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 Nexium or its generic form, Esomeprazole, to help one treat their Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD).

Questions that will be directly addressed will include:

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

Yes, individuals who have been prescribed Nexium in the past can and often will qualify for a traditional term or whole life insurance policy. In fact, they may even qualify for a Preferred rate in certain situations.

The only problem is that…

Because gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD), is a pre-existing medical condition that can vary significantly from one patient to the next, simply knowing that you’ve been prescribed Nexium in the past really doesn’t tell one all that much about how serious your condition is and how “worried” a life insurance company should be about insuring you.

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

The main reason why a life insurance company is going to “care” if you have been prescribed Nexium is because it will provide them with a potential “roadmap” for what questions they should ask next.  You see, for many individuals, while suffering from GERD certainly isn’t a pleasant experience, it’s also not something that a life insurance company is going to be all that worried about.

However…

For “others”, their GERD could rise to a level where the constant damage to the lower esophagus and esophageal sphincter could lead to one developing a condition known as Barrett’s Esophagus, which will be another potential “red flag” for many life insurance underwriters.

Fortunately…

Whether you’ve only been diagnosed with GERD or you’ve also been diagnosed with Barrett’s Esophagus as well, most life insurance companies will still consider you eligible for a traditional life insurance policy, only now you will certainly want to be more “selective” with which life insurance company you choose to apply with right from the start.  This is why here at IBUSA, we like to ask many of the same questions most life insurance companies are going to want to ask you so that we can use your answers to these questions to help you find the “best” life insurance company for you!

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

Common questions that you’ll likely be asked when applying for a traditional life insurance policy may include:

• When were you first prescribed Nexium?
• Who prescribed your Nexium? A general practitioner or a specialist?
• What symptoms led you to be prescribed Nexium?
• Do you still suffer from heartburn? If so, how frequently?
• Are there certain triggers that cause you to suffer from heartburn?
• Have you been given a specific diagnosis for your condition?
  • Have you been diagnosed with GERD? Barrett’s Esophagus?  Or have you simply been diagnosed based on your symptoms which might be categorized as just “heartburn”?
• How often do you take your Nexium?
• Is your Nexium helping you control your symptoms?
• Are you taking any other prescription medications to help you treat this condition?
• Have any of your prescription medications changed in any way within the past 12 months?
• Have you been diagnosed with any other gastrointestinal issues?
• 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?

When helping folks who have been prescribed Nexium in the past, we like to point out to them that while it may be possible for them to be able to qualify for a Preferred rate, these “kinds” of rates are difficult to qualify for.  Not necessarily because an individual has been prescribed Nexium but just because the requirements to qualify for a Preferred rate are difficult to meet for anyone, even those who haven’t been diagnosed with any kind of pre-existing medical condition or prescribed any kind of medication in the past.

That said, however…

If all you’ve been diagnosed with is GERD, your Nexium prescription is helping you control your symptoms, and it doesn’t seem like your GERD is causing you too much “distress”, there is a pretty decent chance that you might be able to qualify for a Preferred rate provided that you meet all of the other requirements.

Now…

If you’re GERD is causing you a bit of trouble, or your GERD has progressed to the point now where you have been diagnosed with Barrett’s Esophagus, not all hope is lost.  Chances are you will still be able to qualify for a traditional term life insurance policy only now; our primary focus will be to try and find a life insurance company that will be willing to approve you at a Standard or “normal” rate.  Which, given the circumstances, isn’t all that bad considering the fact that this would simply mean that even with your GERD/Barrett’s esophagus, in the eyes of the life insurance company, you’re still considered a “normal” risk.

This brings us to the last topic that we wanted to take a moment and focus on, which is…

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

Because life insurance companies tend to use a lot of “random” factors in determining who they will and won’t insure and at what price, we here at IBUSA have found that the “best” way for us to be able to ensure that our clients are able to find the “best” life insurance policy that they can qualify for is to be sure to know our STUFF and offer a TON of options.

You see…

By only employing true life insurance professionals who have tons of experience helping folks with all sorts of pre-existing medical conditions and then providing them with tons of options to offer their clients, we here at IBUSA truly do offer a one-stop shop for folks looking to protect their families.

Which is why, our advice to anyone looking to purchase a life insurance policy is to be sure that the insurance agent that they choose to work with is truly an expert and that he or she has dozens of options for you to consider because even if they are the greatest life insurance agent in the world, if they don’t have access to the “best” life insurance policy for you what good is that going to do you?

So,what are you waiting for?  Give us a call today, and let us earn the right to protect your family today!