What It Signals

Digitek (Digoxin) is a cardiac glycoside used to treat serious heart conditions, primarily heart failure and atrial fibrillation. Use of Digitek indicates you have been diagnosed with a significant cardiac condition requiring ongoing medication management. Heart disease is taken very seriously by life insurance underwriters because it directly impacts mortality risk and life expectancy. However, heart disease is common and well-established in underwriting. Many applicants with stable, well-managed heart conditions are approved at reasonable rates. The key is demonstrating stability and good disease control.

“Heart disease managed with Digitek requires thorough underwriting, but approval is achievable. Underwriters focus on cardiac stability, heart function (ejection fraction), symptom control, and hospitalization history. Well-managed heart conditions typically result in approval at moderately elevated rates. Poorly controlled or deteriorating heart disease presents a higher underwriting challenge.”

– InsuranceBrokers USA – Management Team

What Underwriters Need to Know

Digoxin is used primarily for two cardiac conditions: systolic heart failure (weakened heart pumping function) and atrial fibrillation (irregular heart rhythm). Both indicate abnormal cardiac function. Digoxin increases the strength of heart contractions and slows the heart rate in AFib. The medication is used when the heart is not functioning normally and requires pharmaceutical support. Well-managed heart disease with Digitek use does not prevent normal life expectancy, but poorly controlled disease can significantly reduce it.

1. Ejection Fraction (For Heart Failure)

This is the most important cardiac measurement for Digitek users with heart failure. EF above 35% is more favorable. EF 20-35% is serious but manageable. EF below 20% is very serious. Recent echocardiogram results showing your current EF are essential. Improving EF is excellent; declining EF is concerning.

2. AFib Rate Control (For Atrial Fibrillation)

How fast is your heart rate? Is it controlled on Digitek and other medications? A resting heart rate of 60-100 bpm is normal. Rates consistently above 100 indicate inadequate rate control. Well-controlled AFib shows stable, normal resting rates. EKG confirmation of AFib and rate control is standard.

3. Symptom Status

Do you experience chest pain, shortness of breath, edema, or significant fatigue? Minimal or no symptoms indicate stability. Significant, limiting symptoms at rest or with minimal activity indicate poor control. Your cardiologist’s notes about your symptom status are important underwriting documents.

4. Recent Hospitalizations

Have you been hospitalized for heart failure exacerbation, AFib, or other cardiac reasons? Recent hospitalizations (within the last 1-2 years) are concerning and may delay approval until you’ve been stable. No recent hospitalizations are favorable. Frequent hospitalizations indicate poorly controlled disease.

5. Medication Compliance and Recent Changes

Are you taking Digitek and other cardiac medications as prescribed? Compliance is essential. Recent medication changes or dose adjustments indicate your condition may not be optimally controlled. A stable medication regimen for 3+ months is favorable. Frequent medication changes are concerning.

6. Kidney Function

Digoxin is cleared through the kidneys. Poor kidney function can lead to digoxin toxicity. Underwriters check kidney function (creatinine, eGFR) to ensure you can safely metabolize the medication. Worsening kidney function raises concerns about medication safety and disease progression.

7. Comorbidities

Do you have diabetes, high blood pressure, coronary artery disease, or other conditions alongside your heart disease? Multiple cardiac risk factors or comorbidities complicate underwriting. A single, well-managed cardiac condition is more favorable than multiple serious conditions.

The bottom line: Underwriters evaluate whether your heart disease is stable, controlled, and not deteriorating. Recent test results, stable symptoms, good medication compliance, and no recent hospitalizations all support approval. Unstable disease, declining function, or frequent hospitalizations complicate or delay approval.

Critical: Complete Honesty Required

Always disclose your heart disease diagnosis and Digitek use. Omitting or minimizing a serious cardiac condition could be treated as application fraud and could result in policy denial or cancellation. Complete honesty about your cardiac condition is essential.

What to Disclose Specifically

• Primary cardiac diagnosis (heart failure, AFib, etc.)
• Year of diagnosis
• Current ejection fraction (if heart failure)
• Type of AFib or arrhythmia (if applicable)
• Current heart rate and blood pressure
• Symptoms you experience (chest pain, shortness of breath, etc.)
• All cardiac medications, including Digitek dosage
• Any cardiac procedures (bypass, stents, pacemakers, defibrillators, ablations)
• Any hospitalizations for cardiac reasons
• Last cardiology appointment date
• Cardiologist’s name and contact information
• Recent test results (echocardiogram, stress test, EKG, etc.)

Be Accurate About Symptoms

Describe your symptoms honestly. If you have chest pain with exertion, say so. If you’re short of breath at rest or with minimal activity, disclose it. If you have leg swelling or fatigue, mention it. Symptom control is important to underwriting. Underestimating your symptoms makes you appear dishonest; overstating symptoms makes your prognosis look worse than it may be. Accuracy is key.

Provide Cardiology Records

Request recent records from your cardiologist and provide them with your application. Include recent office visit notes, echocardiogram results, EKG reports, and stress test results if available. Recent comprehensive records speed up underwriting significantly and provide objective documentation of your cardiac status. Records more than 1-2 years old are considered outdated.

