Life Insurance with Congestive Heart Failure.

In this article, we wanted to take a moment to answer some of the most common questions we get from folks applying for life insurance after having been diagnosed with Congestive Heart Failure or Chronic Heart Failure.

• Can I qualify for life insurance if I have been diagnosed with Chronic Heart Failure?
• Why do life insurance companies care if I have been diagnosed with Chronic Heart Failure?
• What kind of information will the insurance companies ask me or be interested in?
• What “rate” 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 if I have been diagnosed with Cardiac Heart Failure?

Unfortunately, individuals who have been diagnosed with Congestive Heart Failure or chronic cardiac heart failure will not be able to qualify for a traditional term or whole life insurance policy. This is because chronic heart failure is a very serious medical condition and one that can ultimately cause one to die prematurely.

That said however…

Most of the best life insurance companies (in our opinion) will still inquire about one’s condition before simply making a decision about one’s life insurance application because in some cases an individual may have been diagnosed with heart failure at some point in their life only to have their condition improve later on due to some treatment that they may have received.

Why do life insurance companies care if I have been diagnosed with Chronic Heart Failure?

Life insurance companies consider a number of factors when determining life insurance premiums, including an applicant’s medical history. People with chronic heart failure are considered to be at an increased risk of dying prematurely compared to the general population, and this increased risk is reflected in the premiums that they are charged for life insurance coverage.

Chronic heart failure defined:

Chronic heart failure, also known as congestive heart failure, is a serious medical condition in which the heart is unable to pump enough blood to meet the body’s needs. It is a chronic condition, meaning it is long-lasting and may get worse over time.

Chronic heart failure can be caused by a variety of factors, including:

• coronary artery disease,
• high blood pressure,
• and diabetes.

It can also be caused by other conditions that damage the heart muscle, such as viral infections or alcohol abuse.

People with chronic heart failure may experience a range of symptoms, including:

• shortness of breath,
• fatigue,
• and swelling in the legs and ankles.

Suffering from Chronic Heart Failure can also cause a wide variety of other medical conditions throughout the body, including kidney and liver damage.

But here’s the thing…

When it comes to how a life insurance company is going to “view” someone who has been diagnosed with Heart Failure, before they just “automatically” deny someone coverage, some insurance companies will want to investigate further to determine whether or not you will “always” be ineligible for coverage.

You see…

There are a variety of conditions that could cause one to suffer from Heart Failure, which can either be “cured” or treated to the point where an individual might not meet the “definition” of what it is to actually have CHRONIC Heart Failure.

For example…

Your heart failure may be due to:

• An infection that can be treated.
• An allergic reaction,
• An arrythmia,
• Artery blockages,
• Etc…

This is why…

Even when an individual has been diagnosed with Cardiac Heart Failure, we here at IBUSA like to ask a series of questions so that we can fully rule out the possibility that an individual won’t be able to qualify for a traditional term or whole life insurance policy and also try and determine if there might be a point in time later on when their current health condition may change.

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

When you apply for life insurance and you have been diagnosed with chronic heart failure, the insurance company will likely ask you the following questions:

• When were you first diagnosed with Cardiac Heart Failure?
• Who diagnosed your Cardiac Heart Failure? A general practitioner or a cardiologist?
• What symptoms (if any) led to your diagnosis?
• Has a cause for your Heart Failure been determined?
• Have you been prescribed any medications to help treat your condition?
• Have any surgical procedures been performed or recommended to treat your condition?
• Have you been diagnosed with any other pre-existing medical conditions?
• Have you ever suffered from a heart attack or stroke?
• In the past 2 years, have you been admitted to a hospital for any reason?
• How frequently do you see your primary caregiver?
• Have you had a cardiac stress test performed recently?
• Have you had an EKG performed recently?
• In the past 12 months, have you used any form of tobacco or nicotine products?
• What is your current height and weight?
• Are you currently working now?
• In the past 12 months, have you applied for or received any form of disability benefits?

It’s important to be honest and accurate when answering these questions (particularly if you are applying for a no medical exam life insruance policy), as the insurer will use this information to determine your risk level and set your premiums.

If you do not disclose important information or provide false information, your coverage may be denied or your policy may be cancelled.

What “rate” can I qualify for?

As one can see, there are a lot of “potential” factors that can come into play when trying to determine what “kind” of life insurance policy an individual may be able to qualify for as well as what kind of “rate” they may be eligible for.

For this reason, it’s pretty much impossible to know for sure what kind of “rate” you might be able to qualify for after having been diagnosed with Congestive Heart Failure without first speaking with you directly.

That said however…

There are a few “assumptions” that we can make that will generally hold true. For example, if you are currently suffering from congestive heart failure, and it does not appear that your condition is going to change any time soon, it’s safe to say that you will not be able to qualify for a traditional term or whole life insurance policy right now.

Which means that…

Your either going to need to apply for coverage once your condition improves or seek out some kind of “alternative” product such as a guaranteed issue life insurance policy or an accidental death policy which won’t require you to have to take a medical exam or answer any health related questions in order to be able to qualify for coverage.

Now, as for those…

Who have been diagnosed with Cardiac Heart Failure in the past but are no longer suffering from Cardiac Heart Failure, there is a “chance” that you may be able to qualify for a traditional life insurance policy, but as one can imagine, these are not always the easiest applications to find a “home” for.

The good news is…

That regardless of your situation, we here at IBUSA can help because we have tons of experience helping folks with all sorts of pre-existing medical conditions like yours and are committed to helping all of our clients find the “best” life insurance policy that they can qualify for. 

Which brings us to the last topic that we wanted to take a moment and discuss, which is…

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

In our experience here at IBUSA, what we have found that usually, the folks who seem to find the “best” life insurance policy for them are those that:

• Take their time reviewing their options.
• Ask a lot of questions.

And seek out those life insurance agents who not only have experience working with individuals who have been diagnosed with a wide variety of pre-existing medical conditions but also have access to dozens of different life insurance companies so that when it comes time to helping a more “challenging” case, they don’t have to rely on a…

“One size fits all approach!”

The good news is that this is exactly what you’re going to find here at IBUSA!