Life Insurance with Myositis.
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 Myositis.
Questions that will be addressed will include:
- Can I qualify for life insurance if I have been diagnosed with Myositis?
- Why do life insurance companies care if I have been diagnosed with Myositis?
- 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 Myositis?
Yes, individuals who have been diagnosed with Myositis 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 problem is…
That in some cases, a life insurance company may consider Myositis more of a “symptom” of some other pre-existing medical condition rather than the “real” concern during the underwriting process. In situations like these, what you’ll likely find is that your Myositis diagnosis will largely be ignored while more time will be spent on understanding what is causing you to suffer from this condition.
Why do life insurance companies care if I have been diagnosed with Myositis?
In general, what we here at IBUSA have found is that most life insurance companies aren’t going to be all that worried about an individual who has been diagnosed with Myositis provided that it isn’t because caused by some “kind” of serious pre-existing medical condition.
This is why…
We wanted to take a moment and actually describe exactly what Myositis is as well as highlight some of the most common symptoms and causes of this disease so that we can get a better idea about when this condition will and won’t play a significant role in one’s life insurance application.
Myositis Defined:
Myositis is a condition whereby the muscle that you used to move your body becomes inflamed. Typically, this condition will be broken down further into one of two types, including Polymyositis and Dermatomyositis. Both Polymyositis and Dermatomyositis will cause a patient to suffer from muscle weakness; only Dermatomyositis will include additional skin rashes as well.
Common symptoms of Myositis may include:
- Difficulty rising or climbing upstairs,
- Fatigue,
- Difficult swallowing and sometimes breathing,
- Unexplained sore muscles,
- Elevated CPK and Aldolase enzyme levels.
Potential causes may include:
- Autoimmune diseases.
- Including:
- Viral or bacterial infections.
- Including:
- Drug use.
- Including:
-
-
-
- Statins,
- Plaquenil,
- Illicit drug use,
-
-
- Etc…
-
Now…
Before anyone gets too upset or beings complaining about the simplicity of our definitions that we’re using here, it’s important to understand that we here at IBUSA aren’t medical experts of doctors. We are a bunch of life insurance agents who just happen to be really good at helping folks with pre-existing medical conditions like the ones described above find and qualify for coverage.
Which means that…
Because we’re not going to be the one “diagnosing” your condition and we’re certainly not going to be involved in treating your condition, all we need to do is understand that there are differences between these different pre-existing medical conditions and how those differences are going to affect how a life insurance underwriter is going to consider you as a potential “risk”.
The good news is that despite how simply our definitions of these diseases may be, this is something that we actually have down pat!
Which is why…
When we are approached by an individual who has been diagnosed with any of these “kinds” of conditions, we’re going to know right away what questions a life insurance underwriter is going to want to know the answers too before he or she will be willing to make any kind of decision about the outcome of your life insurance application.
What kind of information will the insurance companies ask me or be interested in?
Common questions you’ll likely be asked my include:
- When were your first diagnosed with Myositis?
- Who diagnosed your Myositis? A general practitioner? A specialist? Yourself?
- What symptoms led to your diagnosis?
- Did your Myositis also have a skin rash component (Dermatomyositis)?
- Do you know what caused your Myositis?
- 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 admitted into a hospital for any reason?
- Are you currently working now?
- In the past 12 months, have you applied or received any type of disability benefits?
What rate (or price) can I qualify for?
Generally, what we here at IBUSA have found is that most individuals diagnosed with Myositis are going to fall into one of three categories when it comes to determining what kind of “rate” they might be able to qualify for.
Category #1.
The first category will be those who are currently treating their Myositis. In cases like these, their application will likely be “postponed” until they are “cured,” at which point they would be classified into one of the following categories.
Category #2.
Individuals in this category will have recovered from their previous Myositis infection; however, some other pre-existing medical condition or “lifestyle” choice (illicit drug use, excessive alcohol use) will likely become the primary factor in determining what “rate” they will be able to qualify for.
In cases like these…
The Myositis diagnosis is more of a “symptom” of some other condition rather than the main concern for a life insurance underwriter (see Pre-existing Medical Conditions for more information about what is causing you to suffer from Myositis).
Category #3.
The last category folks who have been diagnosed with Myositis will consist of those who have recovered from their Myositis and don’t seem to be suffering from any pre-existing condition (or lifestyle choice) that would cause them to be at an increased risk of developing Myositis again. In cases like these, what you’re generally going to find is that whatever rate an individual might have been able to qualify for PRIOR to being diagnosed with Myositis should be the same “rate” that they would qualify for AFTER having been diagnosed with Myositis.
“Which is great!”
And segues nicely into the last topic that we wanted to take a moment and discuss with you here today, 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 works best for folks who have been diagnosed with a pre-existing medical condition where the “severity” of the condition is often “subjective” is for the applicant to make sure that they first find a true-life insurance professional who will work as an advocate for you.
Such an agent…
Will not only help guide you through the application process but also be perfectly “frank” with you about what options may or may not be possible for you.
From there…
You’ll also want to make sure that the very same agent you have chosen has access to dozens of different life insurance companies because after all, it really doesn’t matter how “great” of a life insurance agent you might have if they don’t have access to the “best” life insurance policy for you! Now, does it?
Now, will we be able to help out everyone who has been previously diagnosed with Myositis?
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!
