In this article, we wanted to take a moment and try to answer some of the most common questions we get from folks applying for life insurance with Paraplegia.

Questions that will be addressed will include:

• Can I qualify for life insurance if I have been diagnosed with Paraplegia?
• Why do life insurance companies care if I’ve been diagnosed with Paraplegia?
• What kind of information will the insurance companies ask me or be interested in?
• What rate (or price) can I qualify for?
• How can I help ensure I get the “best life insurance”?

So, without further ado, let’s dive right in!

Can I qualify for life insurance if I’ve been diagnosed with Paraplegia?

Yes, individuals who have been diagnosed with Paraplegia can and often will be able to qualify for a traditional term or whole life insurance policy. The only problem is that because suffering from Paraplegia can potentially increase one’s risks of developing other pre-existing medical conditions which could play a role in determining your eligibility for coverage, most (if not all) of the best life insurance companies (in our humble opinion) will want to know more about your situation before they will be willing to make any definitive decisions about your life insurance application.

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

The main reason why a life insurance company is going to “care” that you have been diagnosed with Paraplegia is that they are going to want to know if you are potentially at risk of developing some of the more severe complications associated with Paraplegia as well as learn how “well” you are dealing with our injury/condition.

For this reason…

We wanted to take a moment and just briefly discuss precisely what it means to be diagnosed as a Paraplegic, as well as discuss some of the most common symptoms/complications of this condition so that we can gain a better understanding of exactly what a life insurance underwriter will be looking for when making their decision about your life insurance application.

Paraplegia Defined:

Paraplegia is defined as the paralysis of the legs and lower body. It is a condition that is typically caused by some spinal injury or disease. Diseases that could cause one to become Paraplegic may include:

• Motor neuron disease,
• Cancer,
• Blood clots within the spinal cord,
• Spina Bifida,
• Prolonged alcohol addiction,
• Etc…

Symptoms of Paraplegia will often include:

• Inability to feel or move one’s lower extremities,
• Loss of bladder and bowel control,
• Loss of sexual functioning,
• Difficult breathing,
• Intense pain or tingling along the affected areas.

Additional serious complications may include:

• Increased risk of respiratory infections, including pneumonia,
• Increased risk of asthma,
• Bradycardia.

Now, at this point…

We usually like to take a moment and remind folks that nobody here at IBUSA has any “official” medical training, and we’re certainly not doctors. All we are is a bunch of life insurance agents who are good at helping folks with pre-existing medical conditions like this one find and qualify for the life insurance coverage they are looking for.

But…

It’s not so great if you’re seeking answers to specific medical questions. In such cases, we recommend contacting an actual medical professional with 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?

Typical questions you’ll likely be asked may include:

• When did you first become Paraplegic?
• What caused you to become Paraplegic?
  • Was it because of an:
    • Injury?
    • Motor neuron disease?
    • Cancer?
    • Etc…
  • Have you been diagnosed with any other pre-existing medical conditions?
  • Aside from not being able to move your lower extremities, do you suffer from any other symptoms related to your condition?
    • Symptoms such as:
      • Pain?
      • Difficulty breathing?
      • Frequent respiratory infections?
      • Bradycardia?
    • What is your current weight?
    • In the past 12 months, have you used any tobacco or nicotine products?
    • Are you currently living independently on your own?
    • 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, many variables can come into play when determining what kind of “rate” an individual has been diagnosed as a Parapalegic.  This is why it’s pretty much impossible to know what kind of “rate” you might be able to qualify for without first speaking with you directly. That said, however, most individuals who have been diagnosed with Paraplegia will usually fall into one of three different categories that we can make some “assumptions” about that will generally hold.

Category #1.

Category one would be those who have been diagnosed with Paraplegia, which has been caused by some “type” of pre-existing medical condition that on its own could be considered cause for denying a traditional life insurance application. Individuals in this situation are unlikely to qualify for a standard term or whole life insurance policy. They may need to consider a Guaranteed Issue Life Insurance policy to purchase some life insurance coverage.

Category #2.

Category two consists of those who may have developed Paraplegia due to some “kind” of injury that isn’t likely to happen again. However, their overall health, in addition to their Paraplegia, may be preventing them from being able to qualify for a traditional term or whole life insurance policy. A typical client would be one that, perhaps, weighs too much or, in addition to their injuries, they also smoke or have asthma.

Individuals…

In this situation, you may also consider purchasing a Guaranteed Issue Life Insurance Policy if they won’t qualify for a traditional life insurance policy soon.

Category #3.

This last group of individuals who have been diagnosed with Paraplegia will be those who have most likely become Paraplegic due to some injury and have been able to maintain a somewhat “normal” life (whatever that is) since their traumatic injury. A typical individual who would fall into this category would be one who is still able to live and function independently, most likely be able to work a full-time job (or own their own business), and be someone who isn’t letting their injury prevent them from living a full and active life!

An individual’s like this…

Will typically be able to qualify for a traditional life insurance policy; however, due to their inherent risk of suffering from future respiratory infections, most life insurance companies will still consider these “types” of applicants as “high risk,” so much so, that they will usually only be able to qualify for Table Rates ranging from H to J.

The good news is that regardless of your situation, we here at IBUSA can help because we have tons of experience helping folks with pre-existing medical conditions like yours. We are committed to helping all our clients find the “best” life insurance policy they can qualify for. This brings us to the last topic that we wanted to take a moment and discuss, which is…

How can I help ensure I get the “best life insurance” for me?

In our experience here at IBUSA, we have found that usually, the folks who seem to see the “best” life insurance policy for them are those that:

• Take their time reviewing their options.
• Ask a lot of questions.

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 help 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’ll find here at IBUSA!