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 Prevacid or its generic form, Lansoprazole, to help treat a variety of different pre-existing medical conditions including:

• Stomach ulcers,
• Gastroesophageal reflux disorder (GERD),

As well as a variety of different medical conditions known to cause elevated levels of stomach acid production.

Questions that will be directly addressed will include:

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

Yes, individuals who have been prescribed Prevacid can and often will be able to qualify for a traditional term or whole life insurance policy.  Heck, they may even be able to qualify for a Preferred rate!

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

The main reason why life insurance companies “care” if an individual has been prescribed Preacid is because, in addition to just helping forks who suffer from mild to moderate heartburn, it is also commonly prescribed to individuals who may be suffering from more than you regular case of “indigestion”.

You see…

Because Prevacid is such an effective medication at reducing the amount of stomach acid one may produce, in addition to being prescribed to individuals who only suffer from a common case of heartburn, it is also commonly prescribed to individuals suffering from stomach ulcers and individuals who suffer from more “severe” and “chronic” cases of heartburn commonly referred to as gastroesophageal reflux disorder or GERD.

This is why prior to getting approved for a traditional term or whole life insurance policy, most (if not all) life insurance companies will want to know more about “why” you have been prescribed Prevacid and how “severe” the underlying pre-existing medical condition is that has warranted its use.

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

• When were you originally prescribed Prevacid?
• Who prescribed your Prevacid? A general practitioner or a specialist?
• Why have you been prescribed Prevacid?
  • Was it to treat common heartburn or acid reflux?
    • Are there certain “triggers” that cause you to suffer from heartburn?
    • How frequently do you experience heartburn?
    • How frequently do you need to take your Prevacid?
    • What additional symptoms (if any) have you experienced in addition to your heartburn?
  • Have you been “officially” diagnosed with Gastroesophageal Reflux Disorder?
    • If so:
      • What symptoms led your doctor to make this determination?
      • Has your GERD caused you to develop any other conditions, such as scaring of your esophagus or the development of Barrett’s Esophagus?
    • Have you been diagnosed with ulcers?
      • If so:
        • What “kind” of ulcers have you been diagnosed with?
        • What symptoms led you to believe that you may have ulcers?
        • What symptoms (if any) are you suffering from now?
      • Have you been diagnosed with any other pre-existing medical conditions that could be contributing to the overproduction of stomach acid?
      • Is Prevacid the only prescription medication that you’re taking right now?
      • Have any of your prescription medications changed in any way over the past 12 months?
      • Has your doctor recommended any additional therapy techniques or surgical procedures to be implemented in the future?
      • 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 from above, many factors may come into play when determining what kind of “rate” an individual might be able to qualify for after being prescribed Prevacid.  This is why it’s pretty much impossible to make any kind of reasonable guess as to what “rate” an individual might be able to qualify for without speaking with him or her directly.

That said, however…

What we can tell you, for the most part, is that if you’re simply using your Prevacid to help you treat mild to moderate heartburn or if you have been diagnosed with GERD or an ulcer but have subsequently been able to control your condition with medications like Prevacid and a healthy diet, “technically,” you should still be eligible for a Preferred rate by many different life insurance companies.

Now will you be able to qualify for a Preferred rate?  Who knows, after all, being able to qualify for a Preferred rate without having been diagnosed with any kind of pre-existing medical condition can be tough so you can bet it’s going to be more difficult after you’ve been diagnosed with a condition that has warranted a prescription for Prevacid.

As for those…

Who have been prescribed Prevacid to treat some other “kind” of pre-existing medical condition that is causing an overproduction of stomach acid or for those who have a more severe case of GERD and/or Ulcers, it may still be possible to qualify for a traditional life insurance policy, only now you’ll most likely have to either settle for a Standard or perhaps a Sub-Standard table rate.

The good news is…

That we here at IBUSA have tons of experience helping folks with all sorts of pre-existing medical find the coverage that they’re looking for so all you really need to do is just give us a call. This leads 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 who can 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!