Mast Cell Activation Syndrome & Life Insurance
Request a Callback
By clicking on submit I / We give consent for you to call me / us on the number provided to discuss my / our financial requirements.
Caring - Understanding - Reliable - Advice
MCAS & Life Insurance
When you have been diagnosed with Mast Cell Activation Syndrome, it is something that will need to be disclosed on most insurer’s applications in the UK.
MCAS affects each person differently and insurers will want to know exactly how the condition affects you and your day to day routines.
To get things started we will ask you:
- When were you diagnosed with mast cell activation syndrome?
- What treatments do you take?
- Have you required hospital treatment for a severe allergic reaction?
- Have you experienced anaphylaxis?
- Do you have any other conditions such as Ehlers-Danlos syndrome or POTS?
When you have MCAS most insurers in the UK will ask your permission to speak with your GP, to confirm your diagnosis, treatment and how your overall health is. Whilst this can make the application process longer, we see these requests as a positive as it means that the insurer has everything they need before they offer you insurance. Which can make things much easier if there is ever a claim.
At the moment it might be that your application is reviewed specifically by the insurers’ Chief Medical Officer. This is because in the insurance world MCAS is still a bit of a mystery, there is not a lot of data compared to other conditions, so they want to make sure their top medical expert gives their opinion on your life insurance application.
Depending upon your symptoms and how much the Mast Cell Activation Syndrome affects your day to day routines, you can find that some insurers can consider your life insurance application. It is likely that they will increase your premium a bit, due to you having MCAS, and this never sounds great but it’s often much smaller than people think.
If you have had a recent anaphylactic episode you will find that insurers will want to wait a little while before considering your life insurance application.
Where you have had multiple anaphylactic episodes in recent years, or you have additional conditions such as Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome and POTS, you can find that some insurers will decline your application for life insurance. Not all insurers will do this and we are here to make sure your application for life insurance goes to the right insurer for you.
Our expert advisers are to make sure that your life insurance policy is placed with the best insurer for you.
MCAS & Critical Illness Cover
Critical illness cover pays out a cash lump sum of money, if you are diagnosed with a medical condition that is listed in the insurer’s claims set e.g. cancer, heart attack, stroke.
As MCAS is still quite new to insurers and there isn’t the same amount of data for them to study as say cancer, it can be harder to get insurances like critical illness cover. Critical illness cover and income protection are often much stricter underwriting rules than life insurance.
Your options for critical illness cover will be determined by your symptoms, the treatment you take and any other medical conditions that you have. Where critical illness cover is not available with mainstream insurers there are other policies health policies that can be considered. These more specialist insurances can be really good options, but it’s important to thoroughly go through what they do and do not cover you for.
It could be that the best critical illness insurance for you is one that can be arranged by employers. If you have your own business or an employer that offers you access to critical illness cover as part of your employment benefit package, it’s worth taking a look. These options generally exclude claims relating to pre-existing conditions so make sure you look at the terms and conditions carefully.
Our award winning advisers are here to make sure that you get the right insurer to match you and your health.
MCAS & Income Protection
Income protection pays you a replacement of your monthly income, if you are unable to work due to ill health.
Income protection policies often exclude claims relating to pre-existing conditions and this is the most likely outcome of an application when you have MCAS. It is most likely that where you can access income protection that the policy will have a fixed time for each claimable event e.g. 1, 2, or 5 years.
Some income protection insurers will not be able to offer you income protection due to you living with Mast Cell Activation Syndrome.
Our advisers are here to make sure that you get the best insurance policy to protect your income.
MCAS & Travel Insurance
Are you going on holiday? It’s always a good idea to make sure that you have good travel insurance in place. You can find out more about getting a quote on our travel insurance page.
What is Mast Cell Activation Syndrome?
Mast Cell Activation Syndrome is diagnosed when the body’s mast cells are abnormal or behave in an abnormal way. Mast cells are a type of white blood cell and play a part in protecting the body from allergens and against inflammation.
Also: MCAS, Mast Cell Activation Disorder
Linked with: Fibromyalgia, Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, Postural Tachycardia Syndrome
Possible Effects on Lifestyle
Some of the symptoms people may experience living with Mast Cell Activation Syndrome:
- Avoiding social settings
- Blocked nose
- Eye irritation
- Diarrhoea
- Dietary restrictions
- Fatigue
- Headaches
- Nausea and vomiting
- Skin writing
- Stomach pain
- Urticaria
Medications and Treatments
- Antihistamines
- Cetirizine
- Cimetidine
- Epi-pens
- Famotidine
- Fexofenadine
- Ketotifen
- Loratadine
- Montelukast
- Sodium chromoglycate
Further Reading and Research
By clicking on the link(s) above you will be departing from the regulatory site of Cura Financial Services. Cura Financial Services is not responsible for the accuracy of the information contained within the linked site(s).
Common Questions
Hi, thank you for reaching out to us. This is a question where the answer is not completely straightforward. Insurers can be quite hesitant about offering life insurance if someone has symptoms of a condition, but there has been no diagnosis. The best thing would be for us to chat and talk about the symptoms you experience, any investigations you have had so far, treatments you take and a few extra things. We will then be able to advise you on the right approach for your life insurance application.
Client Reviews
Cura Financial Services has been rated 4.9 out of 5 based on 849 reviews.
Review by Jemima on 24th June 2025
“Excellent! Super helpful and attentive. Really pleased with the customer service from everyone at Cura - they were brilliant at finding the best options for me.” - 5
You can read more of our reviews here.
- For more information on specific health conditions, pastimes, occupations and countries please select here:
Dr Kathryn Knowles Phd
Author
This page was written by Dr Kathryn Knowles Phd, an award-winning insurance adviser. To read more about Kathryn please see her bio here
Client Reviews
Talk to a Friendly Adviser
Get a Quote
What We Offer?
- Experienced and knowledgeable advisers
- Specialist advice with no fees to pay
- Full assistance with all of your paperwork
- Put your policy into trust at no cost
- A dedicated insurance adviser for you
Guides & News
Here’s our latest guides, musings, charity work, podcast, awards and industry updates. There’s a lot going on!
Our Recent Awards
