In this article, we wanted to take a moment and try and answer some of the most common questions we get from folks applying for life insurance after they have been prescribed Effexor XR or its generic form Venlafaxine to treat depression or symptoms of depression.

Questions that will be directly addressed will include:

• Can I qualify for life insurance after I’ve been prescribed Effexor XR?
• Why do life insurance companies care if I’ve been prescribed Effexor XR?
• What kind of information will the insurance companies ask me or be interested in?
• What rate (or price) can I qualify for?
• What can I do to help ensure that I get the “best life insurance” for me?

So, without further ado, let’s dive right in!

Can I qualify for life insurance after I’ve been prescribed Effexor XR?

As a stand-alone prescription medication, Effexor XR is not considered something that will “automatically trigger” a life insurance company to deny one’s life insurance application. In fact, by itself, having been prescribed Effexor XR in the past or even having a current prescription shouldn’t even automatically disqualify someone from being able t qualify for a no medical exam life insurance policy.

Which begs the question…

Why do life insurance companies care if I’ve been prescribed Effexor XR?

If having been prescribed Effexor XR isn’t necessarily going to preclude someone from qualifying for a Preferred rate on their life insurance application when then do insurance companies even care if someone has been prescribed it? They care because while insurance companies may not be worried about Effexor XR per se, they are concerned about the underlying pre-existing medical condition which warranted its prescription in the first place.

You see…

Even though Effexor XR can have some rather unpleasant side effects, including:

• Nausea,
• Constipation,
• Drowsiness,
• Dizziness,
• Etc…

It’s not generally considered a “dangerous” medication or one that someone might be include to abuse by most (if not all) insurance companies. This is why insurance companies aren’t all that worried that an individual is using it to treat their depression or anxiety. What they are worried about is the fact that you’ve been diagnosed with anxiety and or depression. Two pre-existing medical conditions can vary widely from one individual to the next and can potentially be quite dangerous when not treated properly.

This is why…

Prior to making any decisions about your life insurance application, what you’re going to find is that most (if not all) life insurance companies are going to want to know more about the pre-existing medical condition that caused you to be prescribed Effexor XR before they are either going to approve or deny your application.

What kind of information will the insurance companies ask me or be interested in?

The first thing that an insurance underwriter will want to know about with regards to your Effexor XR prescription is…

“Why have you been prescribed it?”

From there, you’ll likely be asked a series of questions to get a better idea of how “serious” your condition is so that they can better judge what kind of “risk” you will pose as a potential insured. These questions will typically look something like this:

• When were your first prescribed Effexor XR?
• Who prescribed Effexor XR to you? A general practitioner or a psychiatrist?
• How long have you been taking Effexor XR?
• Is Effexor XR the only medication that you’re using to treat your condition?
• In the past 12 months, has your Effexor XR prescription changed at all?
• Have you ever been hospitalized for your condition?
• Have you ever considered or attempted suicide?
• Do you suffer from a history of alcohol or drug abuse?
• Have you ever been convicted of any felonies or misdemeanors?
• Do you have any issues with your driver’s license? Issues such as multiple moving violations, a DUI, or a suspended driver’s license?
• Are you currently working now?
• In the past 12 months, have you applied for or received any form of disability benefits?

What rate (or price) can I qualify for?

With the answers to these questions in hand, what you’ll find is that most life insurance underwriters will have a pretty good idea about what “kind” of life insurance policy you may or may not be able to qualify for. They’ll also have a pretty good idea about whether or not they will need to order your medical records as well prior to being able to make a decision with regards to your application.

That said however…

What we here at IBUSA have found is that while it is possible to qualify for a Preferred rate while having been prescribed Effexor XR, most individuals won’t be able to. For most folks who have been diagnosed with depression or anxiety, receiving a Standard or Standard Plus rating would be considered a success. 

Now…

We don’t mean this as an insult. We’re just being realistic and given the fact that it’s quite difficult for someone to earn a Preferred rate without having been diagnosed without any kind of pre-existing medical condition, to begin with! 

We should also…

Point out that a “Standard Risk” is considered normal, so when it comes to qualifying for life insurance, one should consider “Standard” a bad thing.

Especially if…

Your depression and/or anxiety doesn’t fit into what one might consider a “mild” case. Because while folks with moderate to severe depression can and often will be able to qualify for a traditional life insurance policy, few of them will be able to qualify for a Standard rate, and many may not be able to qualify at all. This brings us to our next segment, which is…

What can I do to help ensure that I get the “best life insurance” for me?

If you want to give yourself the best opportunity to find the “best” possible life insurance policy that you can qualify for, there are three things you want to focus on.

First off…

If you have been diagnosed with a pre-existing medical condition like depression or anxiety, it just makes sense to choose an insurance agent who has experience helping folks like yourself qualify for traditional life insurance.

Second…

Because you’ve been diagnosed with a pre-existing medical condition, it fair to assume that there will be some life insurance companies that are going to want to discriminate against you because of this. This is why you want to make sure that whomever you decide to work with is going to have plenty of options to choose from when it comes time to help you decide “which” life insurance company is the BEST for you!

Lastly…

It always best for you, the consumer, to choose to work with a life insurance agent that you trust and feel comfortable giving him or her all pertinent facts about your health. This way, they can use this information to help narrow down which life insurance company may provide you with the best opportunity for success, and you don’t waste a ton of time applying with multiple life insurance companies only to be denied coverage due to some kind of easily avoidable situation!

Now, will we be able to help out everyone who has been prescribed Effexor?

No, probably not. But what we can tell you is that in addition to offering a wide variety of different term and whole life insurance policies, IBUSA has also worked very hard to establish relationships with many of the Best Final Expense Insurance Companies as well.

This way…

If someone isn’t able to qualify for a traditional life insurance policy, chances are there may be some other “type” of product that you CAN qualify for.

So, if you’re ready to see what options might be available to you, just give us a call!