Realistic Approval Expectations

Most applicants with well-controlled heart disease receive approval. Approval depends heavily on cardiac stability—if you have stable, improving, or unchanging cardiac function, good symptom control, and no recent hospitalizations, approval is likely. Deteriorating heart function, frequent hospitalizations, or severe uncontrolled symptoms present a higher underwriting challenge. Some applicants with very severe, unstable disease may face denial, but this is less common than approval.

What May Cause Denial or High Decline

Very severe heart disease (EF below 20%), recent significant hospitalizations, symptoms at rest, rapidly deteriorating cardiac function, moderate to severe kidney disease affecting digoxin clearance, or recent major cardiac events. These factors don’t guarantee denial, but they require careful case-by-case review and typically result in decline or very high rates. Waiting for stabilization may be advisable.

Rate Impact for Heart Disease

Rates for applicants with well-controlled heart disease are typically 50- 100%+ higher than standard rates. This is a substantial increase. Rates depend on disease severity, cardiac function, age, and other factors. Very well-controlled conditions with good ejection fraction may result in 35-50% increases. Severe or unstable disease may result in 100-200%+ increases or possible decline.

These are conservative estimates based on common underwriting practices. Actual rates vary significantly by insurance company, your age, amount of coverage, and other health factors. Improving your cardiac function or achieving better symptom control before applying can improve your rates.

Wait for Cardiac Stabilization (If Applicable)

If you’ve recently been hospitalized, had a cardiac procedure, or are recovering from a recent cardiac event, consider waiting 3-6 months before applying. Demonstrating cardiac stability over time results in significantly better underwriting outcomes and lower rates. Waiting can be worth the delay.

Get Recent Cardiology Records

Request records from your cardiologist no older than 1-2 months. Include recent office visit notes, echocardiogram results (if heart failure), EKG reports, and any stress test or catheterization results. Recent, comprehensive records speed up underwriting and provide objective evidence of your cardiac status.

Prepare a Comprehensive Cardiac Summary

Write a brief summary including: diagnosis, year diagnosed, current cardiac function (EF if applicable), symptom status, medications (especially Digitek dose), recent procedures or hospitalizations, cardiologist contact info. This clarity helps your application move faster through underwriting.

Ensure Good Medication Compliance

Take Digitek and all cardiac medications exactly as prescribed. Medication compliance is critical for underwriting. If you’ve had periods of non-compliance, be honest about it, but emphasize that you now understand the importance and are committed to taking all medications consistently.

Ask Your Cardiologist

Before applying, ask your cardiologist if your cardiac condition is currently stable enough for a life insurance application. They may have recommendations about timing or additional information to include. Their perspective can be valuable.

Will my heart disease automatically disqualify me from life insurance?

Direct answer: No. Heart disease does not automatically disqualify applicants.

Most applicants with well-controlled heart disease receive approval. Cardiac stability is the key factor. If your heart disease is stable on Digitek with good symptom control and no recent hospitalizations, approval is likely at moderately elevated rates.

How much will my rates be increased because of my heart disease?

Direct answer: Typically 50-100%+ higher than standard rates. It can be significantly higher for severe disease.

Rate increase depends on disease severity and control. Well-controlled heart disease typically results in a 50-75% increase. Moderately controlled disease typically results in a 75-150% increase. Very severe or poorly controlled disease can result in even higher rates or possible decline. Your age and other health factors significantly impact the final rate.

Do I have to disclose my heart disease and Digitek use?

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

Omitting heart disease information 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, and cardiologists contact anyone—disclosure is always the safest approach.

How long does underwriting take with heart disease?

Direct answer: Typically 4-8 weeks. Some cases take longer.

Heart disease cases require a detailed medical review and often require additional testing or clarification. Well-controlled disease with complete cardiology records moves faster. Cases requiring additional information, testing, or specialist review take longer. Providing all recent medical records upfront speeds the process significantly.

Will I definitely need medical testing because of my heart disease?

Direct answer: Very likely, yes. EKG, blood work, and possibly stress testing will probably be required.

Most insurers require an EKG to assess the current cardiac status and verify AFib or arrhythmia. Blood work checks kidney function (important for Digitek clearance) and other cardiac risk factors. Many require stress testing to assess cardiac tolerance for exertion. These tests are standard and necessary for accurate underwriting.

Is ejection fraction really that important in underwriting?

Direct answer: Yes, absolutely. For heart failure patients, ejection fraction is one of the most important factors.

EF directly measures how well your heart is functioning. EF above 35% is more favorable than below 35%. Even small differences in EF can significantly impact underwriting outcomes. Recent echocardiogram results with current EF are critical underwriting documents.

What if I’ve been hospitalized for my heart condition recently?

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

Hospitalization within the last 1-2 years raises concerns about disease control. Underwriters want to understand why you were hospitalized—was it an acute, unexpected, or expected disease progression? If you’ve been stable since discharge, approval remains possible. Waiting 3-6 months after hospitalization to establish a pattern of stability results in better underwriting outcomes.

Does kidney function really matter for Digitek users?

Direct answer: Yes, very much. Kidney function affects how your body clears Digitek.

Digoxin is cleared through the kidneys. Poor kidney function can cause digoxin buildup and toxicity. Underwriters check kidney function (creatinine, eGFR) to ensure you can safely take Digitek. Worsening kidney function is concerning. Recent kidney function tests are important underwriting documents.

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 future cardiac changes.

Changes to your cardiac condition, heart function, medications, or medical status 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 what happens medically in the future.