Life Insurance with Scoliosis

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 Scoliosis.

Questions that will be addressed will include:

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

Yes, individuals who have been diagnosed with Scoliosis 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…

Simply knowing that someone has been diagnosed with Scoliosis isn’t going to be enough information for a life insurance underwriter to be able to make his or her decision about your life insurance application because Scoliosis is a pre-existing medical condition that can vary pretty significantly from one patient to the next.

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

The main reason why most of the top life insurance companies are going to “care” if an individual has been diagnosed with Scoliosis is that when an individual suffers from “severe” Scoliosis, they may begin suffering from some pretty significant complications particularly as they get older.

This is why…

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

Scoliosis Defined:

Scoliosis is a medical condition whereby one’s spine begins to take on a sideways curvature. The “curvature” will most often occur during a growth spurt just before puberty. In most cases, they may not be a medical “cause” for one to develop Scoliosis; however, in some cases, it may be caused by cerebral palsy or muscular dystrophy.

Common symptoms may include:

• A rotating spine,
• Uneven hips,
• One-shoulder blade higher than the other,
• A visible curvature of the spine as one bends over.

Serious complications may include:

• Breathing problems,
• Persistent pain if the curvature causes excessive wear and tear to one’s spine,
• Spine or nerve damage,
• Spinal fluid “leakage”.

Fortunately…

Scoliosis is a condition that can be treated should the condition become severe enough to warrant treatment. Treatment options may include bracing or surgery.

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 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 Scoliosis?
• How severe is your Scoliosis?
• What symptoms (if any) led to your diagnosis?
• Have you had your Scoliosis treated?
• Do you suffer from any “serious” complications as a result of your Scoliosis?
• Have you been diagnosed with any other pre-existing medical condition?
• Has your doctor recommended or suggested you may need any surgical procedures in the future?
• 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 a lot of variables that can come into play when trying to determine what kind of “rate” an individual who has been diagnosed with Neuritis. 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 Neuritis will usually fall into one of two categories that we can make some “assumptions” about that will generally hold true.

Category #1.

The first group will consist of those who may have been diagnosed with Scoliosis, and either had it treated (cured) or suffer from such a mild case that their doctor made the determination that no treatment would be necessary. In cases like these, what you’re generally going to find is that this previous Scoliosis diagnosis is not going to be something that most life insurance companies are going to discriminate against you for.

Which means that…

Whatever “rate” you would have been able to qualify for PRIOR to being diagnosed with Scoliosis will probably be the same “rate” that you will be able to qualify for AFTER having been diagnosed with Scoliosis.

Category #2.

The second group of folks that we’ll encounter will be those who haven’t had their Scoliosis treated and DO suffer from a rather severe case of Scoliosis. In cases like these, what you’re likely to find is that most will still be able to qualify for a traditional term or whole life insurance policy only now, they’re probably not going to be able to qualify for a Preferred rate and will most likely have to settle for a “high risk” or “sub-standard” table rate.

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 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 Scoliosis?

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 to you, just give us a call!