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 Spina bifida.

Questions that will be addressed will include:

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

Yes, individuals who have been diagnosed with Spina Bifida can and often will be able to qualify for a traditional term or whole life insurance.

The only problem is.

While many folks with spina bifida will be able to qualify for a traditional life insurance policy, many others won’t and will be forced to seek out an “alternative” product, such as a Guaranteed Issue Life Insurance Policy, if they still want to purchase a life insurance policy. The trick then becomes understanding which clients will and won’t be able to qualify for a traditional policy and knowing when to seek out those “alternative” products.

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

The main reason why most top-rated life insurance companies are going to “care” if you have been diagnosed with Spina Bifida is that even in the most “mild” of cases, this disease can cause folks who suffer from it to develop a wide range of complications some of which can be pretty significant.

This is why, we wanted to take a moment to discuss spina bifida and highlight some of its most common symptoms/complications so that we can better understand what a life insurance underwriter will and won’t look for when deciding on your life insurance application.

Spina Bifida Defined:

Spina Bifida is a congenital disability that occurs when one’s spine and spinal cord don’t form properly, which is why Spina Bifida is commonly classified as just one of several different types of neural tube defects that one can suffer from.

Symptoms at birth may include:

• Weak or paralyzed legs,
• Urinary incontinence,
• Characteristic brown spots on one’s skin,
• Bowel incontinence,
• Reduced skin sensation,
• Increased cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) may progress to hydrocephalus and possible brain damage.

Serious complications may include:

• Hydrocephalus,
• Permanent paralysis of one’s legs,
• Increased risk of urinary tract infections (UTI’s),
• Kidney disease,
• Kidney failure.

Unfortunately…

There currently isn’t a cure for spina bifida. However, various to help someone with this disease to help manage and prevent some of the most troublesome complications. This is why it’s essential to maintain regular checkups with your primary care physician so that they can help you create a treatment program specifically designed for you to live a long and healthy life.

“This brings us to an important point we think we ought to mention.”

First…

If you have a medical issue, don’t use the internet to diagnose yourself. After all, if you do and you’re correct, you’ll still need to see the doctor, and if you’re wrong, the time you spend being your doctor could harm yourself!

Second…

Nobody here at IBUSA is medically trained; we’re certainly not doctors. We are all a bunch of life insurance agents who just happened to be good at helping individuals find and qualify for the life insurance they’re looking for. So please don’t mistake any of the medical information we discuss 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 Spina Bifida… 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?

Typical questions you’ll likely be asked may include:

• How old are you now?
• What symptoms do you suffer from as a result of your Spina Bifida?
• Over the past 12 months, have any of those symptoms worsened?
• Are you currently confined to a wheelchair?
• In the past two years, have you been admitted to a hospital for any reason?
• Have you been diagnosed with any other pre-existing medical conditions?
• Have you ever suffered from a heart attack or stroke?
• Do you have any issues with your driver’s license, such as multiple moving violations, a DUI, or a suspended license?
• In the past 12 months, have you used any tobacco or nicotine products?
• Are you currently working?
• 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 spina bifida might qualify for. 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 who have been diagnosed with Spina Bifida will usually fall into one of two different categories that we can make some “assumptions” about that will generally hold true.

Category #1.

This group will consist of those who have been diagnosed with spina bifida but seem to be able to live a “normal” life aside from the obvious challenges that this disease will present. Individuals like these typically can care for themselves, maintain an active social life, and usually maintain full-time employment or own their own business.

In general…

These will be the “types” of folks who will be able to frequently qualify for a traditional life insurance policy, albeit at a “high risk” or “sub-standard” table rate, usually ranging somewhere around a table A-D.

Table rates…

These are life insurance rates typically reserved for “higher risk” applicants. They range from Table A, considered the “best” or least expensive table rate, to Table J, regarded as the “worst” or most expensive table rate.

Category #2.

The second group of folks we’ll commonly encounter will be those who probably won’t qualify for a traditional life insurance policy. These individuals will likely suffer from more severe disabilities as a result of their disease. They will most likely not be able to live on their own, work a full-time job, or perhaps suffer from some other “type” of pre-existing medical condition, which is further complicating their situation.

In cases like these, you’re generally going to find that these folks will need to seek out an “alternative” product that won’t require one to “medically” qualify for coverage—products such as Accidental Death Policies or Guaranteed Issue Life Insurance policies.

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 precisely what you’ll find here at IBUSA!