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 Diverticulosis.

Questions that will be directly addressed will include:

• Can I qualify for life insurance after being diagnosed with Diverticulosis?
• Why do life insurance companies care if I’ve been diagnosed with Diverticulosis?
• 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 after being diagnosed with Diverticulosis?

Yes, individuals who have been previously diagnosed with Diverticulosis can and often will qualify for a traditional term or whole life insurance policy. In fact, some may even be able to qualify for a Preferred rate when applying for a no medical term life insurance policy!

But here’s the problem…

Most people who actually “suffer” from Diverticulosis probably aren’t ever going to become aware that they have Diverticulosis. That is, of course, until one of the “Diverticula” becomes infected, in which case they will then discover that they do have Diverticulosis while simultaneously be diagnosed with Diverticulitis at the same time!

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

The only real reason why most of the top-rated life insurance companies are going to “care” if you have been diagnosed with Diverticulosis is that having Diverticulosis makes you susceptible to developing Diverticulitis.

Which is a condition…

That most life insurance companies are going to want to know more about before they make any definitive decisions about the outcome of your life insurance application.

For this reason…

We wanted to take a moment and just go over a few definitions so that as we begin to discuss how a life insurance company is likely to view an application from someone that has either diagnosed with Diverticulosis or Diverticulitis, we’ll all be on the same page about what it is that we’re talking about.

Diverticulosis Defined:

Diverticulosis is a condition whereby an individual develops “pockets” along the inner layer of one’s intestine, which are called diverticula. These pockets typically occur in once colon or lower part of one’s large intestine in spots where the interior lining has weakened.

Usually…

These “diverticula” will go unnoticed and symptom-free, that is, of course, unless one of them becomes inflamed or infected. In which case, one may begin to experience all sorts of symptoms and will typically be diagnosed with Diverticulitis.

Diverticulitis Defined.

Is the name used to describe the condition by which a Diverticula becomes inflamed or infected.

Common symptoms may include:

• Pain in one’s lower left abdomen,
• Nausea and/or vomiting,
• Fever,
• Constipation or in some cases diarrhea,
• Ect…

Fortunately…

Diverticulitis is a “treatable” disease. Treatable by modifying one’s diet, using antibiotics to address any symptoms of infection, and in extreme cases, some folks may even elect to undergo surgery to help eliminate any particularly troublesome “Diverticula.” Some folks with “mild” cases of Diverticulitis may even be able to treat their condition by simply taking it easy, using an over-the-counter stool softener, switching to a liquid diet, and using antibiotics to combat existing infection.

We should also…

Note that “how” you ultimately end up treating your Diverticulitis, and how frequently you suffer from a flare-up is going to play an important role in determining what “kind” of life insurance rate that you will be able to qualify for. This is why before being approved for a traditional term or whole life insurance policy, most (if not all) life insurance companies are going to want to ask you a series of medical questions about your Diverticulitis.

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 Diverticulosis?
• Who diagnosed your Diverticulosis? A general practitioner or a specialist?
• What symptoms (if any) led to your Diverticulosis diagnosis?
• How was your Diverticulosis Diagnosed?
  • Physical exam?
  • CT scan?
  • Blood tests?
  • Urine test?
  • Liver function test?
  • Stool test?
• Have you also been diagnosed with Diverticulitis?
• If so:
  • • How frequently do you suffer from a “flare-up?”
    • When was the last time you suffered from a “flare-up?”
  • In the past 12 months, how many “flare-ups” have you suffered form (if any)?
• How are you treating your Diverticulosis?
  • • Diet?
    • Medications?
    • Surgery?
  • No treatment necessary?
  • Has your primary care physician suggested that you may need or could benefit from a future surgical procedure to treat your Diverticulosis?
  • Have you been diagnosed with any other pre-existing medical conditions?
  • In the past 2 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 kind of “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?

Here at IBUSA, what we’ve usually found is that it’s rare for someone to tell us that they have Diverticulosis absent any symptoms what so ever. What usually happens is that someone may have suffered from a single flare-up of a diverticula, then realized that they have Diverticulosis but because their condition is so “mild” or because their “flare-ups” occur so infrequently they don’t consider themselves as having “Diverticulitis” as well.

Which…

From a life insurance standpoint really doesn’t matter all that much because when it comes to being diagnosed with Diverticulosis or a “mild” case of Diverticulitis, most life insurance companies aren’t going to make a huge distinction and will frequently consider both “potentially” eligible for a Preferred rating.

In fact…

You’re really only going to run into trouble when an individual who has been diagnosed with Diverticulosis is having frequent flare-ups and really does suffer from either a moderate to severe case of Diverticulitis as well. In cases like these, it may still be possible to qualify for a traditional term or whole life insurance policy only now you’ll probably be considered a “high-risk” applicant which will mean that you’ll want to be much more “selective” with which life insurance companies you choose to apply with.

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. This 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 Diverticulosis?

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 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.

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