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

Questions that will be addressed will include:

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

Yes, individuals who have been diagnosed with Tetralogy of Fallot can and often will be able to qualify or a traditional term or whole life insurance policy.

The only problem is…

That this “type” of congenital heart defect regardless of how “mild” or “severe” it may be, if it hasn’t been surgically treated most (if not all) of the best life insurance companies (in our humble opinion) are going to be unwilling to insure someone for a “traditional” life insurance policy.

Why do life insurance companies care if I’ve been diagnosed with Tetralogy of Fallot?

Pretty much any time someone has been diagnosed with a congenital heart defect, it’s a pretty safe bet that most life insurance companies are going to “care” about it especially if the heart defect in question is actually comprised of four different abnormalities.

This is why…

We wanted to take a moment and discuss what Tetralogy of Fallot is as well as highlight some of the most common symptoms/complications of this 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.

Tetralogy of Fallot Defined:

Tetralogy of Fallot is a congenital heart defect that consists of four different heart abnormalities. These abnormalities include:

• A vertical septal defect (VSD),
• Pulmonary valve stenosis,
• A “misplaced” aorta,
• And right ventricular hypertrophy.

Symptoms may include:

• Cyanosis at birth,
• Shortness of breath,
• Loss of consciousness,
• Clubbing of ones’ fingers and toes,
• Failure to thrive.

Significant complications may include:

• