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 being diagnosed with a Megacolon.

Questions that will be addressed will include:

• Can I qualify for life insurance if I have been diagnosed with a Megacolon?
• Why do life insurance companies care if I have been diagnosed with a Megacolon?
• 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 if I have been diagnosed with a Megacolon?

Yes, individuals who have been diagnosed with Megacolon can and often will be able to qualify for a traditional term or whole life insurance policy.  In fact, some may even be able to qualify for some of the best no medical exam life insurance companies at a Preferred rate!

The only problem is…

That because there a lot of potential problems that can occur a result of a “megacolon” that most (if not all) to rated term life insurance companies are going to want to know a lot about your condition particularly if you haven’t had it surgically treated/cured.

Why do life insurance companies care if I have been diagnosed with a Megacolon?

Probably the easiest way for us to explain why a life insurance company is going to “care” if you have been diagnosed with a Megacolon is to take a moment and actually describe exactly what a “megacolon” is a well as highlight some of the most common symptoms/complications that can occur with this pre-existing medical condition.

This way…

Not only will we have a better understanding of exactly what this disease is, we’ll also have a better idea of exactly what a typical life insurance underwriter will be looking for when making his or her decision about your life insurance application.

Megacolon Defined:

A Megacolon is a term used when there exists an abnormal dilation of the colon or large intestine.  This “abnormal dilation” can be caused by a variety of different pe-existing medical conditions including:

• Amyloidosis,
• Chagas disease,
• Diabetic Neuropathy,
• Myotonic dystrophy,
• Parkinson disease,
• Spinal cord injury,

Common symptoms may include:

• Abdominal pain,
• Distention (bloating),
• Fever,
• Tachycardia (rapid heart rate),
• Shock,
• Bloody diarrhea,
• Painful bowel movements,

Serious complications may include:

• Anemia due to blood loss,
• Whole-body sepsis,
• Perforation of the colon,
• Shock.

The good news is…

That there are several surgical techniques which can potentially “cure” someone of this condition.  Techniques such as a colectomy with ileorectal anastomosis, or a total proctocolectomy followed by either an ileostomy or ileoanal anastomosis.

Now at this point…

We usually like to take a moment and remind folks that nobody here at IBUSA has any kind of “official” medical training and we’re certainly not doctors.  All we are is a bunch of life insurance agents who just happen to be really good at helping folks with pre-existing medical conditions like this one, find and qualify for the life insurance coverage that they are looking for.

But…

Not so great if you’re looking for answers to any specific medical questions.  In cases like these, we would recommend that you contact a true medical professional who has the training to help.  For everyone else, you’re in luck because now we’re going to get into some of the “nitty gritty” about what you may or may not be able to qualify for.

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

Common questions you’ll likely be asked may include:

• When were you first diagnosed with a Megacolon?
• Who diagnosed your Megacolon? A general practitioner or a specialist?
• What symptoms (if any) led to your diagnosis?
• Do you know what has caused you to develop a Megacolon?
• Have you been diagnosed with any other pre-existing medical conditions?
• Have you had your Megacolon surgically corrected?
• Are you currently taking any prescription medications?
• In the past 2 years have you been hospitalized for any reason?
• 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, there are a lot of factors that can come into play when trying to determine what kind of “rate” that an individual can qualify for.  This is why, it’s pretty much impossible to know what kind of “rate” you might be able to qualify for without first speaking with you.

That said however…

There are a few “assumptions” that one can make about those applying for a traditional term or whole life insurance policy after having been diagnosed with Megacolon.  For example, if you are someone who has had there Megacolon surgically treated and don’t suffer from some type of “chronic” pre-existing medical condition which a life insurance company would be worried about on it’s own, its safe to say that you may be able to qualify for a Preferred rate because essentially you are now “cured” of your condition.

Now as for those…

Who either haven’t had their Megacolon surgically treated or suffer from some kind of chronic pre-existing medical condition which a life insurance company may be worried about, what you’re generally going to find is that you’ll either be considered a “higher-risk” applicant in which case you won’t be able to qualify for anything better than a “Standard” rate or you may be denied coverage completely due to the seriousness of the condition causing you to suffer from a Megacolon!

The good news is…

That regardless of your situation, we here at IBUSA can help because we have tons of experience helping folks with all sorts of pre-existing medical conditions like yours and are committed to helping all of our clients find the “best” life insurance policy that they can qualify for.  Which brings 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 usually the folks who seem to find the “best” life insurance policy for them are those that:

• Take their time reviewing their options.
• Ask a lot of questions.

And seek out those life insurance agents who not only have experience working with individuals who have been diagnosed with a wide variety of pre-existing medical conditions, but also have access to dozens of different life insurance companies so that when it comes time to helping a more “challenging” case, they don’t have to rely on a…

“One size fits all approach!”

The good news is that this is exactly what you’re going to find here at IBUSA!

Now will we be able to help out everyone who has been previously diagnosed with a Megacolon?

No, probably not.  But what we can tell you is that in addition to offering a wide variety of different term and whole life insurance policies, IBUSA has also worked very hard to establish relationships with many of the Best Final Expense Insurance Companies as well so that in the event that someone isn’t able to qualify for a traditional life insurance policy, chances are there may be  some other “type” of product that you CAN qualify for.

So, if you’re ready to see what options might be available to you, just give us a call!