If you’ve been diagnosed with high cholesterol, you know it impacts your health as well as your health insurance. However, insurance companies take your health issues into consideration when writing life insurance policies. Choosing the right policy and getting a good deal is important so that you can afford the monthly payments for the duration of the policy. Let’s look at high cholesterol life insurance and how high cholesterol affects your premiums.
How does High cholesterol life insurance work for individuals with high cholesterol?
The following are the usual features of life insurance policies for people who have high cholesterol levels.
First, High cholesterol life insurance rates seem to be higher for those who have inactive medical records or do not frequently visit their physicians. However, life insurance rates are less expensive for those who have a mentality of healthful actions through healthy meals, regular exercise, and a sound medication schedule due to high cholesterol levels.
Moreover, a man is classified as being at a higher risk if his HDL cholesterol is below 35. People who are non-smokers, with blood pressure below 0 and cholesterol levels between 150 and 250 are offered the most favorable insurance policy. Anything that goes above 250 is considered as high and if it does you will need to compare it with your HDL (High Density Lipid) and LDL (Low Density Lipid).
Finally, it is recommended that getting into any form of term life insurance policy with affordable rates now is the most ideal thing once you have evaluated all the various types of life insurance policies. To improve your rating class with your company after having been granted an economical low-cost life insurance policy, you may want to get in shape, lower your cholesterol levels, and demonstrate better laboratory results.
What do life insurance companies look for in consumers who have high cholesterol?
When you choose a life insurance policy, the insurance company expects you to take steps to reduce your high cholesterol levels. You need to make sure they understand that this is not just a passing or temporary phase in your life. Monitoring cholesterol levels is an achievable goal and practice such as exercise, a clean diet; and wise choices. Here’s what they usually consider in High cholesterol life insurance:
Regular Checkup: When you visit your doctor and have check-ups, it is seen as embracing the necessary check-ups.
Tobacco Use: They will examine whether you smoke or if you are into other forms of drug use.
Cholesterol History: How long have you been experiencing high cholesterol?
Health Details: Therapists will be able to review your height and weight as well as blood pressure rates and laboratory findings.
Medications: What prescription medications do you continue to use regularly?
Thus, if you pay attention to these points, your probability will be enhanced. Maintain appointments for check-ups with your doctor and take care to lead a healthy lifestyle. Every step counts!
How does high cholesterol affect your life insurance premiums?
According to the CDC, 86 million adults in the US suffer from high cholesterol, and since high cholesterol increases one’s chances of developing other diseases such as heart diseases or stroke, it is viewed as a risk factor by most life insurance companies when setting the premiums of a policy.
How Much Does Life Isurance Cost?
Even if you have high cholesterol, you should be able to be accorded standard or lower life insurance quotes provided you can control your cholesterol levels chemically. However, if you have extremely high cholesterol levels but are also a candidate for other health issues, your rate will most likely be above average, or you may not qualify for the two principal kinds of life insurance, term, and whole.
However, your cholesterol levels are only one of many factors that could influence your premiums with insurance firms. This is because age, gender, and general health will also determine how much an individual should be charged for a specific policy.
How to calculate the total cholesterol ratio?
Thus, to obtain the total cholesterol-to-HDL ratio, your total cholesterol number is divided by your HDL cholesterol number. Generally, most doctors consider a ratio below 5:1 to be a good one, which means that a higher ratio might be a concern for life insurance companies.
Ratio Meaning
< 3.5:1 Very good
< 5:1 Good
> 5:1 High cholesterol
For more information on how to read cholesterol test results and calculate your cholesterol ratio, talk to your doctor.
Each life insurance company has its way of rating but if you have very high cholesterol levels that are not controlled by medication or other diseases accompanying high cholesterol levels your application for coverage may be declined.
What if your application is declined due to high cholesterol?
If you get declined because of your cholesterol, or other health problems, other types of life insurance typically do not require you to take a medical exam or complete a health questionnaire for approval.
Guaranteed issue Life insurance
Another form of permanent life insurance is the so-called guaranteed issue where no exam is required to obtain a life insurance policy; this kind of insurance policy does not have an expiration date and is designed to cover final expenses such as funerals, medical bills, or other related expenses. It is always essential to be within the age bracket of 45 – 85 years for you to qualify for it. It provides scale coverage up to $25,000, and while it is more expensive than a regular life insurance policy, your likelihood of being approved will be extremely high.
Group life insurance
It is common for many employers to provide group life insurance for free or for a minimal charge as part of the employee benefits. Premiums are also generally low, coverage limits are also small and you may not be able to renew your policy when changing employers but group coverage does not have strict health demands and almost anyone can qualify.
This means that any health condition that one might have will be assessed by the insurance company on an individual basis, which is why it would still be useful to get a quote and see what the decision will be made based on one’s specifics.
Can I Get Life Insurance with High Cholesterol?
High cholesterol is dangerous as it leads to heart disease, stroke, as well as various other complications. However, they may not know that certain specific High cholesterol life insurance.
In short, you can be offered life insurance even though you have high cholesterol levels with you. Consequently, it will be rather unusual for someone to claim you for having high cholesterol levels.
However, you may be required to pay a higher price if your cholesterol levels and ratios are high.
The information available proves that high cholesterol levels poses a high risk of developing heart diseases.
High cholesterol levels lead to this disease, and also lead to pancreatitis and increasing the likelihood of developing steatohepatitis (fatty liver).
High cholesterol life insurance: Tips to Lower Your Rates
If you need to lower your cholesterol quickly, there are several steps you can take, such as:
- Avoid trans fats from cakes, cookies, and fried foods.
- Lose weight
- Exercise more
- Eat high-fiber foods – oatmeal, prunes, beans
- Fish – Eat more fish
- Nuts – Eat nuts that help lower LDL cholesterol
You may need to take some time to control your cholesterol before completing a paramedical exam.
How will high cholesterol impact my premiums?
It is helpful to understand that even the most successful life insurance businesses assess the possible dangers that exist for you to determine your premium. But if you are categorized as a high risk then be prepared to see your life insurance premium being higher than those of low risks. Even though a medical examination is a part of the underwriting process, life insurance companies are going to consider other things apart from the examination including your age and diseases as well as your hobbies.
Since high cholesterol can affect one’s health in ways that may lead to such conditions as heart attacks and strokes – the two main causes of death in the United States, insurance companies regard it as a risk factor. Sometimes if cholesterol levels are high or the levels are not controlled with medications or if the applicant has other health problems, he may not be eligible for High cholesterol life insurance.
References:
https://www.policygenius.com/life-insurance/life-insurance-for-high-cholesterol/
https://www.healthline.com/health/acceptable-cholesterol-levels-for-life-insurance#importance
Expert Life Insurance Agent and health insurance agent
Dylan is your go-to guy for life and health insurance at InsureGuardian. He’s helped over 2,500 clients just like you figure out the best insurance plans for their needs. Before joining us, Dylan was sharing his expertise on TV with Global News and making a difference with various charities focused on health. He’s not just about selling insurance; he’s passionate about making sure you’re covered for whatever life throws your way.