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 Zantac or its generic form Ranitidine to help or prevent heartburn.  Zantac can also be used to help stomach ulcers, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), as well as certain conditions known to cause the overproduction of stomach acid.

Questions that will be directly addressed will include:

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

Yes, individuals who have been prescribed Zantac can and often will be able to qualify for a traditional term or whole life insurance policy.  In fact, they may even be able to qualify for a Preferred Plus rate in many cases!

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

The main reason why a life insurance company might “care” if you have been prescribed Zantac is because in some cases particularly with the development of ulcers or when an individual’s heartburn has been determined to be more of a “chronic” condition commonly referred to as GERD, there are quite a few complications that can arise including bleed, scaring and/or the development of a condition known as Barrett’s esophagus.

This is why…

Once a life insurance company learns that you have been prescribed Zantac, they are likely to ask you a series of medical questions designed to learn specifically “why” you have been prescribed Zantac and whether or not the underlying pre-existing condition which has warranted it’s use is one that they should be worried about.

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

• When were you first prescribed Zantac?
• Who prescribed your Zantac? A general practitioner or a specialist?
• Why have you been prescribed Zantac?
• Have you been given a specific diagnosis?
• What symptoms led to your diagnosis?
• Are you still suffering from those symptoms? How well is your Zantac prescription working at helping you control/treat your condition?
• Have you ever needed to be hospitalized due to your condition?
• Are you taking any other prescription medications?
• Has your doctor recommended other treatment options or surgical procedures?
• Have any of your prescription medications changed in any way over the past 12 months?
• 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, there will be a lot of folks out there wondering…

“Why are these guys so concerned about my Zantac prescription?  I only use it occasion and only when I eat really spicy food!”

This is fine because if this describes you, chances are, your Zantac prescription isn’t going to play a role in the outcome of your life insurance application. This means that whatever “rate” you might have been able to qualify for PRIOR to being prescribed Zantac should be the same “rate” you would be able to qualify for AFTER having been prescribed Zantac.

Where we run into trouble is…

When an individual reads these questions and completely understands why a life insurance company might be concerned about their Zantac prescription and the underlying medical condition that it is being used to treat.

In cases like these, it’s really going to be impossible to know for sure what “kind” of rate an individual might be able to qualify for without knowing a lot more about their specific situation.  The good news is that at IBUSA, we have plenty of experience helping folks with all sorts of pre-existing medical conditions qualify for traditional term or whole life insurance policies, which is why we’re not afraid to take on a more challenging case like someone who has been prescribed Zantac and is still suffering from symptoms relating to the underlying cause.

This leads us to the next topic that we wanted to take a moment and discuss here in this article, 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 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 professional who will work as an advocate for them. Such an agent who help guide you through the application process and 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 ensure you’re completely honest with your life insurance agent before 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!