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 Lisinopril or one of the common brand names it is sold under including:

• Prinivil,
• Qbrelis,

And Zestril to help treat high blood pressure (hypertension) and heart failure.  Lisinopril has also been shown to be helpful in reducing the risk of death immediately following a heart attack.

Questions that will be directly addressed will include:

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

Yes, individuals who have been prescribed Lisinopril can and often will be able to qualify for a traditional term or whole life insurance policy.  The only problem is that because it is frequently prescribed to individuals who are suffering heart failure or who have recently suffered from a heart attack, this medication can also be viewed as a possible red flag!

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

In general, most life insurance companies aren’t going to spend a ton of time worrying about whether or not an individual has been prescribed a prescription medication to help them treat their blood pressure (hypertension) provided that the medication being used is helping them achieve their goal.

The problem is when…

The medication being used to lower one’s blood pressure levels is also one that can be commonly prescribed to individuals suffering from much more serious medical condition such as a heart attack or actual heart failure.

The good news is…

That despite the fact that Lisinopril is used to treat these more “serious” medical conditions, most life insurance companies aren’t going to immediately “deny” someone a traditional life insurance policy simply because they have been prescribed Lisinopril.  Additionally, even in cases where an individual may have been prescribed Lisinopril immediately after suffering from a heart attack, if enough time has passed since the attack, it may still be possible to qualify for a traditional term or whole life insurance policy.

This is why…

Once a life insurance company learns that you have been prescribed Lisinopril, they are most likely going to want to ask you a series of medical questions about “why” you have been prescribed Lisinopril and about whether or not it is being used to help you treat an underlying pre-existing medical condition that would be considered more serious than just hypertension.

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 your first prescribed Lisinopril?
• Who prescribed your Lisinopril? A general practitioner or a cardiologist?
• Why have you been prescribed Lisinopril?
• Have you been diagnosed with any cardiovascular disease such as heart failure?
• Are you currently taking any other prescription medications?
• Have any of your prescription medications changed in any way over the past 12 months?
• How well is your Lisinopril helping you to control your blood pressure levels?
• Have you ever suffered from a heart attack or stroke?
• What is your current height and weight?
• 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?

As you can see, there are a lot of factors that can come into play with regards to one’s Lisinopril prescription.  Especially if an individual has suffered form a heart attack or stroke in the past because in cases like these there will be many additional questions that will need to be asked and answered before a life insurance underwriter will feel comfortable enough to make a decision about one’s life insurance application.

That said however…

There are a few “assumptions” that one can make without good into too much detail specifically about those who have either been prescribed their Lisinopril just because they have been diagnosed with hypertension or because they have been diagnosed with heart failure.

For example…

Those who have simply been prescribed Lisinopril because they suffer from hypertension and don’t have any other pre-existing medical conditions should “theoretically” still be eligible for a Preferred rating provided that their Lisinopril is working and that they meet all of the other requirements for such a rate.  We should not though, qualifying for a Preferred rate is never easy and doing so after being diagnosed with high blood pressure isn’t going to make that fact any less true.

Now as for those…

Who have been prescribed Lisinopril to help them treat their heart failure, we are not aware of any life insurance company that would be willing to insure an individual for a traditional life insurance policy.  In cases like these, we’ll often recommend that an individual take a look at some “alternative” products such as a guaranteed issue life insurance policy or a accidental death policy which would not require one to have to be able to “medically” qualify.

Which brings us to the last topic that we wanted to take a moment and discuss 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 profession 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 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”

So, what are you waiting for?  Give us a call today and see what we can do for you!