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 they have been prescribed Chlorthalidone to treat high blood pressure and fluid retention (edema).

Questions that will be directly addressed will include:

• Can I qualify for life insurance after I’ve been prescribed Chlorthalidone?
• Why do life insurance companies care if I’ve been prescribed Chlorthalidone?
• 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 I’ve been prescribed Chlorthalidone?

Yes, individuals who have been prescribed Chlorthalidone can and often will be able to qualify for a traditional term or whole life insurance policy. In fact, they may even be able to qualify for a no-medical exam life insurance policy at a Preferred rate!

The only problem is they might also be denied coverage as well. The reason for this is that Chlorthalidone not only helps folks lower their blood pressure, but it also helps some folks control their edema as well. And here is where we run into a problem.

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

The reason why life insurance companies “care” if you’ve been prescribed Chlorthalidone is not because it is a prescription medication that can be used to help lower one’s blood pressure; it’s because it can also be prescribed to folks who suffer from edema.

Now just because an individual suffers from edema doesn’t automatically mean that they are now going to have a really tough time qualifying for a traditional term or whole life insurance policy. It just means that a life insurance company is going to want to know more about “why” an individual is suffering from it.

Is it because:

The edema is simply a “natural” part of:

• One’s occupation or “lifestyle” choices that have us sitting in one place for too long?
• One’s salty diet?

Or perhaps one might experience symptoms of edema due to pregnancy? In cases like these, while it would certainly be prudent to probably change one’s diet and/or get up and move around more, for the most part, you’re not going to see a life insurance company get too “worried” about the fact that you suffer from these “types” of edema.

What does…

Make a life insurance company nervous is when one’s edema is being caused by:

• Certain medications,
• And a variety of different medical conditions, including but not limited to:
  • Congestive heart failure,
  • Cirrhosis,
  • Kidney disease/damage,
  • “Weak” veins within one’s legs,
  • A “weak” lymphatic system,
  • And/or extreme protein deficiency.

In cases like these, what you’re going to find is that most (if not all) life insurance underwriters are going to take a very “keen interest” in the fact that you have been diagnosed with Chlorthalidone because this is their first clue that you may be suffering from a potentially serious medical condition.

So…    

“Whatcha got?”

That’s really going to be the million-dollar question and the one that is going to need to be answered before any life insurance company is going to provide an offer to purchase a traditional term or whole life insurance policy. This is why, prior to getting approved for coverage, you’re likely going to be asked a series of medical questions all about your Chlorthalidone prescription before your life insurance application can be fully processed.

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

Insurance companies are primarily going to be interested in “why” you have been prescribed Chlorthalidone and whether that underlying pre-existing medical condition is one that they should be worried about. This is why you’ll likely encounter questions such as:

• Why have you been prescribed Chlorthalidone?
• Who prescribed your Chlorthalidone? A general practitioner or a cardiologist?
• What are your current height and weight?
• Have you ever been diagnosed with any of the following conditions:
  • Congestive heart failure,
  • Cirrhosis,
  • Kidney disease/damage,
  • “Weak” veins within one’s legs,
  • A “weak” lymphatic system,
  • And/or extreme protein deficiency.
• Are you taking any other prescription medications that are helping you treat your condition/conditions?
• In the past 12 months, have any of your prescription medications, including your Chlorthalidone, changed in any way?
• 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?

For individuals who are simply using their Chlorthalidone to help them lower their blood pressure levels or who simply suffer from the occasional “bout” of edema due to “circumstantial” situations, what you’ll generally find is that having been prescribed Chlorthalidone in the past should not necessarily have any kind of “negative” effect on the outcome of one’s life insurance application.

That said, however…

If you’re using your Chlorthalidone to help you manage your edema symptoms that are being caused by some kind of “larger” more serious pre-existing medical condition, all that we can tell you in this short article is that for you, qualifying for a traditional term or whole life insurance policy is likely to be much more challenging (please visit the above links for more information about your particular pre-existing medical condition).

The good news is that here at IBUSA, we’re not afraid to take on a challenge, which is why we’ve specifically built our insurance brokerage around trying to help more “challenging” applications get approved. This brings us to the last topic: we wanted to take a moment and discuss with you here today…

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 works best for folks who have been diagnosed with a pre-existing medical condition where the “severity” of the condition is often “subjective” is for the applicant to make sure that they first find a true-life insurance professional who will work as an advocate for you. Such an agent who can help guide you through the application process but also be perfectly “frank” with you about what options may or may not be possible for you.

From there…

You’ll also want to make sure that the very same agent you have chosen has access to dozens of different life insurance companies because, after all, it really doesn’t matter how “great” of a life insurance agent you might have if they don’t have access to the “best” life insurance policy for you! Now, does it?

Lastly, you’ll want to make sure that you’re completely honest with your life insurance agent prior to applying for coverage. By doing so, you will be helping him or her narrow down what options might be the “best”.

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

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. This way 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!