Some Common Health Conditions that Affect Life Insurance Rates

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There are many health conditions that can play a role in your life insurance rates, but there are 5 common factors that affect rates more than others:

    • High Blood Pressure
    • Obesity
    • High Cholesterol
    • Cancer
    • Mental Health Conditions

How High Blood Pressure Affects Life Insurance Rates

One in three Americans has high blood pressure, according to the CDC. This is approximately 75 million people.

So, it’s really no surprise that life insurance companies have to mitigate the risk posed by this health condition.

Now, that said, of course, you can still get a policy even if you have this condition, but you have to understand that having high blood pressure puts you at risk for a handful of other more serious conditions, including stroke and heart disease.

For that reason, having high blood pressure will increase your premiums. If you are working to effectively manage your high blood pressure by meeting with your doctor regularly and taking your medication, it can have a positive influence on the premiums you pay.

Life Insurance Rates for People with High Blood Pressure

AgePolicy Type$100,000 Male$100,000 Female$500,000 Male$500,000 Female$1,000,000 Male$1,000,000 Female
3010 Year Term$7$6$13$12$21$18
3020 Year Term$9$8$20$17$34$28
3030 Year Term$13$11$33$27$59$48
30Whole Life$72$64$160$136$272$224
4010 Year Term$8$8$19$17$30$28
4020 Year Term$11$10$31$27$58$47
4030 Year Term$19$16$58$45$108$85
40Whole Life$88$80$248$216$464$376
5010 Year Term$15$13$46$37$83$67
5020 Year Term$24$19$82$61$155$112
5030 Year Term$41$31$140$107$270$206
50Whole Life$209$165$682$484$1287$902
6010 Year Term$32$25$122$83$226$151
6020 Year Term$60$41$235$158$456$304
60Whole Life$384$300$1464$996$2712$1812
7010 Year Term$96$63$373$241$705$445
7020 Year Term$231$192$975$808$1912$1555

 

How Obesity Affects Life Insurance Rates

There is a common misconception that obesity means you will automatically be disqualified from life insurance. This is simply not true.

Obesity, like these other conditions, does put you at a greater risk for things like cancer, high blood pressure, stroke, or heart disease.

As a result, life insurance companies have to charge more to take on this risk.

You can still qualify for more affordable policies if your body mass index is not too far outside of the normal range and only just a little outside.

Life insurance companies assess the risk of an obese person by the severity of their condition, similar to other health conditions. The more severe the obesity levels, the more risk the person poses.

They also inquire about comorbid conditions too, the result of your obesity.

If, for example, you are obese and your obesity has caused high blood pressure too, then you are at even more of a risk.

A morbidly obese person might not be able to secure a term life insurance policy, but for such conditions where someone would otherwise be denied coverage, there is always the most expensive, guaranteed coverage option.

If you are an obese person, you can lower your insurance costs by getting healthier. Showing that you are taking steps to eat better, improve your A1C levels regularly, and visit your doctor on a regular basis will indicate efforts to improve your health and can earn you lower premiums if you wait to improve your health before taking out a policy.

If you have a term policy with obesity rates, you can get healthier and then apply for a new term or convert it into a permanent policy with lower premiums.

Life Insurance Rates for People With Obesity

AgePolicy Type$100,000 Male$100,000 Female$500,000 Male$500,000 Female$1,000,000 Male$1,000,000 Female
3010 Year Term$10$8$17$15$28$24
3020 Year Term$10$9$26$21$47$37
3030 Year Term$14$12$41$34$75$60
30Whole Life$80$72$208$168$376$296
4010 Year Term$11$10$27$23$44$38
4020 Year Term$14$12$40$34$74$62
4030 Year Term$22$18$69$54$129$101
40Whole Life$112$96$320$272$592$496
5010 Year Term$19$16$59$47$104$85
5020 Year Term$28$21$98$72$186$135
5030 Year Term$47$37$181$128$347$239
50Whole Life$242$198$858$616$1584$115
6010 Year Term$42$32$147$104$272$191
6020 Year Term$72$51$277$193$528$362
60Whole Life$504$384$1764$1248$3264$2292
7010 Year Term$98$69$386$250$705$451
7020 Year Term$231$215$975$903$1912$1738

 

How High Cholesterol Affects Life Insurance Rates

High cholesterol is another common condition that impacts one out of every three adults in America.

Once again, high cholesterol can lead to other conditions such as diabetes, stroke, or coronary heart disease.

The good news is that life insurance providers will look upon your high cholesterol more favorably if you are managing it with medication or working with your healthcare provider regularly.

It is important to get tested for this before you apply because it doesn’t show any conditions, and you certainly don’t want to find out that you have high cholesterol when you apply for a policy.

