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 being diagnosed with Encephalitis.

Questions that will be directly addressed will include:

• Can I qualify for life insurance if I have been diagnosed with Encephalitis?
• Why do life insurance companies care if I’ve been diagnosed with Encephalitis?
• 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’ dive right in!

Can I qualify for life insurance if I have been diagnosed with Encephalitis?

Yes, individuals who have been diagnosed with Encephalitis can and often will be able to qualify for a traditional term or whole life insurance policy. In fact, they may even be able to qualify for a top-rated no medical exam life insurance policy at a Preferred rate!

The only problem is…

That most (if not all) best life insurance companies (in our humble opinion) are going to want to make sure that you have fully recovered from your Encephalitis and that you have been “symptom-free” for a minimum of one year.

Why do life insurance companies care if I’ve been diagnosed with Encephalitis?

Probably the best way to understand “why” a life insurance company is going to “care” if you have been diagnosed with Encephalitis is to take a moment and describe what Encephalitis is.

Then from there…

Just highlight some of the most common symptoms associated with this disease so that we can get a better idea about what a life insurance underwriter will be looking for when reviewing your life insurance application.

Encephalitis Defined:

Encephalitis is a medical condition that is defined as an inflammation of the brain, which is generally believed to be caused by an infection or some “kind” of an allergic reaction. We say “believed” because many times, the exact cause of an individual’s Encephalitis may remain unknown.

What is known is that… 

In cases where the “cause” can be determined, the culprit is usually some kind of viral infection and will typically be caused by one of the following:

• Herpes simplex virus (HSV),
• Enteroviruses,
• Mosquito-borne viruses,
• Tick-borne viruses,
• Rabies,
• Or early childhood infections.

Symptom of Encephalitis may include:

• Fatigue,
• Headaches,
• Mood changes,
• Difficulty concentrating,
• Confusion,
• Seizures,
• Bulging soft spots in newborns,
• Fever,
• Flu like symptoms,
• Etc…

Fortunately…

Because most cases of Encephalitis seem to be caused by some “kind” of viral infection, the use of antiviral medications will usually be quite successful in treating this condition, particularly when diagnosed early on. That said, however, Encephalitis is still considered a very dangerous condition, especially for the at-risk populations, which would include the very young and old as well as those who may be suffering from a compromised immune system.

This is why…

Even if you’ve made a full recovery from your Encephalitis and don’t seem to be “at-risk” of developing this condition again, most life insurance companies are still going to want to ask you a few questions about you infection.

This way, they can become completely certain you don’t pose an “unnecessary” risk to them should they decide to approve 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 may include:

• When were you first diagnosed with Encephalitis?
• Who diagnosed your Encephalitis? A general practitioner or a specialist?
• What symptoms (if any) led to your diagnosis?
• Do you know “what” caused your Encephalitis?
  • Which virus?
  • Do you know how you acquitted this virus?
• What medications were used to treat your Encephalitis?
  • How long did you receive your treatments?
• Were you hospitalized during your treatments?
• Have you been diagnosed with any other pre-existing medical conditions?
• Are you taking any other prescription medications?
• Are you currently working now?
• In the past 12 months, have you applied for or received any form of disability benefits?

Now at this point…

We usually like to take a moment and remind folks that nobody here at IBUSA has any “official” medical training, and we’re certainly not doctors. All we are is a bunch of life insurance agents who just happen to be really good at helping folks with pre-existing medical conditions like this one, find and qualify for the life insurance coverage that they are looking for.

But…

Not so great if you’re looking for answers to any specific medical questions. In cases like these, we would recommend that you contact a true medical professional who has the training to help. For everyone else, you’re in luck because now we’re going to get into some of the “nitty-gritty” about what you may or may not be able to qualify for.

What rate (or price) can I qualify for?

When it comes time to helping someone who has been previously diagnosed with Encephalitis, we usually find ourselves categorizing each applicant into one of two different groups. The first group will consist of those who have simply developed their Encephalitis and don’t seem to be at risk of having this happen again.

Individuals in this group…

Will usually be pretty healthy, won’t have any other serious pre-existing medical conditions, and won’t “seem” to have developed their Encephalitis as a result of some compromised immune system. Basically, these will be the “kind” of folks who typically won’t be able to explain “why” they developed Encephalitis.

In cases like these…

What we’ll usually find is that once an individual has recovered from their condition and remained symptom-free for a minimum of one year, most (if not all) life insurance companies aren’t going to consider this previous Encephalitis diagnosis during the underwriting of their life insurance application. 

Or in other words…

Whatever “rate” you would have been able to qualify for PRIOR to be diagnosed with Encephalitis should be the same “rate” that you would be able to qualify for AFTER having been diagnosed with Encephalitis.

The second group…

Of individuals will be those who have developed Encephalitis, but when we ask about whether or not they have been diagnosed with any other “serious” pre-existing medical conditions, we’ll often be given a long laundry list of issues which may “suggest” that their Encephalitis infection may be due to some other pre-existing medical condition which has made them more “susceptible” to suffering from Encephalitis.

In cases like these…

What you’re typically going to find is that these “underlying” pre-existing medical conditions, which may be increasing one’s risk of suffering from infections like Encephalitis will be the main determinant behind what kind of life insurance “rate” that you might be able to qualify 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!

Now, will we be able to help out everyone who has been previously diagnosed with an Encephalitis?

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 Guaranteed Issue Life Insurance Companies as well so that in the event that 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.