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 Clonidine or one of the common brand names that it’s sold under including:

• Catapres,
• Catapres-TTS-1
• Catapres-TTS-2
• Catapres-TTS-3

And Kapvay, to help treat those who have been diagnosed with high blood pressure (hypertension). Certain mixtures of Clonidine have also been found to be quite useful for treating individuals with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and pain associated with certain types of cancers.

Questions that will be directly addressed will include:

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

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

The problem is…

That because Clonidine can be used to treat such a wide variety of medical conditions, some of which can cause one to be denied coverage, it’s impossible to say for sure whether or not an individual will be able to qualify for coverage after they’ve been prescribed Clonidine until more is known about “why” they’ve been prescribed Clonidine.

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

If Clonidine was a prescription medication that was just limited to helping folks lower their blood pressure, most (if not all) life insurance companies wouldn’t be so “interested” in the fact that someone has been prescribed this medication in the past.

But…

Because Clonidine can also be used to help those who have been diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, as well as help certain cancer patients, manage pain, having been prescribed Clonidine is going to immediately sound off a few alarm bells within the life insurance company until they know more about “why” you have been prescribed Clonidine.

Now, this isn’t…

Necessarily a bad thing because if you’re just using you Clonidine to manage your hypertension, once the life insurance company learns this, your Clonidine prescription shouldn’t necessarily have any effect on the outcome of your life insurance application.

And if…

You’re using your Clonidine to help you manage your ADHD symptoms; it’s possible that you may not be discriminated against, assuming that your Clonidine is working to help you manage your condition, and you’re not too affected by your ADHD.

That said, however…

If you’re currently receiving treatment to treat some type of cancer, chances are, you’re not going to be able to qualify for a traditional term or whole life insurance policy until you’ve been declared “cancer-free,” and you have maintained this status for a set period of time which will vary depending on the “type” of cancer that you were originally diagnosed with.

Which is why…

What you’re going to find is that most (if not all) life insurance companies are going to want to delay making any kind of decisions about the outcome of your life insurance application until they know more about exactly why you have been prescribed Clonidine in the first place.

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

Common questions you’ll likely be asked about your Clonidine prescription will typically include:

• Why have you been prescribed Clonidine?
• Was it to lower your blood pressure (hypertension)?
  • • If yes, is it working?
  • Have you ever suffered from a heart attack or stroke?
• Was it to treat or help you manage your Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder?
  • • If yes, is it working?
    • Have you ever had to be hospitalized as a result of your ADHD?
    • Do you have any history of drug or alcohol abuse?
  • Do you have any issues with your driving record?
  • Was it to help you manage pain as a result of a cancer diagnosis?
• Is Clonidine the only prescription medication that you’re using to treat your underlying pre-existing medical condition?
• In the past 12 months, have any of your prescription medications changed in any way?
• 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?

Because Clonidine can be used to treat such a wide variety of different medical conditions, it can be difficult to know what “kind” of rate an individual will be able to qualify for without knowing the specifics of one’s case.

That being said, however…

There are certain “assumptions” one can make based on the “type” of pre-existing condition one has that can at least provide one with a “general” idea about what kind of rate one might be able to qualify for. So, without further ado, let’s take a look at each of the three pre-existing medical conditions that Clonidine is used to treat and discuss what kind of options may be available to them.

Clonidine and High Blood Pressure:

When Clonidine is solely used as a medication to help an individual maintain a healthy blood pressure level, what you’ll generally find is that as long as the Clonidine is working, these applicants ought to be able to qualify for a Preferred rate assuming that they would otherwise be eligible for such a rate.

Now, we should point out that…

In most cases, the life insurance companies will want to see that an applicant has been taking his or her Clonidine for at least six months, and throughout that six months, their blood pressure has remained healthy and stable.

Clonidine and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder:

For individuals using their Clonidine to help them manage or treat their Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) what you’ll commonly find is that these individuals may also be able to qualify for a Preferred rate provided that their ADHD doesn’t seem to be “interfering” with their normal day to day activities.

Which means that…

These individuals should have a steady employment record, no issues with their driver’s license, or the law, and there shouldn’t be any indication that they may be struggling with substance abuse of any kind. Or to put it another way, they should resemble any other “Preferred” life insurance applicant.

Individuals who don’t…

Meet these exact standards, may still qualify for a traditional term or whole life insurance policy only now they most likely won’t be able to qualify for a Preferred rate and may now have to settle for a Standard or “sub-standard” rate.

This brings us to the last topic that we wanted to take a moment and discuss here in this article 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 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…

Will not only 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 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 Clonidine?

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!