In this article, we wanted to take a moment and answer some of the most common questions we get from folks applying for life insurance after having been diagnosed with a Bundle Branch Block, whether that be a Right Bundle Branch Block or a Left Bundle Branch Block.
- Can I qualify for life insurance if I have been diagnosed with a Bundle Branch Block?
- Why do life insurance companies care if I have been diagnosed with a Bundle Branch Block?
- 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 a Bundle Branch Block?
Yes, individuals who have been diagnosed with a “Bundle Branch Block” can and often will be able to qualify for a traditional term or whole life insurance policy. The only problem is that the term “bundle branch block” is often used to describe or “encompass” several different pre-existing medical conditions.
This is why it’s important to fully understand what condition you have been diagnosed with so that we can better understanding of “how” a life insurance company is going to “view” your application.
Why do life insurance companies care if I have been diagnosed with a Bundle Branch Block?
It’s a pretty safe bet that any time an individual has been diagnosed with a pre-existing medical condition that has to do with one’s heart that most (if not all) best-rated life insurance companies that most folks are familiar with are going to be pretty interested in learning more about “condition”.
This is especially true…
When we’re dealing with a condition such as a “Bundle Branch Block” because this “term” can often be used to describe a:
- Left Anterior Fascicular Block, also known as a left anterior hemiblock.
- Left Bundle Branch Block,
And/or a Right Bundle Branch Block.
And here lies…
The major problem, you see each of these three medical conditions will be treated differently by most (if not all) life insurance companies.
This is why before we can know how a life insurance company is going to “view” our life insurance application, we’re first going to need to know what “kind” of Bundle Branch Block you’ve been diagnosed with as well as how “serious” your condition is.
For this reason…
We want to just take a moment and briefly describe exactly what each of these different medical conditions is as well as highlight some of the most common symptoms/complications that can arise, which most (if not all) life insurance underwriters will be looking for.
Left Anterior Fascicular Block or Left Anterior Hemiblock Defined:
Left anterior fascicular block (LAFB) is a type of heart block that affects the electrical signals that control the contraction of the heart’s left ventricle. This condition occurs when there is a delay or blockage in the electrical signals that travel through the left anterior fascicle, which is a bundle of fibers that carries electrical impulses from the sinoatrial (SA) node to the left ventricle.
LAFB can cause abnormal heart rhythms and may increase the risk of certain cardiac complications, such as heart failure or atrial fibrillation. It is usually diagnosed using an electrocardiogram (ECG) or other diagnostic tests.
Left anterior hemiblock (LAHB) is a similar condition that occurs when there is a blockage in the electrical signals that travel through the left posterior fascicle, which is a bundle of fibers that carries electrical impulses from the SA node to the left ventricle. Like LAFB, LAHB can cause abnormal heart rhythms and may increase the risk of certain cardiac complications. It is also usually diagnosed using an ECG or other diagnostic tests.
Both LAFB and LAHB are typically treated with medications or other therapies to manage the abnormal heart rhythms and reduce the risk of complications. In some cases, a pacemaker may be necessary to help regulate the heart’s electrical activity.
For this reason…
Individuals who have been diagnosed with a Left Fascicular Block or Left Anterior Hemiblock will usually be “viewed” more favorably by most (if not all) life insurance underwriters during a “typical” life insurance application.
Left Bundle Branch Block Defined:
Left bundle branch block (LBBB) is a type of heart block that affects the electrical signals that control the contraction of the heart’s left ventricle. This condition occurs when there is a delay or blockage in the electrical signals that travel through the left bundle branch, which is a bundle of fibers that carries electrical impulses from the sinoatrial (SA) node to the left ventricle.
LBBB can cause abnormal heart rhythms and may increase the risk of certain cardiac complications, such as heart failure or atrial fibrillation. It is usually diagnosed using an electrocardiogram (ECG) or other diagnostic tests.
LBBB is typically treated with medications or other therapies to manage the abnormal heart rhythms and reduce the risk of complications. In some cases, a pacemaker may be necessary to help regulate the heart’s electrical activity.
It is also important for individuals with LBBB to manage any underlying conditions that may be contributing to the condition, such as high blood pressure or diabetes, and to follow a healthy lifestyle, including eating a balanced diet, getting regular exercise, and avoiding tobacco and alcohol.
Right Bundle Branch Block Defined:
Right bundle branch block (RBBB) is a type of heart block that affects the electrical signals that control the contraction of the heart’s right ventricle. This condition occurs when there is a delay or blockage in the electrical signals that travel through the right bundle branch, which is a bundle of fibers that carries electrical impulses from the sinoatrial (SA) node to the right ventricle.
