What It Signals

Pulmicort (Budesonide) is an inhaled corticosteroid used to treat asthma, COPD, chronic bronchitis, and other respiratory conditions. Use indicates you have been diagnosed with a respiratory condition requiring ongoing inhaled medication management. Respiratory conditions are taken seriously by life insurance underwriters because they can affect oxygen levels and respiratory function. However, many respiratory conditions are well-managed and cause minimal impact on life expectancy. The key factor is the severity of your underlying respiratory condition and how well it’s controlled. Well-controlled asthma is low-risk. COPD requires more careful underwriting but is still insurable for most applicants.

“Pulmicort use indicates a respiratory condition requiring treatment. Well-controlled asthma is often approvable at standard rates. COPD and other serious respiratory conditions require thoughtful underwriting but are insurable with good disease control, no smoking, and no recent hospitalizations. Underwriters focus on the underlying condition, not the medication itself.”

– InsuranceBrokers USA – Management Team

What Underwriters Need to Know

Asthma is a reversible airway disease with episodes of constriction and inflammation. Most people with asthma live normal life spans with appropriate treatment. COPD (emphysema and chronic bronchitis) involves irreversible airway damage, usually from smoking, and is progressive. COPD affects life expectancy depending on severity. Both conditions are managed with inhalers and other medications. Well-controlled asthma has minimal impact on life insurance underwriting. COPD requires more careful underwriting based on severity and control.

1. Your Specific Diagnosis

Asthma, COPD, chronic bronchitis, or other respiratory condition. The specific diagnosis matters because different conditions carry different underwriting risks. Asthma is generally low-risk. COPD is higher-risk. Other respiratory conditions are evaluated individually.

2. Disease Severity

For COPD, lung function (FEV1) is the primary measure of severity. For asthma, severity is classified as mild, moderate, or severe. Mild disease is more favorable than severe. Recent pulmonary function testing (spirometry) documenting your current lung function is important underwriting information.

3. Exacerbation Frequency

How often do you have flare-ups or attacks? No exacerbations or rare exacerbations is favorable. One per year is acceptable. Multiple per year indicates poorly controlled disease. Hospitalization for exacerbations is particularly concerning to underwriters.

4. Recent Hospitalizations

Have you been hospitalized for respiratory reasons in the past 1-2 years? Recent hospitalization is concerning and may delay approval. No recent hospitalizations is favorable. Frequent hospitalizations indicate poorly controlled disease and complicate underwriting significantly.

5. Rescue Inhaler Use

How often do you use your rescue inhaler (albuterol)? Occasional use (a few times per month) indicates reasonable control. Daily or multiple-times-daily use indicates inadequate control. Frequent rescue inhaler use despite Pulmicort is concerning.

6. Smoking Status

This is critical for underwriting. Never smokers and former smokers are favored. Current smokers with respiratory disease face significant underwriting challenges and higher rates. Recent quitting (within the past year) is viewed more favorably than long-term current smoking. Be honest about your smoking status.

7. Functional Impact

Does the respiratory condition limit your ability to work, exercise, or perform daily activities? Minimal functional impact is favorable. Significant limitation (unable to exercise, affecting work) complicates underwriting. Your ability to remain active affects underwriting outcomes.

8. Medication Compliance

Do you take Pulmicort consistently as prescribed? Are you compliant with other respiratory medications? Compliance indicates you’re actively managing your disease. Non-compliance or inconsistent use is concerning.

The bottom line: Underwriters evaluate whether your respiratory condition is well-controlled with good disease management. Good disease control, no smoking, no recent hospitalizations, and minimal functional impact support approval. Poorly controlled disease, smoking, frequent exacerbations, or recent hospitalizations complicate underwriting.

Critical: Complete Honesty About Smoking Required

Always disclose your respiratory condition, Pulmicort use, AND your smoking status. Omitting respiratory disease, minimizing symptoms, or hiding smoking history could be treated as application fraud and could result in policy denial or cancellation. Complete honesty about smoking is particularly critical.

What to Disclose Specifically

• Your specific respiratory diagnosis (asthma, COPD, chronic bronchitis, etc.)
• Year of diagnosis
• Severity of your condition
• How frequently do you have exacerbations or flare-ups
• Any hospitalizations for respiratory reasons
• How often do you use a rescue inhaler
• All respiratory medications, including Pulmicort dose
• Your smoking status (current, former, never)
• If you are a former smoker, when did you quit
• How the condition affects your daily activities and work
• Recent pulmonary function test results if available
• Your pulmonologist or respiratory care provider’s name and contact information
• Date of last respiratory-related office visit

Be Honest About Smoking Status

This is critical. Insurance companies verify smoking status through medical records and may test for nicotine. Lying about smoking status is application fraud. If you’re a smoker, disclose it. If you quit, provide the exact date. Non-smokers receive far better underwriting outcomes—this is a strong incentive to quit if you haven’t already.

Provide Recent Medical Records

Request recent records from your respiratory care provider. Include recent office visit notes, pulmonary function test results if available, and hospitalization records if applicable. Recent, comprehensive records speed underwriting and provide objective documentation of your respiratory status.