The risk factors attributed to high cholesterol include your diet and your weight primarily. If you’re suffering from high cholesterol, you can take steps to reduce the cost of your insurance policy by removing things such as trans fats, saturated fat, sugar, and cholesterol from the foods you are eating.

You can also lose weight, as being overweight can increase your LDL levels and decrease your HDL levels.

Life Insurance Rates for People With High Cholesterol

AgePolicy Type$100,000 Male$100,000 Female$500,000 Male$500,000 Female$1,000,000 Male$1,000,000 Female
3010 Year Term$7$6$13$12$21$18
3020 Year Term$9$8$20$17$34$28
3030 Year Term$13$11$33$27$59$48
30Whole Life$72$64$160$136$272$224
4010 Year Term$8$8$19$17$30$28
4020 Year Term$11$10$31$27$58$47
4030 Year Term$19$16$58$45$108$85
40Whole Life$88$80$248$216$464$376
5010 Year Term$15$13$46$37$83$67
5020 Year Term$24$19$82$61$155$112
5030 Year Term$41$31$140$107$270$206
50Whole Life$209$165$682$484$1287$902
6010 Year Term$32$25$122$83$226$151
6020 Year Term$60$41$235$158$456$304
60Whole Life$384$300$1464$996$2712$1812
7010 Year Term$96$63$373$241$705$445
7020 Year Term$231$192$975$808$1912$1555

 

How Cancer Affects Life Insurance Rates 

Insurers assess people diagnosed with cancer or who have had a history of cancer by reviewing many factors.

They will ask a lot of questions on the application, which specify the types of cancer, how recently you had issues with certain cancers, and what treatments are currently being used.

Your rates are going to change based on the type of cancer, as some are more severe than others. Prostate cancer, for example, has a much lower survival rate than breast cancer, which means your premiums are going to change with the type of cancer you have and the stage that it is in. 

Life Insurance Rates for People With Cancer

AgePolicy Type$100,000 Male$100,000 Female$500,000 Male$500,000 Female$1,000,000 Male$1,000,000 Female
3010 Year Term$7$6$13$12$20$18
3020 Year Term$9$8$20$17$33$28
3030 Year Term$12$11$32$27$57$
30Whole Life$72$64$160$136$264$
4010 Year Term$8$7$18$15$28$25
4020 Year Term$10$10$28$24$51$43
4030 Year Term$17$15$52$42$99$78
40Whole Life$80$80$224$192$408$344
5010 Year Term$14$12$41$33$74$61
5020 Year Term$22$18$74$55$141$101
5030 Year Term$36$28$125$97$251$183
50Whole Life$198$143$627$451$1,166$847
6010 Year Term$28$23$112$75$213$139
6020 Year Term$53$36$205$139$396$267
60Whole Life$336$276$1,344$900$2,556$1,668
7010 Year Term$87$58$322$200$610$373
7020 Year Term$207$157$804$578$1,546$1,117

 

How Mental Health Conditions Affect Life Insurance Rates

Life insurance companies assess people with mental health issues based on how severe those issues are, whether there are tangential conditions, too, and whether you are controlling the conditions well or not.

Some more minor issues, like depression or anxiety, and even sleep apnea, can be controlled with regular treatment and therefore will only result in slightly higher premiums.

However, for those more severe cases or those that are not well managed, it can be very challenging to get a policy. People in these situations may find it hard to get an insurance policy:

  • Have dementia or Alzheimer’s
  • Reside in a hospital or nursing home
  • Have recently been rehabilitated for drug or alcohol use

Rest assured that if you have a pre-existing mental health condition such as depression, you can still get a policy, but your premiums will be different. 

Life Insurance Rates for People With Mental Health Conditions

AgePolicy Type$100,000 Male$100,000 Female$500,000 Male$500,000 Female$1,000,000 Male$1,000,000 Female
3010 Year Term$10$9$26$22$46$39
3020 Year Term$13$12$39$33$70$60
3030 Year Term$21$17$68$52$128$96
30Whole Life$104$96$312$264$560$480
4010 Year Term$13$12$39$34$70$61
4020 Year Term$19$16$65$54$125$101
4030 Year Term$33$25$116$86$217$162
40Whole Life$152$128$520$432$1000$808
5010 Year Term$25$20$96$70$179$132
5020 Year Term$39$30$157$117$302$221
5030 Year Term$79$57$297$221$568$408
50Whole Life$363$275$1353$1001$2552$1859
6010 Year Term$57$41$233$155$447$287
6020 Year Term$106$73$456$310$880$585
60Whole Life$684$492$2796$1860$5364$3444
7010 Year Term$170$110$737$443$1366$832
7020 Year Term$466$381$1942$1583$3876$3046

 

Other Health Conditions That Affect Life Insurance Rates

As I said at the beginning of this article, there are many health conditions that can affect life insurance rates.

