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 Maxalt or its generic form, Rizatriptan, to help treat symptoms commonly associated with migraine headaches.

Questions that will be directly addressed will include:

• Can I qualify for life insurance after I’ve been prescribed Maxalt?
• Why do life insurance companies care if I’ve been prescribed Maxalt?
• 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’s dive right in!

Can I qualify for life insurance after I’ve been prescribed Maxalt?

The simple truth is that folks who have been prescribed to treat their migraines should still be able to qualify for a traditional term or whole life insurance policy.  They may even be able to qualify for a Preferred rating provided that they haven’t experienced a migraine within the past 12 months.  This begs the question…

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

Life insurance companies aren’t all that worried about the fact that you’ve been prescribed Maxalt; after all, it’s not as though Maxalt is a medication one is likely to abuse.  And while some of the potential side effects such as:

• Dry mouth,
• Nausea,
• Dizziness,
• Drowsiness,
• Feelings of pain or tightness around the neck, jaw and throat,
• Etc…

It may be uncomfortable, but it’s not as though any of them are “life-threatening,” which is why most (if not all) life insurance underwriters aren’t going to be all that worried about Maxalt.

Instead…

Insurance underwriters are going to be much more concerned about the underlying pre-existing medical condition that Maxalt is used to treat, mainly migraines, and with the fact that Maxalt is a medication that is used once a person begins suffering from one rather than as a preventative cure.  This means that if you have been recently prescribed Maxalt or have recently “refilled” your prescription, chances are you’ve also recently suffered from a migraine, which can and often will affect the outcome of your life insurance application.

This is why…

If you have been prescribed Maxalt to treat your migraines, what you’re going to find is that prior to making any kind of decision about your traditional life insurance application, most (if not all) life insurance companies are going to want to ask you a series of questions so that they can get a better idea about how serious your migraines might be.

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

Common questions you’ll likely be asked with regard to your migraines can and often will include:

• When did you first experience your first migraine?
• How long ago did you suffer from your last migraine?
• How frequently do you suffer from migraines?
• Does there seem to be anything that triggers your migraines?
• When were you first prescribed Maxalt?
• Are you taking any other prescription medications other than Maxalt to treat your migraines?
• Have you ever been hospitalized due to a migraine?
• 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?

In a perfect world, you may have suffered from migraines in the past, been prescribed Maxalt to help deal with the pain you experienced, and then simply never needed to “refill” your prescription since then because you haven’t suffered from another migraine in over a year.  In cases like these, you should “theoretically” be able to qualify for a traditional term or whole life insurance policy at a Preferred or Preferred Plus rate.

The only problem is…

Most of us do not live in a perfect world, and most folks who suffer from migraines don’t wake up one day to suddenly discover that they are a thing of the past.  Additionally, because there really isn’t a “test” to determine how severe one’s migraines are, insurance underwriters will typically look for “signs” to help them determine how severe your migraines might be, which they then try and use to determine what kind of risk you may pose.

Now for those…

Suffering from “mild” to “moderate” migraines, what you’re generally going to find is that provided you are able to live a somewhat “normal” life which would include being able to perform normal daily activities, including (if needed) holding down a full-time job, you should be able to qualify for a traditional life insurance policy.  You may even be able to qualify for a “Standard” or “Normal” rate.

That said, however…

If you suffer from migraines that are so severe or so frequent that you are not able to live a “normal” life or you’re finding yourself being hospitalized due to your migraines or being able to qualify for disability benefits as a result of your migraines, there is a very good chance that you may not be able to qualify for a traditional term or whole life insurance policy.  In cases like these, once we have exhausted all “traditional” options, we will generally recommend that our clients pursue an “alternative” product, such as a guaranteed issue life insurance policy or an accidental death policy.

What can I do to help ensure that I get the “best life insurance” for me?

Now, when it comes to what you can do to ensure that you’re able to find the “best” life insurance policy that you can qualify for, there are really only three things you need to keep in mind.

First…

You want to make sure that when you do decide to “apply” for life insurance, you choose to apply with a life insurance agent who is very familiar with your situation and knows what an insurance underwriter is going to want to know prior to making a decision about your life insurance application.  This way, your agent can prepare your life insurance application with many of the answers that he or she will require, thus potentially shortening the application process.

Second…

You want to make sure that your knowledgeable life insurance agent has to tools he or she will need in order to be successful.  And in this case, it means having access to dozens of different life insurance companies so that he or she isn’t reliant on just one or two different options.

Now why is this important?

It’s important because having been diagnosed with migraines may not be the most important factor in determining whether or not you “can” or “can’t” qualify for coverage.  Additional factors such as you:

• Family medical history,
• Driving record,
• Upcoming travel itineraries,
• Occupation choices,
• Etc…

It could all play a factor in the outcome of your life insurance application, which is why having more options to choose from can and often will make a huge difference in whether or not you’re able to find the “Best” life insurance policy that you can qualify for.

Lastly…

Honestly is always the BEST policy.  This means that you should always be completely honest with your life insurance agent from the beginning so that he or she can use this information to help them decide “which” life insurance company is going to give you the best opportunity for success.  So, if this means that you need to tell him or her that you occasionally use marijuana to help alleviate some of the symptoms you suffer as a result of your migraines, great, just let your agent know (and no, we have no idea if marijuana will help alleviate any symptoms it’s just a great example to use in this example).

The good news is that…

Here at IBUSA, we have experienced agents and access to dozens of the top life insurance carriers, so there really isn’t any excuse not to give us a call and let us show you what we can do for you!