This fact sheet is for people with polycystic kidney disease (PKD) in the UK looking for health, travel, life or critical illness insurance. It explains why it can be harder to find insurance if you have a long-term health condition and why your premiums may be higher. This is a basic guide only: for tailored advice, please speak to an experienced insurance broker.
Common insurance products that can be affected by any health conditions you already have are:
Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) and autosomal recessive polycystic kidney disease (ARPKD) are lifelong conditions that affect your kidneys.
They make it more likely that you’ll become unwell and need medical care. This could make it harder to find affordable insurance in a number of ways:
This may feel very unfair but remember that insurance companies are businesses. They need to be sure that their business can make a profit overall to exist and honour the claims they have agreed to make.
Finding the best insurance if you have a long-term condition can be tricky. Here are some tips:
When asked, you should always let your insurer know about any health conditions you’ve been diagnosed with. You should also keep them up to date about any new conditions you develop, in line with your policy.
If you don’t share this information, it could invalidate your whole insurance policy. This means any claim you make could be refused, whether or not it relates to your PKD.
If a relative of yours has been diagnosed with ADPKD, you might decide to get a genetic test to see if you have the gene too. If you have no symptoms, this is called a predictive test, as it is being used to predict whether you’ll develop ADPKD in the future.
Insurers are not allowed to ask you about the results of predictive genetic tests or use them to set premiums. However, if a genetic test was used to confirm your diagnosis of ADPKD, you do need to let them know if asked.
Genetic tests for ARPKD would usually be diagnostic, as it’s unlikely you would not have any symptoms.
If you’re not sure whether your genetic test was diagnostic or predictive, ask your genetics counsellor, kidney specialist, or GP to confirm.
To learn more about genetic testing and insurance, see the Association of British Insurers (ABI) guide
By law, we cannot recommend any insurer or financial services provider. However, we are confident that the companies listed below can help you. They have access to a large panel of leading insurers, so that you can compare prices and choose the policy that best suits your needs.
For every policy sold, some firms will give a donation directly to the PKD Charity at no additional cost to you. These firms already work with a number of charities like us on the same basis. But please note that we are not endorsing them as exclusive providers of cover.
Written by Hannah Bridges, PhD, HB Health Comms Ltd, UK.
With thanks to all those affected by ADPKD who contributed to this publication.
Ref No: V2.0
Last updated: Jul 2023
Next scheduled review: Jul 2026
Disclaimer: This information is primarily for people in the UK. We have made every effort to ensure that the information we provide is correct and up to date. However, it is not a substitute for professional medical advice or a medical examination. We do not promote or recommend any treatment. We do not accept liability for any errors or omissions. Medical information, the law and government regulations change rapidly, so always consult your GP, pharmacist or other medical professional if you have any concerns or before starting any new treatment.
We welcome feedback on all our health information. If you would like to give feedback about this information, please email
If you don't have access to a printer and would like a printed version of this information sheet, or any other PKD Charity information, call the PKD Charity Helpline on 0300 111 1234 (weekdays, 9:30am-5pm) or email .
The PKD Charity Helpline offers confidential support and information to anyone affected by PKD, including family, friends, carers, newly diagnosed or those who have lived with the condition for many years.