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 Trileptal or its generic form Oxcarbazepine to treat epilepsy and, in some cases, it can also be used to treat some folks who are suffering from bipolar disorder.

Questions that will be directly addressed will include:

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

Seeing how Trileptal is a prescription medication that is primarily used to treat two pre-existing medical conditions which are both “technically insurable”.  Therefore, it is reasonable to assume that if you have been prescribed Trileptal in the past or are currently taking Trileptal now, you “should” have a decent chance at qualifying for a traditional term or whole life insurance policy.

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

Let’s face it, while having been diagnosed with epilepsy or bipolar disorder may not be the same thing as being diagnosed with a “life-threatening” disease, it’s also not the same thing as being diagnosed with a sprained ankle!  This is why, when an insurance company see’s that you’ve been prescribed Trileptal, a prescription medication that is primarily used to treat one of these two medical conditions, it only makes sense that they would want to learn more about your specific condition prior to approving your life insurance application.

This is why…

If you have been prescribed Trileptal, you shouldn’t be surprised or get “overly worried” that an insurance company may want to ask you some additional questions about your Trileptal prescription prior to approving your life insurance policy.  Or in other words, being asked additional questions is not a bad thing, it’s actually a good thing because what it shows is that the insurance underwriter is trying to learn more about your condition so that they can accurately determine your insurance “rate”.

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

The kind of information that an insurance underwriter will want to know will largely depend on “why” you’ve been prescribed Trileptal in the first place.  From there, they will then be able to narrow down the scope of their investigation and typically ask questions something like the following:

For those using their Trileptal to treat epilepsy:

• When did you suffer from your first seizure?
• What “type” of seizures do you typically experience?
• When were you first diagnosed with epilepsy?
• When was the last time you suffered from a seizure?
• In the past 12 months, how many seizures have you experienced?
• Have you ever had to be hospitalized due to a seizure?
• How long have you been taking Trileptal?
• How frequently do you take your Trileptal?
• Are you taking any other prescription medications to treat your epilepsy?
• In the past 12 months, have any of y our epileptic medications changed in any way?
• Do you currently hold a valid driver’s license?
• Are you currently working now?
• In the past 12 months, have you applied for or received any form of disability benefits?

For those using their Trileptal to treat bipolar disorder:

• When were you first diagnosed with bipolar disorder?
• Who diagnosed your bipolar disorder? A general practitioner or a psychiatrist?
• How long have you been taking Trileptal?
• How frequently do you take your Trileptal?
• Are you taking any other prescription medications to help treat your bipolar disorder?
• In the past 12 months, have any of the medications that your using to treat your bipolar disorder changed in any ways?
• Have you ever been hospitalized due to your bipolar disorder?
• Do you have any history of drug or alcohol abuse?
• Have you ever been convicted of a felony or misdemeanor?
• Do you have any issues with your driver’s license? Issues such as multiple moving violations, a DUI, or a suspended license?
• 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 when it comes time to try and determine what kind of “rate” an individual can qualify for, the first thing that we’ll want to make clear is that with both of these pre-existing medical conditions, it is “theoretically possible” to be able to qualify for a Preferred rate.

Now we say “theoretically possible” because “technically” having been diagnosed with either epilepsy or bipolar disorder isn’t going to automatically disqualify you from being able to qualify for a Preferred rate.  It’s just that, even for folks who haven’t been diagnosed with any “pre-existing medical condition,” being able to qualify for a Preferred rate is tough!

So…

Don’t freak out if after applying for a traditional life insurance policy, you’re told that you can only qualify for a Standard rate because at the end of the day, Standard is considered “Normal”. That said, however, we should point out that only those who have what would be considered a “mild” case of either epilepsy or bipolar disorder would potentially be eligible for a preferred rate.  This would mean that in the case of those suffering from epilepsy, you would need to:

• Be “seizure-free” for at least 12 months.
• Not have needed to visit a hospital due to your seizures during that time as well,
• Be working full time (if applicable),
• Not have applied for or received any form of disability benefits within the past 12 months,
• And otherwise, be eligible for such a rate.

As for those suffering from bipolar disorder, in order to be able to qualify for a Preferred rate, you would need to:

• Be working full time (if applicable),
• Not have applied for or received any form of disability benefits within the past 12 months,
• And otherwise, be eligible for such a rate.

The problem is that…

These are just a few of the things that an insurance underwriter will be looking for when making his or her decision.  Many of these will determine where an individual “falls” on the pricing scale that life insurance companies use to determine what an individual will need to pay for his or her life insurance policy. This brings us to the last topic that we wanted to discuss today, which is…

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

In our experience, what we have found that works best for folks who have been diagnosed with a pre-existing medical condition whose “severity” 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 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”