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| Welcome back to our regular email series, Touchpoint. |
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| This July, we’re looking at underwriting in the ever-evolving world of healthcare. In this month’s issue we explore how to support your clients to make accurate disclosures, whether it’s to do with weight loss drugs, nicotine, or neurodiversity. |
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| Weight loss drugs – a growing trend |
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| Official NHS data shows they had capacity to prescribe 35,000 people with weight loss drugs last year, but it’s estimated the figure using them privately is much higher – at around 500,000 1. They’re becoming more common, and given the current statistics around obesity, it’s perhaps no surprise: |
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| 64% |
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of adults in UK have a BMI > 25
(clinically overweight) 2 |
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| 28% |
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have a BMI > 30
(clinically obese) 2 |
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| Being overweight or obese increases the risk of health issues. Prescribed and effective treatment which helps people lose weight can help reduce these risks. But it’s not straight forward. There are also negative health impacts to consider if the treatment is not prescribed by a medical professional and comes from a dubious source. As well as implications if the person stops the treatment.
So, what does this mean for you and your clients? |
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| Help your clients disclose their weight loss treatment |
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- If they’re on weight loss treatment, they need to tell us
- They must share their accurate ‘starting weight’ before beginning the treatment
- Also, their ‘current weight’ if they’re taking the treatment.
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| How it will affect their application |
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| All cases which involve weight loss treatment will be referred to manual underwriting and are assessed on a case-by-case basis. We’ll look at how long they’ve been on it, the effects (i.e. how much weight they have lost), if they’re maintaining their weight and the source. You can learn more about our approach – and the outcomes of recent case studies – by joining our webinar, which you can register for below. |
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| Other emerging disclosures you can support with |
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| Nicotine |
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| The increased use of vapes and products like snus (a nicotine pouch) also affects underwriting. While, compared to smoking, these reduce the levels of toxins inhaled, they’re not entirely risk free. If your clients consume nicotine, whether that’s in vapes or any other nicotine replacement product, they need to tell us when we ask what best describes their use of tobacco or nicotine replacement products. |
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| Neurodiversity diagnoses – including ADHD |
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| As awareness of neurodiversity keeps growing, you may find more clients have diagnoses in this area. Like any other health condition, to help your clients have full confidence in their policy, this is something they need to disclose during application. We only expect your clients to tell us about any neurodiversity diagnosis they’ve received or are waiting to receive from a doctor. We’d also like to know if they’re taking any medication prescribed related to their ADHD or another neurodiverse condition. This is to help our underwriters understand how your clients are managing their symptoms and if it’s impacting their work or lifestyle. |
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Sources:
1 Reuters.com, Lilly’s Mounjaro more popular than Wegovy in UK’s private obesity
drug market, 13 December 2023.
2 Obesity statistics, House of Commons Library, 10 February 2025. |
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| Join our emerging disclosures webinar |
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| With Richard Stadon, Senior Underwriter, and Laura Mitchell, Marketing Manager |
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| Richard and Laura are hosting a webinar on Monday 21 July at 11am, to explain how emerging disclosures including weight loss drugs are impacting underwriting outcomes, and how to help your clients disclose the information we need. Click the button below to register. |
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| Weight loss drugs and its impact on protection |
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| With Richard Stadon, Senior Underwriter |
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| Weight loss drugs are on the rise and it’s affecting protection. It can mean better terms for clients whose prescribed treatments from a credible source are leading to proven results, but full and accurate disclosure is essential. Learn more in Richard’s article. |
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| Tip of the month |
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| Gareth Matthews, Chief Underwriter, Hannover Re |
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| “The world of medicine is always evolving. Thanks to medical research, treatments continually improve, and that means the picture for underwriters is always changing; it’s one of the reasons our jobs are so interesting! Right now, weight loss treatments are on the rise and data suggests they are proving effective for some as a way of managing the health risks associated with being overweight. But the source of treatment and how the patient is managed and responds to it is crucially important. Additionally, there are fake versions out there which also threaten to negatively impact what is otherwise promising to be a highly welcome transformative drug.” |
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| That’s all for July. We’ll see you next month for more useful insights. |
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| If you have any questions, please give us a call or send us an email. |
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| Kind regards |
| Your Guardian Team |
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Guardian Financial Services Limited is an appointed representative of Scottish Friendly
Assurance Society Limited. All products are provided by Scottish Friendly.
© 2025 Guardian Financial Services Limited
Guardian Financial Services Limited is an appointed representative of Scottish Friendly Assurance Society Limited which is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority. Registered office: Galbraith House, 16 Blythswood Square, Glasgow G2 4HJ. Registration number 110002. Guardian Financial Services Limited is registered in England and Wales under number 11115769. Registered office: 11 Strand, London WC2N 5HR. |
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