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 Imitrex or its generic form, Sumatriptan, to help treat folks suffering from migraine headaches and the symptoms associated with them.

Questions that will be directly addressed will include:

• Can I qualify for life insurance after I’ve been prescribed Imitrex?
• Why do life insurance companies care if I’ve been prescribed Imitrex?
• 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 Imitrex?

Imitrex or its generic Sumatriptan is one of those medications that, in “theory,” could play a rather significant role in the outcome of your life insurance application, or it could have essentially no effect whatsoever!

This is because Sumatriptan is a prescription medication that is primarily used to help folks who suffer from migraines.  And when it comes to migraines, what you’re going to find is that in most cases, provided you haven’t suffered from one within 12 months of applying for a traditional term or whole life insurance policy, most insurance companies are going to still consider you eligible for a Preferred or Preferred Plus rate.

The only problem is, for many, being “migraine-free” for 12 months isn’t always possible.  This brings us to our next question, which is…

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

At the end of the day, most insurance underwriters aren’t all that concerned with the fact that you’re using Imitrex to treat your migraines; they are more worried about the fact that you suffer from migraines in the first place! This is mainly because, for the most part, Imitrex is a prescription medication that doesn’t have all that many potentially harmful side effects.  Sure, it’s not pleasant to experience:

• Vertigo,
• Hot and cold flashes,
• General fatigue,
• Chest pain or chest tightness,
• Etc…

But at the end of the day, it’s not like Imitrex is a medication that one might be tempted to abuse, and for the most part, the side effects most commonly associated with Imitrex aren’t life-threatening.

This is why…

What most life insurance underwriters are really going to care about is how severe your migraines are and how they are affecting your day-to-day activities.  This will ultimately determine whether or not you will be able to qualify for a traditional term or whole life insurance policy.  And this will ultimately determine how much you will likely have to pay for such a policy.  This is also why most (if not all) traditional life insurance companies are going to ask you a series of questions about your migraines prior to making a decision about your life insurance application.

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

Common questions you’ll likely be asked can and often will include:

• How old were you when you first suffered from a migraine?
• How often do you suffer from migraines?
• When was the last time you suffered from a migraine?
• When were you first prescribed Imitrex?
• How long have you been taking Imitrex?
• In the past 12 months, has your Imitrex prescription changed at all?
• Are you taking any other medications to help treat your migraines?
• Have you ever needed to be hospitalized due to a migraine?
• 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?

As stated in the beginning, if you haven’t suffered from a migraine within the past 12 months, in theory, you should still be eligible to qualify for a Preferred rate.  Now, we should point out that qualifying for a preferred rate is rather difficult even for those who have never been previously diagnosed with a pre-existing medical condition, which is why our goal is always to simply try and get folks approved at a Standard or better rate.

For those…

Suffering from migraines more frequently or have suffered from a recent migraine, being able to qualify for a Preferred rate is most likely not an option.  That said, however, it’s quite possible that you may still be able to qualify for a Standard or “normal” rate, which isn’t all that bad considering this is the best that most folks are able to qualify for as well. This brings us to the next topic we want to cover, which is…

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

Probably the “best” thing that you can do for yourself to make sure that you are able to find the “best” life insurance policy that you can qualify for is first to make sure that you choose to work with a life insurance agent that is familiar with helping folks qualify for coverage after being diagnosed with migraines.

And…

Make sure that that agent has access to plenty of options when it comes time to help you decide which life insurance product and company is going to be the “best” for you.  This is why, here at IBUSA, we try only to hire the best agents in the industry and work very hard to give them the tools they will need to succeed.  Which, in this case, is access to dozens of different life insurance companies so that when it comes time to determine “which” life insurance company might provide you with the best opportunity for success, you don’t have to simply rely on just one or two options!

So, what are you waiting for?  Give us a call today and see what we can do for you!