Life insurance and mortgage application in adults with congenital heart disease1

Abstract

Adults with CHD are significantly more likely to have difficulty obtaining life insurance or a mortgage than controls. Refusal rates appear to be independent of the severity of CHD. This suggests that the label of CHD may have a negative impact despite the lesion being minor and that the outcome of an individual application is difficult to predict based on the severity of the CHD. The increasing numbers of adults with CHD suggest that this problem is likely to increase and needs to be addressed as it can have a major impact on the patient's quality of life.