RBBB can cause abnormal heart rhythms and may increase the risk of certain cardiac complications, such as heart failure or atrial fibrillation. It is usually diagnosed using an electrocardiogram (ECG) or other diagnostic tests.
RBBB is typically treated with medications or other therapies to manage the abnormal heart rhythms and reduce the risk of complications. In some cases, a pacemaker may be necessary to help regulate the heart’s electrical activity.
It is also important for individuals with RBBB to manage any underlying conditions that may be contributing to the condition, such as high blood pressure or diabetes, and to follow a healthy lifestyle, including eating a balanced diet, getting regular exercise, and avoiding tobacco and alcohol.
Now before you get too upset…
By the simplicity of our definitions that we’re using here, it’s important to understand that we here at IBUSA aren’t medical experts of 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 the ones described above find and qualify for coverage.
Which means that…
Because we’re not going to be the one “diagnosing” your condition, all we need to do is understand that there are differences between these different pre-existing medical conditions and those differences are going to affect how a life insurance underwriter is going to consider you as a potential “risk.”
The good news is that despite how simply our definitions of these diseases may be, this is something that we have down pat!
Which is why…
When we are approached by an individual who has been diagnosed with any of these “kinds” of conditions, we’re going to know right away what questions a life insurance underwriter is going to want to know the answers too before he or she will be willing to make any kind of decision about the outcome of your life insurance application.
What kind of information will the insurance companies ask me or be interested in?
If you’ve been diagnosed with a bundle branch block, such as left bundle branch block (LBBB), right bundle branch block (RBBB), left anterior fascicular block (LAFB), or left anterior hemiblock (LAHB), the life insurance company may ask you a range of questions to better understand your health status and any potential risks. Some of the information they may ask about includes:
- Date of diagnosis: The life insurance company may ask when you were diagnosed with the bundle branch block and how severe your symptoms were at the time.
- Type of bundle branch block: The life insurance company may ask about the specific type of bundle branch block you have, as different types can have different impacts on your health.
- Treatment: The life insurance company may ask about any treatments you have received for your bundle branch block, such as medication or a pacemaker. They may also ask about the effectiveness of these treatments and whether you have experienced any side effects or complications as a result of the condition.
- Current health status: The life insurance company may ask about your current health status, including any ongoing medical conditions, medications you are currently taking, and any other health issues you have experienced.
- Lifestyle: The life insurance company may ask about your lifestyle habits, such as your diet, exercise routine, and use of tobacco or alcohol, as these can all potentially impact your health.
It’s important to be as honest and accurate as possible when answering these questions, as any discrepancies or omissions could affect the coverage provided by the policy.
What “rate” can I qualify for?
Now, as you can see, there are a lot of variables that can come into play when determining what kind of “rate” an individual might be able to qualify for after having been diagnosed with a Bundle Branch Block. This is why it’s pretty much impossible to know for sure what kind of “rate” you might be able to qualify for without first speaking with you directly.
That said however…
There are a few “assumptions” that we can make that will generally hold true so that you can at least get a general idea about what kind of rate you “might” be able to qualify for after having been diagnosed with a Bundle Branch Blockage.
For example,
It’s generally safe to say that those who have been diagnosed:
- With either a Hemiblock or a right bundle branch block will usually have an “easier” time qualifying for a traditional term or whole life insurance policy than will a person who has been diagnosed with a Left Bundle Branch Block.
- And those that have been diagnosed with a Hemiblock will usually have an “easier” time qualifying for a traditional term or whole life insurance policy than someone who has been diagnosed with a Right Bundle Branch Block.
Additionally…
For those that have diagnosed with either a Hemiblock or a Right Bundle Branch Block and don’t seem to be suffering from any “serious” symptoms due to their condition, it’s possible that they may be able to qualify or a Standard or Standard Plus rate.
In fact, underwriting guidelines even state that they may also be able to qualify for a Preferred rate, however in our experiences here at IBUSA, this will only happen in very rare cases which is why we don’t like quoting these rates to folks simply because we don’t want to “overpromise and under deliver”!
Now as for those…
Who have been diagnosed with a Left Bundle Branch Block, it still may be possible to qualify for a traditional life insurance policy, only now you will certainly be considered a “high-risk” applicant.
This is why…
You are going to want to be particularly careful about “which” life insurance company you do apply with so that you don’t end up overpaying for your coverage.
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, 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 a Bundle Branch Block?
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 Final Expense Insurance Companies as well 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 you CAN qualify for.
So, if you’re ready to see what options might be available to you, just give us a call!
