In this article, we wanted to take a moment to answer some of the most common questions we get from folks applying for life insurance after being diagnosed with Discoid Lupus Erythematosus (DLE).

Questions that will be addressed will include:

• Can I qualify for life insurance if I have been diagnosed with Discoid Lupus Erythematosus (DLE)?
• Why do life insurance companies care if I have been diagnosed with Discoid Lupus Erythematosus (DLE)?
• 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 Discoid Lupus Erythematosus (DLE)?

Yes, individuals who have been diagnosed with Discoid Lupus Erythematosus (DLE) 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!

Why do life insurance companies care if I have been diagnosed with Discoid Lupus Erythematosus (DLE)?

What you’re generally going to find is that most (if not all) of the top-rated term life insurance companies aren’t going to spend an enormous amount of time asking you questions about your DLE provide that it isn’t preventing you from living a “normal” life (whatever that may be).

This is because…

At the end of the day, while suffering from Discoid Lupus Erythematosus may be extremely frustrating, it’s not something that’s likely to cause someone to suffer from any serious complications. That said, however, just about any time someone is diagnosed with a “chronic” medical condition that does not have a cure, it’s not uncommon to have a life insurance underwriter ask you a few questions about it during your life insurance application.

This is why…

We wanted to take a moment and discuss what Discoid Lupus Erythematosus is as well as highlight some of the most common symptoms associated with the disease so that we’ll have a better understanding of what a life insurance underwriter might look for if he or she decides they want to investigate your condition a little bit before making their decision.

Discoid Lupus Erythematosus (DLE) Defined:

Discoid Lupus Erythematosus is a chronic skin condition where patients develop sores and inflammation all along the face, ears, and scalp (it may also affect other areas of the body as well). Each “lesion” will usually develop as a red, inflamed patch and can often cause scarring.

Common symptom may include:

• Red lesion,
• “Scaling” of the skin,
• Peeling,
• Blisters,
• Hair thinning,
• Skin color changes,
• Alopecia,

Serious complications may include permanent scarring as well as an increased risk of infection.

Unfortunately…

Medical professionals are still not aware of what causes one to develop Discoid Lupus Erythematosus. However, it is believed that there may be a variety of reasons why someone might develop this condition, including:

• Genetic predisposition,
• Environmental factors,
• Stress,
• Hormonal changes,
• Etc…

The good news is…

That oftentimes, prompt treatment with palliative medications can often minimize the damage caused by DLE, and in some cases, the use of Hydroxychloroquine has been found to reduce the number of “flare-ups” some individuals may experience.

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 may be asked may include:

• When were you first diagnosed with Discoid Lupus Erythematosus?
• Who diagnosed your Discoid Lupus Erythematosus?
• What symptoms led to your diagnosis?
• Has your Discoid Lupus Erythematosus cause you to suffer from any additional symptoms other than just a skin rash?
• When was the last time you suffered from a “flare-up”?
• Have you been diagnosed with any other pre-existing medical conditions?
• Are you currently taking any prescription medications?
• In the past two 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 by the questions above, once a life insurance company has learned that you have been previously diagnosed with Discoid Lupus Erythematosus and haven’t developed any “serious” complications resulting from your DLE, the focus of the life insurance underwriter attention will then turn to whether or not you represent an increased risk of suffering from this condition again.

Or have you been diagnosed with some other “type” of pre-existing medical condition which they should focus their attention on.

If not…

What you’re generally going to find is that your previous DLE diagnosis most likely won’t be used against you. This means that whatever “rate” you would have been able to qualify for PRIOR to be diagnosed with Discoid Lupus Erythematosus should be the same “rate” that you would be able to qualify for AFTER having been diagnosed with Discoid Lupus Erythematosus.

As for the rest…

Of folks who may have some other “kind” of pre-existing medical condition to contend with, what you’re most likely going to find is that this “other” pre-existing medical condition will ultimately be what determines your outcome life insurance application. In cases like these, we would invite you to check out our Pre-Existing Medical Conditions page, where we may have more details on this “other” condition which you have been diagnosed with.

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, 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 so, if you ready to find out what we can do for you, just give us a call and let give us a chance

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

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!