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 Zoloft or its generic form, Sertraline, to treat a wide variety of medical conditions, including:

• Depression,
• Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD),
• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD),
• Social anxiety disorder(s),
• Panic disorder,

And premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD).

Questions that will be directly addressed will include:

• Can I qualify for life insurance after I’ve been prescribed Zoloft?
• Why do life insurance companies care if I’ve been prescribed Zoloft?
• What kind of information will the insurance companies ask me or be interested in?
• What rate (or price) can I qualify for?
• How can I help ensure I get the “best life insurance”?

So, without further ado, let’s dive right in!

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

Nothing would make us happier here at IBUSA than to be able to answer this question with a simple “yes” or “No” response. Still, the problem is Zoloft has become somewhat of a “wonder drug” in that it seems to be effective at helping folks with a wide range of pre-existing medical conditions find help.

And the problem is…

A lot of these “conditions” can vary pretty significantly from one another. Not to mention how “different” one patient might be from another even when “officially” diagnosed with the same condition! This is why what you’re commonly going to find is that there will be a lot of folks out there who may not have a problem at all being able to qualify for a traditional term or whole life insurance policy. In contrast, others may find it completely impossible!

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

Most life insurance companies aren’t necessarily worried that you’ve been prescribed Zoloft to treat your condition. Instead, what concerns them more is the fact that you’ve been diagnosed with a pre-existing condition that has warranted its use.

This is mainly because while it may not be much fun to experience one of the common side effects of Zoloft, such as:

• Sleepiness,
• Drowsiness,
• Dizziness,
• Nausea,
• Possible skin rash,
• Etc…

None of these side effects are considered “life-threatening,” which is why most (if not all) life insurance underwriters aren’t all that concerned about them. They will be worried about “why” you have been prescribed Zoloft and how seriously Zoloft is treating the condition.

This is why…

Before deciding about your life insurance application, most (if not all) life insurance underwriters will ask questions about your Paxil usage. This brings us to the next segment of our Zoloft discussion, which is…

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

The first thing the insurance companies will want to know about regarding your Zoloft use is “why” it has been prescribed to you. The answer to this question will then help guide them as to what additional questions they’ll want to know the answers to. We want to take a moment and discuss each medical condition Zoloft can be used to treat so that you can get a better idea about what kind of questions you might be asked.

For those diagnosed with Depression:

• When were you first diagnosed with Depression?
• Who diagnosed your Depression? A general practitioner or a psychiatrist?
• Have you received a specific diagnosis of your Depression?
• Is Zoloft the only medication that you’re using to treat your Depression?
• How often do you take your Paxil?
• Aside from drugs, are you receiving any other forms of treatment?
• Within the past 12 months, have any of your medications (including Paxil) changed in any way?
• Have you ever been hospitalized due to your Depression?
• Do you suffer from a history of drug or alcohol abuse?
• Are you currently working now?
• In the past 12 months, have you applied for or received any form of disability benefits?

For those diagnosed with Panic Attacks:

• When did you first experience your first panic attack?
• How often do you suffer from panic attacks?
• When was the last time you suffered from a panic attack?
• How severe are the episodes?
• Have you ever been hospitalized due to a panic attack?
• Is Zoloft the only medication that you are taking to treat your panic attacks?
• Do you have a known “trigger” for your spells?
• How often do you take your Zoloft?
• How well is Zoloft managing your symptoms?
• Are you currently working now?
• In the past 12 months, have you applied for or received any disability benefits?

For those diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD):

• When were you first diagnosed with OCD?
• Who diagnosed your OCD? A general practitioner or a psychiatrist?
• How does your OCD manifest itself?
• Does your OCD prevent you from living a “normal” life?
• Is Paxil the only medication that you’re using to control your OCD?
• How often do you take your Zoloft?
• How well is Zoloft managing your symptoms?
• Are you currently working now?
• In the past 12 months, have you applied for or received any form of disability benefits?

For those diagnosed with an anxiety disorder:

• What “kind” of anxiety disorder do you have?
• Who diagnosed your anxiety disorder? A general practitioner or a psychiatrist?
• When were you first diagnosed?
• Does your anxiety prevent you from being able to live a “normal” life?
• How often do you take your Zoloft?
• Are you taking any other medications or receiving any other treatment options for your anxiety?
• In the past 12 months, has your Zoloft prescription changed at all?
• Have you ever been hospitalized due to your anxiety?
• Are you currently working now?
• In the past 12 months, have you applied for or received any form of disability benefits?

For those diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD):

• When were you first diagnosed with PTSD?
• Who diagnosed your PTSD?
• Is Zoloft the only medication you’re using to treat your PTSD?
• Are you receiving any other treatment options for your PTSD?
• How severe is your PTSD? Does it prevent you from being able to live a “normal” life?
• Have you ever been hospitalized due to your PTSD?
• Do you suffer from a history of drug or alcohol abuse?
• 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?

Unfortunately, from a “diagnostic perspective,” none of these pre-existing medical conditions have a “Test” indicating how severe one case is vs. another. As a result, it will be up to a life insurance underwriter to look at how your treatment schedule has changed and look for clues into your “lifestyle” to determine whether someone will qualify for a traditional term or whole life insurance policy.

That being said, however…

What we here at IBUSA have found is that for folks suffering from mild cases of:

• Depression,
• Anxiety,
• And obsessive-compulsive disorder,

Whereby an individual’s treatment strategies have remained constant, there haven’t been any hospitalizations, and they are currently working a full-time job, in “theory,” they should still be able to qualify for a Preferred rate. In other words, the underlying cause for why they have been prescribed Paxil shouldn’t affect the outcome of their life insurance application once the insurance underwriter has confirmed that it is not too severe.

Now if…

If you suffer from a more severe case of Depression, anxiety, or OCD, well, then being able to qualify for a Preferred rating will undoubtedly be off the table. However, you may still be able to qualify for a Standard or Standard Plus rating. It’s really all going to come down to how “severe” your situation is and if it is preventing you from being able to live a so-called “normal” life.

The same applies…

To those suffering from panic attacks and PTSD. In cases like these, because they are generally considered more severe than your more common cases of Depression and anxiety, folks suffering from panic attacks and PTSD will usually only be able to qualify for a Standard rate at best. Which isn’t that is a big deal when you consider the fact that a “standard” rate is a rate that is applied to someone who is regarded as a “normal” health risk. The real trick, however, is to know “which” life insurance companies are going to be lenient enough to allow one who has been diagnosed with panic attacks and/or PTSD to be allowed to qualify for a Standard rate. This brings us to the next segment of this article, which is…

How can I help ensure I get the “best life insurance”?

Aside from making sure that you’re working with a life insurance professional who fully understands your pre-existing medical condition, whether it be depression, anxiety, OCD, PTSD, or panic attacks, and who also has access to plenty of different insurance companies, there is not a whole lot one can do to help increase their chances at qualifying for the “best” life insurance policy for them.

This is because with all of these pre-existing medical conditions, there’s not much one can do to improve their situation from a life insurance application standpoint other than being sure to apply with a company that will be most “lenient” for your condition.

The good news is…

Here at IBUSA, we have plenty of experience helping folks like yourself qualify for traditional life insurance coverage. Because we work with so many different life insurance companies, you won’t need to spend days and days calling other insurance companies because we can do that for you simultaneously!

So, what are you waiting for? Give us a call today and see what we can do for you!