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 prescribed Albuterol or one of the many common brand names:

• ProAir HFA,
• ProAir RespiClick
• Proventil HFA
• Or Ventolin HFA

And since…

All of these medications are used to help folks either treat or prevent breathing difficulties, we’ll center our conversation around the two most “serious” of these conditions which include both asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Questions that will be directly addressed will include:

• Can I qualify for life insurance after I’ve been prescribed Albuterol?
• Why do life insurance companies care if I’ve been prescribed Albuterol?
• What kind of information will the insurance companies ask me or be interested in?
• What rate (or price) can I qualify for?

So, without further ado, let’s dive right in!

Can I qualify for life insurance after I’ve been prescribed Albuterol?

Short answer: Yes.

Long answer: It depends.

For the most part, individuals who have been prescribed Albuterol in the past or are currently taking Albuterol today can, and often will, be able to qualify for a traditional term or whole life insurance policy. In fact, some may even be able to qualify for some of the best no medical exam life insurance companies at a Preferred rate!

That said, however…

Because you have been prescribed Albuterol, most (if not all) of the top life insurance companies will want to know more about “why” you’ve been prescribed Albuterol before they will “approve” of your life insurance application.

Why do life insurance companies care if I’ve been prescribed Albuterol?

Life insurance companies “care” that you have been prescribed Albuterol because its presence provides them with immediate insight on your overall health. You see, Albuterol isn’t a medication that would be commonly prescribed to someone who suffers from the “occasional” breathing difficulties that might associate with seasonal allergies or a common cold.

So…

By having been prescribed Albuterol in the past, the insurance companies know that they’re going to want to ask you a few questions about “why” you’ve been prescribed Albuterol in the past and how serious the underlying pre-existing medical condition is that is being treated.

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

The first thing that most (if not all) life insurance companies are going to want to know about your Albuterol prescription is…

 “Why have you been prescribed Albuterol?”

From there, they’ll want to narrow down on exactly how serious your condition might be so that they can get an accurate idea about what “kind” of risk you may pose to them, the insurance company.

Common questions for those who have asthma may include:

• When were you first diagnosed with asthma?
• Is Albuterol the only medication that you’re using to treat your asthma?
• How often do you take medications to treat your asthma?
• In the past 12 months, have any of the medications that you use to treat your asthma changed in any way?
• When was the last time you suffered from an asthma attack?
• In the past 12 months, how many asthma attacks have you suffered from?
• Have you ever needed to be hospitalized due to an asthma attack?
• Are there certain environmental “triggers” that cause you to suffer from asthma attacks?
• In the past 12 months, have you used any tobacco or nicotine products?
• Are you currently working now?
• In the past 12 months, have you applied for or received any form of disability benefits?

Common questions of those suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD):

• When were you first diagnosed with COPD?
• Because COPD is a term often used to describe a wide variety of lung diseases, have you also been given a more specific diagnosis?
• Do you know what may have caused you to develop COPD?
• Aside from Albuterol, are there any other prescription medications that you’re using to treat your COPD?
• How often do you take your Albuterol?
• Are you also receiving oxygen in addition to taking Albuterol?
• In the past 12 months have any of the medications that you use to treat your COPD changed in any way?
• Have you ever needed to be hospitalized due to your COPD?
• In the past 12 months, have you used any tobacco or nicotine products?
• Are you currently working now?
• In the past 12 months, have you applied for or received any form of disability benefits?

What rate (or price) can I qualify for?

Individuals who have been prescribed Albuterol in the past will generally find that they will still be eligible for a wide range of rates based primarily on the underlying pre-existing medical condition, which caused them to be prescribed Albuterol in the first place. 

From there…

The “severity” of the underlying condition will then be examined to “fine” tune the rate you may qualify for. That being said; however, we can tell you that if you’ve been prescribed Albuterol to treat asthma, in theory, you may qualify for a Preferred rate provided that you:

• Are not currently using your Albuterol on a daily basis,
• Have never been hospitalized due to your asthma (some carriers will overlook this based on original diagnosis and number of years that have passed since your last hospitalization).

And by all accounts seem to have what most medical professionals would consider a “mild” case of asthma.

Now for those…

Who may be using medication(s) daily to treat their asthma or may have been hospitalized within the past year or two. Now, not all hope is lost because there is a very good chance that these individuals may still be able to qualify for a traditional term or whole life insurance policy. Heck, they may even be able to qualify at a Standard or “Normal” rate. 

The only problem is that they are going to need to be much more “selective” with whom they decide to apply for coverage.

As for those…

Who are using their Albuterol to treat their COPD, what you’re generally going to find is that most (if not all) life insurance companies are pretty much going to automatically assume that you represent a “higher risk”. 

Which is why…

It is unlikely that you will be able to qualify for a Preferred or Standard rate. As a result, during your search for life insurance, you will want to focus on companies that will provide you with the “highest” or “most affordable” table rate.

The good news is that…

We here at IBUSA have plenty of experience helping folks who have been diagnosed with a pre-existing medical condition like asthma and/or COPD, so finding “those life insurance companies” isn’t all that difficult!

Lastly… 

Since we have gone over quite a few topics here in this article, we did want to take a moment and specifically discuss how a life insurance company will view any tobacco use combined with a diagnosis of asthma or COPD. Because the truth is, in most (if not all) cases continued use of tobacco after one of these diagnoses will typically cause your life insurance application to be immediately denied.

Which is why…

If you have been diagnosed with either asthma or COPD and you do currently use or have used any form of tobacco or nicotine within the past 12 months, you’ll want to make sure that you are completely honest with your life insurance agent from the start. 

This way…

He or she will be able to advise you what your best bet is when it comes to applying for a traditional term or whole life insurance policy. In some cases, this may even mean postponing your application until which point, we will know whether or not your application will even have a chance.

Now, will we be able to help out everyone who has been prescribed Albuterol?

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…

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!