In this article, we wanted to take a moment to answer some of the most common questions we get from people applying for life insurance after being diagnosed with Celiac Disease or Sprue.

• Can I qualify for life insurance if I’ve been diagnosed with Celiac Disease or Sprue?
• Why do life insurance companies care if I have been diagnosed with Celiac Disease or Sprue?
• What kind of information will the insurance companies ask me or be interested in?
• What “rate” 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 Celiac Disease or Sprue?

Yes, individuals who have been diagnosed with Celiac Disease or Sprue 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 term life insurance policy without a medical exam at a Preferred rate in some cases!

The problem is…

That because Celiac Disease is an autoimmune disease that can cause a wide variety of symptoms, some of which can become quite serious, most of the top-rated life insurance companies are going to want to learn a lot more about an individual’s situation before making any definitive decisions about their life insurance application.

Why do life insurance companies care if I have been diagnosed with Celiac Disease or Sprue?

The main reason why most life insurance companies are going to “care” if an individual has been diagnosed with Celiac Disease is because Celiac Disease is a serious autoimmune disease.

That is caused…

Individuals who have a genetic trait that predisposes them to have an intense reaction to gluten, which is a protein found in wheat, rye, and barley. By “intense reaction,” we mean that their bodies can mount an “intense” immune response and attack their small intestine, which can cause all sorts of problems.

Symptoms of Celiac Disease may include:

• Diarrhea,
• Bloating,
• Excessive gas,
• Feelings of fatigue,
• Unexplained weight loss,
• Iron-deficiency,
• Depression,
• Etc…

Fortunately…

While there currently isn’t a cure for Celiac Disease, most individuals who are willing and able to follow a strict gluten-free diet will be able to manage their symptoms and promote a healthy intestine. This is great, but what worries most life insurance companies is that for those who either are never diagnosed with this condition or fail to treat it properly, celiac disease is believed to be FATAL in 10 to 30% of people suffering from this condition!

Which is why…

Before being approved for a traditional life insurance policy, most (if not all) life insurance companies are going to want to ask you a series of medical questions all about your Celiac Disease so that they can get a better idea of how well you are managing your condition.

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 Celiac Disease?
• Who diagnosed your Celiac Disease? A general practitioner or a gastroenterologist?
• What symptoms (if any) led to your Celiac Disease diagnosis?
• Since your diagnosis, how well have you been able to manage your condition?
• Are you currently suffering from any symptoms related to your Celiac Disease diagnosis?
• Have you been diagnosed with any other pre-existing medical conditions?
• In the past two years, have you been admitted to a hospital for any reason?
• Are you currently working now?
• In the past 12 months, have you applied for or received any form of disability benefits?

“Which brings us to an important point that we think we ought to mention.”

First…

If you think you have a medical issue, don’t use the internet to diagnose yourself. After all, if you do and you’re correct, you’re still going to need to see the doctor, and if you’re wrong, the time you spend being you’re on doctor could cause great harm to yourself!

Second…

Nobody here at IBUSA is medically trained, and we’re certainly not doctors. We’re just a bunch of life insurance agents who happen to be good at helping individuals find and qualify for the life insurance they’re looking for. So please don’t mistake any of the medical information we discuss as medical advice—it’s not!

We’re just trying to “prep” you for what it might be like to apply for a life insurance policy after you have been diagnosed with Celiac Disease… that’s it! This brings us to our next topic, which is…

What “rate” can I qualify for?

Now, as we’ve previously discussed, Celiac Disease is a serious autoimmune disease that currently isn’t curable. The good news is that it’s also a disease that is well understood and quite manageable, provided that one follows a strict gluten-free diet.

For this reason…

Instead of using your Celiac Disease diagnosis to determine what kind of “rate” you’ll be able to qualify for, most life insurance companies will typically “assume” that you would be eligible for a Preferred rate provided you are taking the necessary steps to minimize the severity of your condition. 

This is why it’s pretty much impossible to know for sure what kind of rate you might qualify for without first speaking with you directly and getting a better understanding of how “severe” your condition is.

That said, however…

What we can say for sure is that if you are currently experiencing severe symptoms associated with your disease, chances are you’re probably going to find that most (if not all) life insurance companies are going to want to postpone your application until which point you have a better “handle” on your condition.

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. 

This 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, 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 help 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 Celiac Disease?

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 Burial Life 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 explore your options, just give us a call!