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 Sarcoidosis.

Questions that will be addressed will include:

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

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

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

Yes, individuals who have been diagnosed with Sarcoidosis can and often will be able to qualify for a traditional term or whole life insurance policy. Some may even be able to qualify for some of the best no-medical-exam life insurance companies at a Preferred rate!

And while…

Some folks may indeed qualify for a Preferred rate. Still, it’s important to understand that many others may be denied coverage entirely due to some unfortunate complication arising from this inflammatory disease. This is why before being approved for a traditional life insurance policy, one should expect to be asked quite a few questions about their Sarcoidosis and possibly have to submit one’s medical records.

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

What you’re generally going to find is that most (if not all) of the top-rated life insurance companies aren’t really going to care about whether or not an individual has been previously diagnosed with Sarcoidosis provided that they aren’t currently treating their condition or they haven’t developed and significant complications from their original attack.

For these reasons and more…

We wanted to take a moment to discuss what Sarcoidosis is and highlight some of the most common symptoms/complications of this disease so that we can better understand what a life insurance underwriter will be looking for when deciding about your life insurance application. By doing so, we should also better understand what type of “rate” you may or may not be able to qualify for.

Sarcoidosis Defined:

Sarcoidosis is an inflammatory disease that causes one to develop abnormal masses or nodules (referred to as granulomas), which can appear in various organs in the body but will mostly appear in the lungs and/or lymph glands. Symptoms of Sarcoidosis will generally depend on what organs are affected.

Common symptoms may include:

• Tender bumps or patches on the skin,
• Bloodshot eyes,
• Blurred vision,
• Swollen and painful joints,
• Swollen lymph nodes in the neck, armpit, and/or groin,
• Hoarse or raspy voice.

Serious complications may include:

• Lung infections, including Pneumonia,
• Eye disorders, including cataracts and glaucoma,
• Kidney failure,
• Arrhythmias,
• Facial paralysis,
• Infertility.

Fortunately, sarcoidosis is a condition that can be treated with corticosteroids, usually prednisone or prednisolone. In most cases, this will relieve one’s symptoms within a few months. However, some folks may find that they will need to take these medications for a longer period.

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 really 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 were you first diagnosed with Sarcoidosis?
• Who diagnosed your Sarcoidosis? A general practitioner or a specialist?
• What symptoms led to your diagnosis?
• What “organs” seem to be affected by your Sarcoidosis?
• Have you been diagnosed with any other pre-existing medical conditions?
• Are you currently taking any prescription medications right now?
• 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, many variables can come into play when determining what kind of “rate” an individual diagnosed with Sarcoidosis. This is why knowing what kind of “rate” you might qualify for is almost impossible without first speaking with you directly. That said, however most individuals diagnosed with Sarcoidosis will usually fall into one of three categories that we can make some “assumptions” about that will generally hold true.

Category #1.

The first group of folks that we’ll encounter who have been diagnosed with Sarcoidosis will be those who have just recently been diagnosed or are in the middle of their treatment. In cases like these, what you’ll typically find is that most life insurance companies will either want to POSTPONE one’s life insurance application until they have made a full recovery, or they may decide to approve one’s application at a rate lower than they probably would be able to qualify for had they waited until they had made a full recovery.

In cases like these…

Suppose a client doesn’t have any life insurance in place. In that case, we’ll typically recommend that they take the policy being offered to them for the shortest period available and then simply “re-apply” for coverage once their Sarcoidosis has healed. Now, we’ll be the first to admit that this may seem like a huge pain, but since none of us know which day will be our last day on this planet, taking this approach is the safest way to ensure your loved ones are protected.

Category #2.

This group will consist of those who have been diagnosed with Sarcoidosis, made a full recovery, and did not suffer from any significant complications from their disease. In cases like these, what you’re generally going to find is that most life insurance companies aren’t going to discriminate against you for your previous Sarcoidosis diagnosis.

Which means that…

Whatever “rate” you may have been able to qualify for BEFORE being diagnosed with Sarcoidosis will probably be the same rate as that of AFTER being diagnosed with Sarcoidosis. This is how some folks will still be able to qualify for a Preferred rate despite having been previously diagnosed with Sarcoidosis.

Category #3.

The last group that we’ll commonly encounter when trying to help someone who has been diagnosed with Sarcoidosis will be those who have recovered. However, they either have some other “type” or pre-existing medical condition or did develop some “kind” of serious complication as a result of their Sarcoidosis, which may potentially affect the outcome of their life insurance application.

In situations like these…

Some individuals will still be able to qualify for a traditional life insurance policy; however, it’s pretty safe to say that they’re probably not going to qualify for a Preferred rate. In fact, they will likely have to qualify for a “high risk” or Table rate somewhere between a A-C.

Table rates…

Are life insurance rates that are typically reserved for “higher risk” applicants and range from Table A, which would be considered the “best” or least expensive table rate, all the way to Table J, which would be considered the “worst” or most expensive table 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 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 find 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!”

Fortunately, this is precisely what you’ll find here at IBUSA!

Now, can we help out everyone previously diagnosed with Sarcoidosis?

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 if 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, call us!