Realistic Approval Expectations

Most applicants with well-controlled asthma receive approval at standard or near-standard rates. Most applicants with mild-to-moderate COPD receive approval at reasonable rates. Applicants with severe, uncontrolled respiratory disease or who smoke face a higher underwriting challenge, but approval is often still possible at higher rates. Smoking or COPD combined with smoking is the biggest factor negatively impacting approval odds.

What May Cause Denial or High Decline

Current smoking with respiratory disease, severe COPD (FEV1 below 30%), frequent exacerbations (multiple per year), recent hospitalizations, very high rescue inhaler use (daily or multiple times daily), or significant functional limitations. These factors don’t guarantee denial, but they require careful case-by-case review and often result in higher rates or decline. Quitting smoking would significantly improve approval odds and rates.

Rate Impact for Respiratory Conditions

Rates depend significantly on the specific diagnosis, severity, and smoking status. Well-controlled asthma often results in standard rates. Mild COPD typically results in 15-35% increases. Moderate COPD typically results in 35-75% increases. Severe COPD can result in 75-150%+ increases or decline. Smoking significantly increases rates—smokers typically pay 50%-100%+ more than non-smokers in the same health category.

These are conservative estimates based on common underwriting practices. Actual rates vary by insurance company, your age, amount of coverage, and other health factors. Quitting smoking, improving disease control, and maintaining good respiratory function help optimize rates significantly.

Quit Smoking If Possible

This is the single biggest factor that improves underwriting outcomes and rates. If you smoke, quitting before applying dramatically improves your approval odds and reduces your rates by 50%+ compared to smoking status. Waiting 1-3 months after quitting to establish non-smoker status is advisable. This is the most impactful step you can take.

Get Recent Respiratory Records

Request records from your respiratory care provider. Include recent office visit notes, pulmonary function test results, and any hospitalizations or emergency department visits. Recent, objective documentation of your disease status speeds underwriting and supports your application.

Stabilize Your Disease Control

If you’ve had recent exacerbations or hospitalizations, consider waiting 2-3 months to establish disease stability before applying. Demonstrating good disease control and absence of exacerbations improves underwriting outcomes.

Optimize Medication Compliance

Take Pulmicort and all other respiratory medications exactly as prescribed. Good compliance demonstrates you’re actively managing your disease. If you’ve been non-compliant, improve compliance before applying and mention it in your application.

Ask Your Respiratory Provider

Before applying, discuss life insurance with your doctor or respiratory specialist. They can confirm your disease is stable and may have recommendations about timing or documentation to include with your application.

Will my asthma or COPD automatically disqualify me from life insurance?

Direct answer: No. Respiratory conditions do not automatically disqualify applicants.

Most applicants with well-controlled asthma receive approval at standard rates. Most applicants with mild-to-moderate COPD receive approval at reasonable rates. Disease control and smoking status are the key factors. If your respiratory condition is well-controlled and you don’t smoke, approval is likely.

How will smoking affect my life insurance rates?

Direct answer: Significantly. Smokers typically pay 50-100%+ more than non-smokers.

Smoking is one of the biggest factors affecting life insurance rates for everyone, but especially for those with respiratory conditions. Quitting smoking before applying dramatically improves your rates. If you’re considering quitting, doing so before your application is one of the best decisions you can make for your insurance outcome.

Do I have to disclose my respiratory condition and Pulmicort use?

Direct answer: Yes. Always disclose all diagnosed health conditions and medications.

Omitting respiratory disease could be treated as application fraud. This could result in policy denial or cancellation. Complete honesty protects your coverage. Insurance companies verify health information through medical records anyway—disclosure is always the safest approach.

How long does underwriting take with a respiratory condition?

Direct answer: Typically 2-4 weeks. Some cases take longer.

Well-controlled respiratory conditions with recent documentation move quickly. Cases with recent hospitalizations, complex medical histories, or a need for clarification take longer. Providing all respiratory records upfront speeds the process significantly.

Will I need lung function testing for life insurance?

Direct answer: Possibly. Some insurers request pulmonary function tests; others don’t.

For COPD or severe asthma, underwriters often request spirometry (pulmonary function testing) to assess lung function objectively. For mild asthma, testing may not be required. If your doctor has done recent spirometry, those results can be provided with your application.

Is the difference between asthma and COPD important for life insurance?

Direct answer: Yes, very much. Asthma is generally low-risk. COPD requires more careful underwriting.

Well-controlled asthma is often approvable at standard rates. COPD, even if mild and well-controlled, typically results in some rate increase. Make sure the underwriter knows your specific diagnosis.

What if I’ve had recent hospitalizations for my respiratory condition?

Direct answer: Recent hospitalization complicates underwriting, but doesn’t automatically mean denial.

Hospitalization within the last 1-2 years raises concerns about disease control. If you’ve been stable since discharge and haven’t had other exacerbations, approval remains possible. Waiting 2-3 months after hospitalization to establish disease stability results in better underwriting outcomes.

Will my insurance rates change after I get the policy?

Direct answer: No. Once approved and in force, your premiums remain locked in regardless of disease changes.

Changes to your respiratory condition, disease progression, exacerbations, or medications after the policy issues won’t affect your rates or benefits. Your rates stay the same for the life of your policy. Lock in coverage now and protect your family regardless of future health changes.