Can I Get Life Insurance With High Cholesterol?
It is estimated that over 70 million Americans have high cholesterol and only one in three of those 70 million have their condition under control. Your level of health, including your cholesterol level, is an important consideration when insurance companies calculate your premiums. Will obtaining life insurance with high cholesterol be an issue? If it is controlled you shouldn’t have a problem, you can get an instant quote to the left of this page.
Life insurance is one of the best purchases that you can ever make for your loved ones. It’s the best way to ensure that your family has the money that they need to survive, regardless of what happens to you. Nobody wants to think about his or her own death, but it’s important that you plan for the worst. Having a life insurance policy is the best way to do that.
When you apply for life insurance coverage, the insurance company is going to look at dozens of different factors when deciding how much to charge you for coverage. They are going to review everything from your age to your overall health, and the greater risk you are to the insurance company, the more that you’ll pay in monthly premiums.
In addition to some grim health concerns, high cholesterol can also be bad for your bottom line in the form of higher life insurance premiums. But not always. While elevated cholesterol is one of many factors considered when determining life insurance premiums and can sometimes result in increased life insurance costs, this condition alone may not push your rates upward.
High Cholesterol is Never a Good Thing
Cholesterol is a fatty substance in our blood that is produced naturally by our liver and circulates throughout our body. Without proper diet and exercise, cholesterol levels can increase and plaque can develop in our arteries. This plaque results in decreased blood flow throughout our body and increases our risk for heart attack, stroke and many other serious health complications.
While the health risks associated with elevated cholesterol are high, the same will not necessarily be true of your life insurance rates. But don’t let that stop you from getting coverage. You can still get quotes for someone with heart disease.
When determining premiums, life Insurance companies place clients into categories based on an underwriting process that considers a wide range of risk factors, including age, weight, gender, alcohol use, occupation, health history, and tobacco use. A thorough medical exam is also required to determine your current health status, including your cholesterol level.
Though do not worry if your health is at the point where you cannot qualify for a traditional medically underwritten policy, there are other options that we can look into such as a no medical exam life insurance policy. Some lifestyle choices and hobbies can boost life insurance rates. People who like to sky-dive or are avid rock climbers can count on higher premiums.
Generally, the more risk factors you have, the higher your annual premiums will be. The class labels used vary from company to company, but clients usually fall into categories like preferred select, preferred, standard plus and standard. Smokers often have their own classifications such as preferred smoker and standard smoker. Your policy premiums reflect what class rating you fall into. Cholesterol level is just one consideration of many in a complicated underwriting process. Since there’s no such thing as Cholesterol Life Insurance, we’ll just have to find a “cholesterol friendly” insurance company.
How Insurance Companies look at High Cholesterol
When it comes to cholesterol levels, insurance companies are looking at a few different things: how long you have had this condition, what degree of control you have over your condition, do you have any other health complications, and are you a smoker. If you have a documented history of professional care for your elevated cholesterol and have it under control, your condition may not boost your life insurance costs.
This documented history of medical care is very important. Your insurance company needs to be able to verify the treatment you have received or you may receive an unfavorable rating.
Case Notes
As an example of how your history of high cholesterol treatment can affect your life insurance premiums, consider the following situations. Carl is 55 years old and was diagnosed with high cholesterol when he was 50.
He has since controlled his condition with diet, exercise and doctor-prescribed medication. Carl may still qualify for a $500,000 life insurance policy with a preferred rating and pay an annual premium of $500.
Ty is 55 and was diagnosed when he was 53. He has treated his condition irregularly, as demonstrated by a record of fluctuating cholesterol levels, rarely exercises, and is overweight. Ty may be placed in a standard rating class and pay an annual premium of $1,300. This simple example illustrates that how you have dealt with high cholesterol can determine whether or not your condition will result in higher insurance costs.
Waiting can become an Issue
If you do have high cholesterol, regardless of how it may affect your rates, it is most important to first get an affordable policy in force. This is true even if uncontrolled high cholesterol and other health factors place you in an unfavorable rating class. Once you have secured your high cholesterol term insurance policy you can improve your rating by getting your high cholesterol under control through diet, exercise, and regular medical treatment.
