a loading.
That means the outcome can vary — even when the family history is identical.
This is why the first application matters more than most people realise.
Why The First Application Counts
If you apply directly to an insurer without checking how they assess your particular family history, you can end up with an outcome that wasn’t necessary.
That might be a higher premium than you needed to pay. In some cases, it could even be a decline.
Formal underwriting decisions don’t just disappear. Future insurers can ask whether you’ve ever been declined or postponed.
You’ll have to answer honestly. And once a previous decision is on record, it can influence how the next insurer views your application.
It doesn’t mean you won’t get cover. But it can narrow your options.
Being accepted is not the same as being accepted on the best available terms.
That’s why insurer choice at the start matters. Getting it right first time protects both your record and your long-term pricing.
When Family History Becomes Less Relevant
Family history tends to matter less as you get older without developing the condition yourself.
If your parent was diagnosed in their 40s and you are now in your late 30s or 40s with clear screening results, insurers often assess you differently than they would at 25.
Your own health profile gradually outweighs inherited risk.
So What Should You Do?
If there’s illness in your family, don’t guess.
And don’t apply to the first insurer you think of.
Complete our medical questionnaire first.
We’ll look at your specific situation and decide which insurer’s underwriting approach is most appropriate before any formal application goes in.
That way you protect your options, your pricing, and your long-term record.
Everything we discuss is confidential.
Thanks for reading
Nick
Editor’s note: First published 2020. Refreshed February 2026 to reflect current Irish underwriting practices and insurer variation around family medical history.
Written by Nick McGowan, QFA RPA APA
Nick is a qualified financial advisor and founder of Lion.ie, an independent Irish life insurance and income protection brokerage based in Tullamore.
He’s been helping people get fair, transparent cover for over 15 years — and was named Protection Broker of the Year 2022.
If you’d like straight answers without the sales pitch, learn more about Nick here.