In this article, we wanted to take a moment and try and answer some of the most common questions we get from folks applying for life insurance after they have been prescribed Kapidex or its generic form Dexlansoprazole to help folks treat/manage their heartburn, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and/or any esophageal damage they may have developed due to these conditions.

Questions that will be directly addressed will include:

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

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

The only problem is that is because Kapidex is a prescription medication that can be used to treat relatively minor cases of heartburn all the way up to folks who have developed severe esophageal damage resulting from gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), which could indicate a more serious medical condition which would certainly affect the outcome of one’s life insurance application.

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

In general, most life insurance companies aren’t going to be too concerned about the fact that an individual has been prescribed Kapidex because after all, Kapidex isn’t used to necessarily treat a “life-threatening” medical condition. This is why, rather than focus too much time on your Kapidex prescription itself, most life insurance companies are going to be more interested in “why” you have been prescribed Kapidex and whether or not the underlying medical condition that warranted your Kapidex prescription is one that they should be worried about.

This is why prior to being approved for coverage, you’re likely to be asked a series of questions designed to learn how serious your heartburn is and whether you suffer from any serious consequence resulting from the overproduction of acid within your stomach.

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

Common questions you’ll likely be asked may include:

• When were you first prescribed Kapidex?
• Who prescribed your Kapidex? A general practitioner or specialist?
• Why have you been prescribed Kapidex?
• Have you been given an “official” diagnosis, or is your Kapidex being used to treat “common” heartburn?
• Do you know what causes you to suffer from heartburn?
• How well is your Kapidex prescription working for you?
• Has your doctor indicated that you have done any serious damage to your esophagus?
• Has your doctor suggested that you may need surgery in the future?
• Have you been diagnosed with any other gastrointestinal conditions?
• Have you ever developed any infections directly related to your heartburn-related condition?
• In the past two years, have you ever needed to be hospitalized for any reason?
• 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?

Now in our experiences here at IBUSA, what we have found to generally be the case is that when an individual is “surprised” by the number of questions being asked of them about their Kapidex prescription and/or about their heartburn, it’s usually because their Kapidex prescription isn’t being used to treat that “serious” of a medical condition.

These are the types…

Of cases where an individual would likely find that their Kapidex prescription isn’t going to play a major role (if any) in the outcome of their life insurance application, meaning that whatever “rate” they would have been able to qualify for before being prescribed Kapidex will likely be the same “rate” as AFTER they have been prescribed Kapidex.

So, If you were able to qualify for a Preferred or Preferred Plus rate prior to being prescribed Kapidex; chances are you’ll still be able to qualify for a Preferred or Preferred Plus rate after being prescribed Kapidex!

“Which is a good thing!”

Now where we run into trouble when we’re working with an individual who, after being asked these previous questions, fully understands why a life insurance company would want to know the answers to them and, on several occasions, has answered “yes” to them. In cases like these, it’s quite possible that the applicant will still be able to qualify for a traditional term or whole life insurance policy only now; having been prescribed Kapidex may actually have an effect on the outcome of your life insurance application which is why you’re now going to want to be much more “selective” with which life insurance company you decide to apply with.

This brings us to the last topic that we wanted to take a moment and discuss with you, 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 who can help guide you through the application process and 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 Kapidex?

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 explore your options, just give us a call!