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 Pancreatitis.

Questions that will be addressed will include:

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

Yes, individuals who have been previously diagnosed with Pancreatitis 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 there are two “types” or Pancreatitis that an individual can suffer from. Which is why most (if not all) of the best term life insurance companies are going to want to know more about what “kind” of Pancreatitis you were diagnosed with. And whether or not you have made a complete recovery before making any decisions about your life insurance application.

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

There are two main reasons why a life insurance company is going to “care” if you have been diagnosed with Pancreatitis. The first reason is that Pancreatitis is a serious infection that that in some cases, may lead one to develop some pretty serious is not life-threatening complications.

The second main reason…

The second main reasons why a life insurance company is going to “care” if you have been diagnosed with Pancreatitis is because there are two “types” of Pancreatitis that one can be diagnosed with.

• One that won’t cause any kind of long-term or permanent damage to one’s pancreas 
• And another “type” that can cause permanent fibrosis and calcification to the pancreas!

This is why…

We wanted to take a moment and discuss what Pancreatitis is as well as highlight some of the most common symptoms/complications of this disease so that we’ll have a better idea of exactly what a life insurance underwriter will be looking for when making his or her decision about your life insurance application.

Pancreatitis Defined:

Pancreatitis is a term used to describe a disease whereby one’s pancreas becomes inflamed. This “inflammation” can occur in either be an isolated episode as seen in those suffering from an Acute Pancreatitis in which little or no permanent damage to the pancreas occurs or some individuals may develop Chronic Pancreatitis in which after the initial “flare-up” occurs, permanent damage in the form of fibrosis, calcification, and ductal inflammation remain.

Common symptoms may include:

• Upper abdominal pain,
• Back pain,
• Flu-like symptoms including fever,
• Rapid pulse rate,
• Nausea and/or vomiting,
• Etc…

Serious complications may include:

• Increased risk of infections,
• Kidney failure,
• Diabetes,
• Increased risk of pancreatic cancer,
• Malnutrition,
• Development of pseudocysts with the pancreas.

Potential causes of Pancreatitis may include:

• Autoimmune diseases,
• Excessive use of alcohol,
• Surgery,
• Trauma,
• Metabolic disorders,
• Gallstones,
• Infections,
• Etc…

Fortunately…

Pancreatitis is a treatable condition, however, treatment will most likely include a hospital stay whereby one can receive plenty of intravenous fluids and antibiotics to ensure that the underlying infection is treated properly.

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 try and 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 your own doctor could really harm yourself!

Second…

Nobody here at IBUSA is medically trained, and we’re certainly not doctors. All we ware is a bunch of life insurance agents who just happened to be really good at helping individuals find and qualify for the life insurance that they’re looking for. 

So please don’t mistake any of the medical information that we talk about as medical advice because 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 Pancreatitis… that’s it! This brings us to our next topic, which is…

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 Pancreatitis?
• Who diagnosed your Pancreatitis? A general practitioner or a specialist?
• What symptoms led to your diagnosis?
• What “type” of Pancreatitis were you diagnosed with? Acute or Chronic?
• How was your Pancreatitis treated?
• Did your treatment require a hospital stay? If so, how long were you in the hospital?
• Do you know “why” you developed Pancreatitis?
• Have you been diagnosed with any other per-existing medical condition?
• Are you currently taking any prescription medications?
• Do you have any history of drug or alcohol abuse?
• Do you have any issues with your driving record? Issues such as multiple moving violations, a DUI, or a suspended license?
• 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 Pancreatitis. 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 Pancreatitis will usually fall into one of four different categories that we can make some “assumptions” about that will generally hold true.

Category #1.

The first group we’ll start off with will be the group who is either currently treating their Pancreatitis right now or just recently recovered from their Pancreatitis (and by recently recovered we mean less than two years ago). 

In cases like these…

What you’re most likely going to find is that most (if not all) life insurance companies are going to want to make sure that you first make a full recovery and then maintain your good health for a minimum of two years before they will be willing to consider you eligible for a traditional life insurance policies. Individuals in this situation may wish to consider purchasing a Guaranteed Issue Life Insurance policy or an Accidental Death Policy until which point; they would be eligible for a traditional life insurance policy option.

Category #2.

Individuals who will fall into this category will be those who have been diagnosed with Chronic Pancreatitis, a pre-existing medical condition that is considered by most (if not all) life insurance companies to be “un-insurable” for a traditional term or whole life insurance policy. 

Individuals in this situation may wish to consider purchasing a Guaranteed Issue Life Insurance policy should they still wish to try and obtain some life insurance coverage.

Category #3.

Applicants in the category will be those who have been diagnosed with a case of Acute Pancreatitis; however, the in their situation, their Pancreatitis is actually a symptom of another pre-existing medical condition such as an:

• Autoimmune disease,
• Metabolic disorder,
• Alcoholism,
• Etc…

In which case, the underlying cause of one’s Acute Pancreatitis will become the ultimate factor in determining what kind of “rate” an individual might be able to qualify for. 

In cases like these, we would encourage you to take a look at our Pre-existing Medical Conditions page for more information about the root cause of your Pancreatitis.

Category #4.

Finally, we’ll have those folks who simply developed a case of Acute Pancreatitis due to some kind of “temporary” condition, which has subsequently passed. These individuals will have suffered from their Pancreatitis over two years ago and been healthy ever since. Individuals like these can potentially qualify for a Preferred rate provided that they don’t suffer from any lingering effects of their Pancreatitis and can meet all of the other requirements to earn such a rate.

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!