These are just the 5 most common health conditions that affect life insurance rates.

Some other common health conditions affecting life insurance rates are:

Respiratory Diseases

Respiratory diseases include things like:

  • COPD
  • Emphysema
  • Chronic Bronchitis
  • Bronchitis
  • Fibrosis
  • Hypoxia
  • Asthma
  • and more…

Naturally, these diseases shorten your life expectancy and, therefore, elevate your risk profile to a life insurance company. This is not to say that you cannot find affordable life insurance rates for people with respiratory diseases.

Depending on your condition, there may be plenty of life insurance options available to you. Because of the nature of your disease, it may be hard to give exact quotes for your rates. It is best to speak with an agent to ensure you find the best policies, rates, and companies for your needs.

Digestive System Diseases 

Some common digestive diseases that affect life insurance rates are:

  • Gastrointestinal disease
  • Crohn’s Disease
  • IBS (Irritable Bowl Syndrome)
  • Ulcerative Colitis
  • Celiac Disease
  • Diverticulitis
  • and more…

Again, depending on your health condition and your age, life insurance rates and policy options may vary. However, unless your condition is very bad, you are likely to find affordable life insurance rates for people with digestive system diseases.

Even if your condition is serious, guaranteed issue life insurance can cover your needs without the need for a medical examination and with no health questions asked. There are life insurance options for just about everyone, regardless of your health.

Muscular Diseases

Some common muscular diseases that can have an effect on your life insurance rates are:

  • Myopathy
  • Muscular Dystrophy
  • Polymyositis
  • Spinal Muscular Atrophy
  • Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
  • Myotonia
  • and more…

These diseases are already challenging enough to live with, there is no reason that getting life insurance to protect your family should be hard.

Because these diseases are so uncommon, and each individual case is different, giving realistic life insurance quotes for people with muscular diseases can be difficult when generalizing. It is best to speak with a professional to find the best life insurance rates if you suffer from a muscular disease.

Lymphatic System Diseases

Some common lymphatic system diseases that can affect life insurance rates are:

  • Granuloma
  • Hodgkin Lymphoma
  • Intraocular Lymphoma
  • Lymphedema
  • Mononucleosis
  • Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma
  • and more…

These diseases are particularly dangerous, as the lymph system spans the whole body, and they can be very difficult to detect or treat.

Again, people with these types of lymphatic system diseases should seek out professional help to find the best life insurance policies and rates.

Endocrine System Diseases

Some common endocrine system diseases that have an effect on life insurance rates are:

  • Adrenal Disorders
  • Grave’s Disease
  • Hypoglycemia
  • Hypothyroidism
  • Hyperthyroidism
  • Diabetes
  • Turner Syndrome

Determining life insurance rates for people with endocrine system diseases depends on the disease and its severity. Life insurance rates for people with diabetes and thyroid disorders will be much lower and more standard than those with Turner Syndrome, Grave’s Disease, or other more serious endocrine system disorders.

Nervous System Diseases

Some of the common nervous system diseases that affect life insurance rates are:

  • Parkinson’s Disease
  • Multiple Sclerosis
  • Dysautonomia
  • Ataxia
  • Neurotoxicity
  • Degenerative Disease
  • and more…

These diseases are usually quite severe in terms of how they affect your body, life expectancy, and health. As a result, giving life insurance rates for people with nervous system diseases is difficult without knowing their individual situation.

Finding the Best Life Insurance Rates for People With Health Conditions

There are thousands of health conditions in the world. While high blood pressure, obesity, high cholesterol, cancer, and mental health conditions are the most common, there are many others to consider.

Everyone should be entitled to the right to life insurance in order to protect their family and loved ones financially in the event of their death.

While it may seem like affordable life insurance may be hard to obtain for your specific health condition, I promise this is not the case.

Give us a call today to speak with one of our independent life insurance agents who can compare life insurance rates from dozens of the best life insurance companies for people with health conditions.

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Richard Reich

Author

Richard Reich

President at Intramark Insurance Services

In my 30+ years as an independent life and disability insurance broker, I have personally assisted thousands of clients with their life and disability insurance needs.

I believe that when people shop for insurance (or anything else, for that matter) on the Internet, they are looking for a simple, non-intrusive, non-pressure method of doing so.

I strive to treat my prospective clients with the utmost respect and I believe an educated prospect can make the right decision without sales pressure.

Being independent, I represent many highly-rated insurance companies and, because I am not beholden to any one insurance company, my focus is to find the right company and policy for each individual client.

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