This effort would probably improve other health problems you may be experiencing that are adversely affecting your rating class, further reducing your life insurance costs. Life insurance is a financial asset that can evolve in many ways as your family grows.
You can discuss improvements in your health with your agent to determine if a review of your policy may result in lower premiums and improved benefits.
Getting Lower Insurance Premiums with High Cholesterol
Just because you have high cholesterol doesn’t mean that your insurance premiums have to break your bank every month, there are several changes that you can make to secure lower insurance premiums from the company. A few simple lifestyle choices can save you hundreds of dollars on your life insurance plan.
The first change that you should make is cutting any tobacco that you currently use. If you’re a smoker, you can expect to pay twice as much for insurance coverage versus what a non-smoker is going to pay for the same size plan.
Using any kind of tobacco drastically increases your chances of being diagnosed with various health complications, which means you’re a much higher risk for an insurance company, and that’s going to translate into much higher insurance premiums. In fact, smokers pay twice as much for life insurance compared to what a non-smoker is going to pay.
The next thing that you should do is start getting regular exercise. Lacing up those running shoes every week is a great way to lose any extra weight, lower your blood pressure, and even lower your cholesterol. Exercise is also going to help reduce your risk of being diagnosed with other health complications. All of these are going to translate into much lower premiums and more money in your pocket. You don’t have to be a professional marathon runner to get lower premiums for your plan.
The next thing that you should consider doing if you want to secure better rates from the insurance company is sticking to a healthy diet. Choosing veggies instead of the second helping of cake is a great way to lower your cholesterol as well as lose some extra weight. Just like with exercise, it’s a great way to get better results from the medical exam, which means cheaper life insurance.
The best way to ensure that you’re getting the lowest insurance premiums when there is no cholesterol life insurance is to work with an independent insurance broker. Unlike a traditional agent, independent agents work with dozens of highly rated companies, which means that they can bring all of the best insurance rates directly to you.
The Insurance Company You Choose Matters
Every insurance company is different, which means that every company is going to view your high cholesterol differently. Some insurance companies are going to be more favorably towards your application versus what other companies are going to be. Finding the right company could be the difference in getting affordable life insurance or getting charge expensive premiums for your plan.
We know that finding a quality and cheap life insurance policy with high cholesterol can be a frustrating task, but it doesn’t have to be. Our agents are here to make it as quick and simple as possible. We know how important life insurance is, and we are here to help connect you with the perfect plan to protect your family.
Shopping around for the best life insurance rate becomes even more important if you have health concerns that may affect your premiums. Ogletree Financial Services represents many established, reputable life insurance companies, so studying a variety of life insurance options is easy to do. Comparing rates from these top providers could save you over 50% on your life insurance costs.
You may be surprised at how affordable appropriate high cholesterol term insurance for your family may be, especially if you opt for a term policy to get started. Give us a call at 1-800-712-8519 or use the term quoter on this page to get your free quote.
If you have any questions about getting life insurance high cholesterol or the different options available to you, please contact one of our agents today. We would be happy to answer those questions and ensure that you’re getting the best plan to meet your needs. Because you can never know what’s going to happen tomorrow, you shouldn’t wait any longer to get the insurance protection that your family deserves.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I get life insurance if I have high cholesterol?
Your level of health, including your cholesterol level, is an important consideration when insurance companies calculate your premiums. Will obtaining life insurance with high cholesterol be an issue? If it is controlled you shouldn’t have a problem.
Can I afford the premiums for my life insurance if I have high cholesterol?
Just because you have high cholesterol doesn’t mean that your life insurance premiums have to break your bank every month, there are several changes that you can make to secure lower insurance premiums from the company. A few simple lifestyle choices can save you hundreds of dollars on your life insurance plan. Quit smoking, add exercise, and eat a healthier diet.
How can I find the right insurance company if I have high cholesterol?
Shopping around for the best life insurance rate becomes even more important if you have health concerns that may affect your premiums. Ogletree Financial Services represents many established, reputable life insurance companies, so studying a variety of life insurance options is easy to do.
