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 with idiopathic Orthostatic Hypotension.

Questions that will be addressed will include:

• Can I qualify for life insurance if I have been diagnosed with Orthostatic Hypotension?
• Why do life insurance companies care if I’ve been diagnosed with Orthostatic Hypotension?
• 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’ve been diagnosed with Orthostatic Hypotension?

Yes, individuals who have been diagnosed with Orthostatic Hypotension 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 before a life insurance company can decide what kind of “rate” you should be able to qualify for, they’re going to want to make sure they fully understand why you suffer from Orthostatic Hypotension so that they can be sure that it is not a symptom of so other more “serious” pre-existing medical condition.

Why do life insurance companies care if I’ve been diagnosed with Orthostatic Hypotension?

Because most (if not all) of the best term life insurance companies aren’t going to use idiopathic (unknown cause) Orthostatic Hypotension as a reason to discriminate against someone when applying for a traditional term or whole life insurance policy, it’s safe to say that the main reason why a life insurance company is going to “care” if you been diagnosed with this condition is that they want to make sure that this is… ALL you have!

You see…

Orthostatic Hypotension can be caused by a variety of different reasons. Some causes of Orthostatic Hypotension will be totally benign (or even unknown), while others may actually be because of a serious pre-existing medical condition. This is why we wanted to take a moment to briefly describe what Orthostatic Hypotension is and highlight some of the most common symptoms/complications that can occur with this disease.

Orthostatic Hypotension Defined:

Orthostatic Hypotension is a term used to describe a form of low blood pressure that occurs when an individual goes from standing up to sitting or lying down. This sudden change in blood pressure levels can be caused by a variety of different reasons, including:

• Dehydration,
• Prolonged bed rest,
• Pregnancy,
• Diabetes,
• Varicose veins,
• Heart problems,
• Other cardiovascular reasons,
• Certain neurological disorders,
• Or there may be no known cause as well.

This is why…

Some folks may find it very easy to qualify for a traditional life insurance policy after having been diagnosed with Orthostatic Hypotension, while others may find it next to impossible!

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 Orthostatic Hypotension?
• Who diagnosed your Orthostatic Hypotension? A general practitioner or a specialist?
• Do you know why you suffer from Orthostatic Hypotension?
• Have you been diagnosed with any other pre-existing medical conditions?
• Have you ever suffered from a heart attack or stroke?
• Are you currently taking any prescription medications?
• In the past 12 months, have you used any tobacco or nicotine products?
• 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, there are many variables that can come into play when trying to determine what kind of “rate” an individual diagnosed with Orthostatic Hypotension. This is why it’s almost impossible to know what kind of “rate” you might qualify for without first speaking with you directly.

That said, however…

Most individuals who have been diagnosed with Orthostatic Hypotension will usually fall into one of two different categories that we can make some “assumptions” about that will generally hold true.

Category #1.

Those who have been diagnosed with Orthostatic Hypotension due to some kind of “unknown or idiopathic” cause or due to some kind of condition that’s temporary (think pregnancy). In these types of cases, what we’ll generally find is that most life insurance companies aren’t going to necessarily use an Orthostatic Hypotension diagnosis as a factor during the underwriting process.

Which means that…

In cases like these, it’s quite possible that someone might be able to qualify for a Preferred rate if they are able to meet all of the other necessary requirements for such a rate.

Category #2.

Individuals who will fall into this category will be one’s that suffer from some type of “pre-existing medical condition,” which caused them to Orthostatic Hypotension. In cases like these, we’re generally going to find that the underlying pre-existing condition, not the symptom of Orthostatic Hypotension is what’s REALLY going to determine what kind of “rate” you’ll be able to qualify for. 

For more information about the condition that is causing you to suffer from Orthostatic Hypotension and how it may affect the outcome of your life insurance application, we would recommend that you take a look at our Pre-Existing Medical Conditions page.

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!

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

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!