October brings three major health awareness milestones: National Cholesterol Month, ADHD Awareness Month, and World Mental Health Day – this article will highlight how comprehensive protection, through insurance and support, extends beyond physical health into mental wellbeing and everyday life intricacies.
National Cholesterol Month - Cholesterol & Heart Health
This month, we are taking a closer look at cholesterol and heart health to help raise awareness for National Cholesterol Month. Cholesterol is in everyone’s blood, but if it is too high, this is when it can become an issue to one's health. High cholesterol is when you have too much of a fatty substance (cholesterol) in your blood.
It can be caused by eating fatty food, not exercising enough, being overweight, smoking and drinking alcohol (NHS) or inherited – known as familial hypercholesterolaemia – where high cholesterol is passed down through family genetics. High cholesterol can lead to heart disease, heart attacks and strokes which is why it is important to ensure you have the necessary protection in case it impacts your long-term health.
Critical Illness cover can act as a safeguard when it comes to conditions or events such as heart disease, heart attacks and strokes. On the Protection Platform, we see 5.5% of all applications contain a disclosure of raised cholesterol. However, despite disclosing this, 85.2% receive a Buy-Now decision. By having Critical illness cover in place, this allows peace of mind for individuals and their families allowing them to be financially prepared for an unexpected event.
Key underwriting factors when assessing disclosures of raised cholesterol include:
Age at diagnosis
The risk for familial hypercholesterolaemia
If taking any medication
Latest cholesterol reading
The date of the latest cholesterol reading and how often this is reviewed
ADHD Awareness Month
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a condition where the brain works differently to most people. It can be seen in both children and adults.
We’ve seen 1893 applicants disclose ADHD (0.8% disclosure rate) on the Protection Platform so far in 2025. Having ADHD can at times be unpredictable, but having the right cover in place offers a feeling of security. 78.4% of applicants accepted at standard rates for Life cover see no increase in their premium or any exclusion applied when they disclose ADHD. Furthermore, on the platform we see 78.3% of applicants accepted at standard rates for Critical Illness cover. When it comes to Income Protection, we see 23.6% giving standard rates. This showcases that having ADHD does not impact one's access to Life, Critical Illness or Income Protection cover, meaning advisers can continue to support their customers regardless of a diagnosis of ADHD.
World Mental Health Day
On 10 October, World Mental Health Day is recognised to continue to build awareness around the variety of mental health conditions that can impact anyone. 20.7% of all applications submitted through the Protection Platform over the past 12 months (September 2024 – September 2025), contained a mental health disclosure.
Case Study:
An applicant was diagnosed with depression and is currently on medication. He last experienced symptoms 13 months ago and has had no time off work. He has made a number of positive lifestyle changes, including regular exercise and meditation.
This results in the applicant receiving a standard rates “Buy Now” decision for Life, Critical Illness and Income Protection cover through the Protection Platform.
Being able to obtain standard rates for all products on the Protection Platform, notably Income Protection, gives applicants and advisers the reassurance and trust there are products available and can integrate mental health coverage within broader protection planning, when disclosing a common mental health condition.
In Summary
These three major health awareness milestones highlight how important it is to purchase protection and, when disclosing the conditions mentioned in this article and beyond, they don’t have to be a barrier to obtaining the necessary protection products on the Protection Platform.
Get your clients covered this October
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