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 a Sjogren’s Syndrome.

Questions that will be addressed will include:

• Can I qualify for life insurance if I have been diagnosed with a Sjogren’s Syndrome?
• Why do life insurance companies care if I’ve been diagnosed with a Sjogren’s Syndrome?
• 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 a Sjogren’s Syndrome?

Yes, individuals who have been diagnosed with Sjogren’s Syndrome can and often will be able to qualify for a traditional term or whole life insurance policy. In fact, most patients who have Sjogren’s Syndrome will be able to live a long and healthy life!

The only problem is…

That on rare occasions, individuals who have been diagnosed with Sjogren’s Syndrome will go on to develop a variety of different complications, which will certainly have an effect on the outcome of one’s life insurance application.

This is why…

Prior to being approved for a traditional life insurance policy most (if not all) of the top 10 best life insurance companies  (in our humble opinion) will want to learn a little bit more about your Sjogren’s Syndrome so that they can get a better idea of what kind of “risk” you may pose to them as the insurer.

Why do life insurance companies care if I’ve been diagnosed with a Sjogren’s Syndrome?

The main reason why a life insurance company is going to “care” if you have been diagnosed with Sjogren’s Syndrome is that in certain rare situations, some individuals may develop an increased risk of developing Lymphoma.

This is why…

You may want to consider avoiding applying for a no medical exam term life insurance policy as well, seeing how these policies tend to be more difficult to qualify for after someone has been diagnosed with a pre-existing medical condition like Sjogren’s Syndrome.

For this reason…

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

Sjogren’s Syndrome Defined:

Sjogren’s Syndrome is an autoimmune disease that specifically attacks the glands that make tears and saliva. As a result, one of the first symptoms an individual might start experiencing will be a dry mouth and/or dry eyes.

Other common symptoms/complications may include:

• Joint pain,
• Swollen salivary glands,
• Dental cavities,
• Skin rashes or dry skin,
• Vision problems,
• Persistent dry cough,
• Vaginal dryness,

The most serious of all possible complications however will be the increased risk of developing Lymphoma, which is why regular medical care and follow up is essential for anyone who has been diagnosed with Sjogren’s Syndrome.

Treatment options…

May include the use of Hydroxychloroquine (Plaquenil), which is a medication most commonly used to treat malaria as well as Methotrexate (Trexall), which is commonly used to suppress one’s immune system.

“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 Optic Neuritis… 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 likely be asked may include:

• When were you first diagnosed with Sjogren’s Syndrome?
• Who diagnosed your Sjogren’s Syndrome? A general practitioner or specialist?
• What symptoms (if any) led to your diagnosis?
• How are you treating your Sjogren’s Syndrome?
• Have you been diagnosed with any other pre-existing medical conditions?
• Are you currently taking any prescription medications?
• How often do you see your primary care physician?
• In the past two years, have you been hospitalized or any reason?
• Are you currently working now?
• In the past 12 months, have you applied of 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 Sjogren’s Syndrome. 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 Sjogren’s Syndrome will usually fall into one of two categories that we can make some “assumptions” about that will generally hold true.

Category #1.

Will consist of folks who have been diagnosed with Sjogren’s Syndrome, but don’t seem to be suffering from any other pre-existing medical conditions and haven’t exhibited any signs of suffering from Lymphoma. In cases like these, what you’re generally going to find is that most individuals will be considered “eligible” for a traditional life insurance policy, however, they’ll most likely only be able to qualify for a Table Rate (somewhere between table A-H).

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.

Category #2.

The second group of folks that we might encounter will be those who have been diagnosed with Sjogren’s Syndrome and have either been diagnosed with some “other” pre-existing medical conditions or have actually developed Lymphoma as a direct result of having Sjogren’s Syndrome.

In cases like these…

What you’re typically going to find is that in most life insurance companies aren’t going to be willing to insure someone for a traditional life insurance policy which will mean that most folks in this situation will need to pursue a Guaranteed Issue Life Insurance Policy if they still wish to be able to qualify for “some” coverage.

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!