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 they have been diagnosed with Cushing’s Syndrome or Hypercortisolism.

Questions that will be directly addressed will include:

• Can I qualify for life insurance after I’ve been diagnosed with Cushing’s Syndrome or Hypercortisolism?
• Why do life insurance companies care if I’ve been diagnosed with Cushing’s Syndrome or Hypercortisolism?
• What kind of information will the insurance companies ask me or be interested in?
• What rate (or price) can I qualify for?
• How can I help ensure 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 diagnosed with Cushing’s Syndrome or Hypercortisolism?

Yes, individuals who have been diagnosed with Cushing’s Syndrome or Hypercortisolism can and often will be able to qualify for a traditional term or whole life insurance policy. In fact, they may even be eligible for no medical exam life insurance policy at a Preferred rate!

The only problem is…

There are various reasons “why” someone might develop Cushing’s Disease, each of which can and may have a different effect on the overall outcome of one’s life insurance application. This is why most (if not all) of the best life insurance companies will want to ask you a series of medical questions about your Hypercortisolism so that they can get a better idea about what kind of “risk” you will pose to them should they decide to approve your life insurance application.

Why do life insurance companies care if I’ve been diagnosed with Cushing’s Syndrome or Hypercortisolism?

The main reason why life insurance companies are likely to “care” if you have been diagnosed with Cushing’s Syndrome or Hypercortisolism is that it is a pre-existing medical condition that is caused by being exposed to too much cortisol. So the question then becomes why?

Is it because…

An individual has either been prescribed too much cortisol to help treat some other type of pre-existing medical condition, or is it because they suffer from a tumor (within the adrenal gland or the pituitary gland) that is causing their own body to produce too much cortisol?

In either case…

The only treatment options one has to treat this condition are to either surgically remove the tumor causing the overproduction of cortisol or cease the use of cortisol to treat any other underlying pre-existing medical condition that warranted its original use, to begin with.

And here lies…

Our dilemma is that if one is suffering from an ACTH-producing tumor that causes the overproduction of cortisol and can successfully remove it without any further complications, chances are most life insurance companies aren’t going to worry about the fact that you have been diagnosed with Cushing’s Syndrome.

However, suppose your Cushing’s Syndrome has been caused as a result of some other underlying pre-existing medical condition. In that case, chances are the condition that has warranted your Cortisol prescription will become the primary concern for the life insurance company, not that you are currently suffering from Hypercortisolism.

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

Typical questions you’ll likely be asked may include:

• When were you first diagnosed with Cushing’s Syndrome?
• Who diagnosed your Cushing’s Syndrome? A general practitioner or a specialist?
• What symptoms (if any), if any, led to your diagnosis?
  • Unexplained weight gain or Obesity?
  • Round, “moon-shaped” face?
  • Purple stretch marks?
  • Thinning skin?
  • Easily bruised?
• Do you know the cause of your Cushing’s Syndrome?
• Have you been diagnosed with an adrenal gland or pituitary gland tumor?
• Have you been diagnosed with any other pre-existing medical condition?
• Have you been prescribed any medications?
• How have you treated your Cushing’s Syndrome?
• Have you had any surgical procedures performed to treat your Cushing’s Syndrome?
• Do you have any surgical procedures planned?
• In the past two years, have you been hospitalized for any reason?
• 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 are really good at helping folks with pre-existing medical conditions like this one find and qualify for the life insurance coverage they are looking for.

But…

It’s not so great if you’re seeking answers to specific medical questions. In such cases, we recommend contacting an actual medical professional with 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?

As you can see, many factors can come into play when determining what kind of “rate” an individual might qualify for after being diagnosed with Cushing’s Syndrome. This is why it’s pretty much impossible to know what kind of “rate” you might be able to qualify for without first speaking with you for a few moments.

That said, however, we can make a few “assumptions” about folks diagnosed with Cushing’s Syndrome, which will generally hold true and may help you narrow down what kind of “rate” you might be eligible for.

For example…

If you are someone who has been diagnosed with Cushing’s syndrome that is being caused by some tumor, and you have either just had that tumor removed or you’re scheduled to have your tumor removed shortly, chances are you’re not going to be eligible for a traditional term or whole life insurance policy because in most cases, insurance companies will want to know that you have had your condition “resolved” and that you have shown positive results from your surgery or treatment for at least a year.

Similarly…

If you are someone who has developed Cushing’s Syndrome due to overexposure to cortisol, which is being used to help treat some other “kind” of a pre-existing medical condition, what you’re typically going to find is that most life insurance companies will also want to see that you have made a complete recovery from this underlying pre-existing medical condition and that you don’t seem to be suffering from any residual effects from your condition.

For the remainder…

Of individuals who have been previously diagnosed with Cushing’s Syndrome and have been able to make a full recovery from their condition, in many cases, insurance companies won’t use your previous Cushing’s Syndrome diagnosis against you. This means that whatever rate you would have been able to qualify for before being diagnosed with Cushing’s Syndrome should be the same rate you would qualify for AFTER being diagnosed with Cushing’s Syndrome.

The good news is…

Regardless of your situation, we here at IBUSA can help because we have tons of experience helping folks with pre-existing medical conditions like yours. We are committed to helping all our clients find the “best” life insurance policy they can qualify for. This brings us to the last topic that we wanted to take a moment and discuss, which is…

How can I help ensure I get the “best life insurance”?

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

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

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 help a more “challenging” case, they don’t have to rely on a…

“One size fits all approach!”

The good news is that this is precisely what you’ll find here at IBUSA!

Now, will we be able to help out everyone who has been previously diagnosed with Cushing’s Syndrome?

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 Burial Life Insurance Companies so that if someone isn’t able to qualify for a traditional life insurance policy, chances are there may be some other “type” of product that they CAN qualify for.

So, if you’re ready to explore your options, call us!