When you apply for life insurance coverage, there are dozens of different factors that the insurance company is going to review. They are going to look at everything from your job to your health. If you have any pre-existing health complications, then you can expect to get higher premiums, but that doesn’t mean that you have to pay a fortune for your insurance coverage every month.
Having stent surgery can change your life. Some suggest that your life insurance premium will be high. Others say that getting life insurance with stents is not possible. Your friend Bernard who had stent surgery has already been turned down twice. Who is right?
Let’s answer this right off the bat, you can indeed qualify for life insurance if you have had stent surgery. It all comes down to the insurance provider that you work with. Our friend who has been turned down twice has been talking to the wrong insurance carriers.
Life Insurance After Stent
The stent itself is a small mesh tube that is placed in the weak sections of the artery. The tube is generally created out of fabric or metal and it allows a much better blood flow as well as artery support. There are medicated stints too, which release medicine into the blood and to the artery.
Stents are placed via a surgical process with some serious risks and life insurance companies will be want to be sure of the success of your operation and your dedication to your recovery. However, do not fear because you can get life insurance after stent surgery.
Any type of heart disease will concern life insurance companies, who will generally postpone approval of your application until six months have passed since your surgery. This is a common practice for insurers, who want to be sure of the outcome of your procedure. Once this time has passed, getting affordable life insurance is usually not a problem.
If you must get a policy in effect during this six month period, Ogletree Financial Services can help. Often in these cases, a higher premium policy is initially put into place. Later, with a positive health prognosis, your policy can be renegotiated with a lower premium.
Cost Factors
There are a few things that may affect your life insurance premium if you have had stents.
- How many stents have you had installed? The more stents you have had installed, the higher your life insurance costs tend to be which means you’ll likely need help finding the best life insurance after heart attack.
If you just had a single stent installed and no other events are related to it, then you will most likely be able to get a standard life insurance rate with most carriers. If there are other health events that are connected to your stent surgery, this could impact your life insurance premium.
Unfortunately, if you have had more than a single stent installed or if you had a heart attack that led to stent surgery, then finding life insurance can be more difficult. You will be considered a “sub-standard” risk and in some cases insurance carriers will decline your application.
- If your stent surgery was triggered by an event such as a stroke or a heart attack, some insurers may decline your application. We know which carriers to turn to when this is the case.
- Also very important is your ejection fraction. This is basically a measurement of how much blood is pumped from your heart with each beat. Your ejection fraction is an important measure of your heart’s function.
The Mayo Clinic has this to say about ejection fraction: “An LV ejection fraction of 55 percent or higher is considered normal. An LV ejection fraction of 50 percent or lower is considered reduced. Experts vary in their opinions about an ejection fraction between 50 and 55 percent, and some would consider this a “borderline” range … The left ventricle is the heart’s main pumping chamber that pumps oxygenated blood through the ascending (upward) aorta to the rest of the body, so ejection fraction is usually measured only in the left ventricle (LV).”
- To obtain life insurance after stent surgery, you will need to share a list of medications you are taking as well. Some medications with more serious side effects are considered risk-bearing.
- What lifestyle changes have you made? Are you living your life like someone who wants to be healthy and live for a long time? This is the type of thing that can keep your life insurance costs low when you have a health condition that life insurance companies consider “risky.”
- When was the last time you had a stress test? Recent and encouraging results can lower your life insurance premium.
- Have you experienced chest pains in the past few months? Ongoing pain is not a good sign for your recovery. Any lingering issues should be addressed as soon as possible.
The life insurance companies that specialize in this type of “impaired” risk want to know everything about your condition in order to accurately assess the effect stent surgery has had on your life and health.
Getting Affordable Life Insurance after Stent Surgery
There are several ways that you can get more affordable life insurance protection, even after undergoing stent surgery. It’s important that you get the best rates for your life insurance coverage. There are several changes that you can make that will save you thousands of dollars every year.
The first thing that you should do is cut out any tobacco that you currently use. If you’re a smoker or you use chewing tobacco, then you’re going to pose a much higher risk to the company. In fact, anyone that uses tobacco is going to pay at least twice as much for their insurance coverage versus a person that doesn’t smoke. If you want to save thousands and thousands of dollars on your life insurance protection, then quitting smoking is one of the best ways to do that.
Another way that you can save money is by improving your overall health. Before the insurance company approves your application, they are going to require that you take a medical exam. The results of the exam are going to play a huge role in how much you pay. If you want to save money, then you need to get better results from the exam. Two ways to do that are to start getting regular exercise and sticking to a healthy diet. Both of these are going to help you lose weight, lower your blood pressure, and much more. They are also going to help you lower your chances of being diagnosed with any health complications.
You never know what’s going to happen tomorrow, which means you shouldn’t wait any longer to get the best life insurance after heart attack. If something tragic were to happen to you, and you didn’t have life insurance, then your family is going to be responsible for all of your debts and other final expenses. It’s important that your loved ones have the money that they will need if something were to happen to you.
Use the free quoter application on the side of this page to get the process started.
Frequently asked Questions
Can I get life insurance after having stent surgery?
Yes, you can indeed qualify for life insurance if you have had stent surgery. It all comes down to the independent agent and the insurance provider that you work with.
How much more is does life insurance cost if you have a stent?
If you just had a single stent installed and no other events are related to it, then you will most likely be able to get a standard life insurance rate with most carriers. If there are other health events that are connected to your stent surgery, this could impact your life insurance premium.
What if I have more than 1 stent, can I still qualify for life insurance?
If you have had more than a single stent installed or if you had a heart attack that led to stent surgery, then finding inexpensive life insurance can be more difficult. You will be considered a “sub-standard” risk and in some cases insurance carriers will decline your application.
What can I do to get affordable life insurance after getting a stent?
You can take some important steps that will help you improve your overall health. Most important is to stop smoking if you are a smoker. You can also start out on a better diet with less fatty foods and less salt. If you’re not excersising regularly, start now.
2 Responses
I am a 65 year old man in good health with no medical issues excluding one heart stent inserted 11 years ago but no subsequent heart related issues. I have had benign prostate and orthopedic surgeries. I exercise regularly including belonging to a gym. I have recently retired from an engineering career. I am interested in Long Term Care Insurance for my wife and myself.
Mark, I have some options for you. Could you call our office at 800-712-8519 to discuss?