Life Insurance with Lymphoma.

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 either Hodgkin or Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma.

Questions that will be addressed will include:

• Can I qualify for life insurance if I have been diagnosed with either one of these “types” of cancer?
• Why do life insurance companies care if I’ve been diagnosed with either Hodgkin or Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma?
• 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 Hodgkin or Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma?

Yes, individuals who have been diagnosed with either Hodgkin or Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma can and often will be able to qualify for a traditional life insurance policy.

This is because…

Even though these are considered two separate “types” of cancers, each of them will be treated somewhat the same way by more of the top-rated life insurance companies in that individuals will generally be considered eligible once they have completed treatment and been declared cancer-free for some set period of time which will usually be dictated by the “severity” of their original diagnosis.

For this reason…

Many life insurance agents will often come to believe that it is easier for those suffering from Hodgkin Lymphoma to qualify for coverage. However this “simplicity” isn’t necessarily due to the actual disease. Instead, individuals with Hodgkin Lymphoma will often find it easier to qualify for a traditional life insurance policy because these “types” of cancers are usually located within the upper body around the next, chest or armpits and are often diagnosed very early on.

Which generally…

Translates into a shorter treatment period and a higher survival rate, which will ultimately make it much easier for someone to qualify for a traditional life insurance policy. But the truth is, the same could be said about Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma as well. The only difference is that because Non-Hodgkin Lymphomas tend to occur in other areas of the body, they can sometimes go undetected for a longer period of time, thereby increasing the difficulty of treatment and lowering the odds of survival.

Why do life insurance companies care if I’ve been diagnosed with either Hodgkin or Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma?

Any time an individual has been diagnosed with a pre-existing medical condition, it’s a safe bet that most life insurance companies are going to want to know about it. Now when that pre-existing medical condition happens to be “cancer,” well then you don’t need to wonder whether or not an insurance company is going to want to know about it, you can bet they’re going to want to know EVERYTHING about it.

Particularly when…

The five-year survival rates of these two types of Lymphoma can vary some much from one another and within themselves depending on the “stage” that one Lymphoma is ultimately able to get to.

For this reason…

If you have been diagnosed with a lymphoma, whether it be a Hodgkin or Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma, you should prepare yourself to answer a lot of questions about your condition. As well as assume that eventually, you will most likely need to allow your insurance company to have access to your medical records during your application process.

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

If you have been diagnosed with lymphoma, a type of cancer that affects the immune system, the insurance company will be interested in the following types of information when you apply for life insurance:

• The type of lymphoma you have: There are several different types of lymphoma, including Hodgkin lymphoma and non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Each type has different characteristics and treatment options, and the insurance company will want to know which type you have.
• The stage of your lymphoma: The stage of your lymphoma refers to how advanced it is. The insurance company will want to know whether your lymphoma is in an early or advanced stage, as this can affect your prognosis and treatment options.
• The treatment you have received: The insurance company will want to know what treatment you have received for your lymphoma, such as chemotherapy, radiation therapy, or a bone marrow transplant. They will also want to know the results of your treatment, such as whether your cancer is in remission or whether it has returned.
• Your overall health: The insurance company will want to know about any other medical conditions you have and any medications you are taking. They will also want to know about your lifestyle habits, such as whether you smoke or whether you engage in regular physical activity.
• Your family medical history: The insurance company may ask about the medical history of your family members, as some medical conditions, including lymphoma, can have a genetic component.

It is important to be honest and accurate when answering these questions, as providing false or misleading information on a life insurance application can invalidate your policy.

What rate (or price) can I qualify for?

As one can see, many factors can come into play when determining what “kind” of rate one might qualify for when applying for a traditional life insurance policy after being diagnosed with a Lymphoma. For this reason, it’s impossible to know what “kind” of rate you might qualify for without first speaking with you directly.

That said however…

There are a few “assumptions” that we can make that will generally hold, which we’ll go over now so that hopefully we may be able to give you a general idea about what kind of rate you may be able to qualify for.

For example:

If you are currently being treated for a Lymphoma or have just recently gone into remission (less than two years ago), what you’re generally going to find is that most life insurance companies are either going to DENY or POSTPONE your life insurance application until you’re no longer receiving treatment. You’ve been declared cancer-free for a minimum of two years.

In cases like these…

Most applicants will either need to wait to apply for a traditional life insurance policy or consider purchasing an alternative product, such as an Accidental Death Policy or a Burial Life Insurance Policy.

Now for individuals…

Who has been in cancer remission for over two years, it’s entirely possible that you may be able to qualify for a traditional life insurance policy. However, chances are the best rate that you would be able to qualify for would be a Standard or “normal” rate.

Individuals able to…

Qualify for a Standard rate would likely be those who diagnosed their condition early on before it was able to spread throughout their body and most likely have only been diagnosed with Lymphoma once.

Conversely…

Those who we challenged by a more “serious” case of Lymphoma where their cancer was able to spread out to multiple locations within their body or has been able to return after they have gone into remission will likely find it more difficult to qualify for a traditional life insurance policy and will likely only be able to qualify for a Sub-Standard rate at best.

The good news is…

We here at IBUSA have plenty of experience helping even the most “challenging” cases find and qualify for the coverage they are looking for, which brings us to the last topic that we wanted to discuss in this article…

What can I do to help ensure that I get the “best life insurance” for me?

In our experiences here at IBUSA, we’ve found that usually, the “best” approach in helping someone find the “best” life insurance policy for them is to first:

Fully understand what an individual is trying to achieve by purchasing their life insurance policy.  Are you looking to:

• • • Cover the cost of a mortgage?
    • Replace lost wages?
    • Protect a child or spouse?
    • Or just cover one’s final expenses?

Then provide one with plenty of options to choose from so that you’re not limited to just one or two different options.

This is why…

We here at IBUSA choose to work with so many different life insurance companies so that when it comes time to help you decide “which” life insurance company is going to be the best for you, we don’t have to apply a…

“One Size Fits All”

Approach. Instead, we can make dozens of different life insurance companies compete for your business.

So, what are you waiting for? Give us a call today and experience the IBUSA difference.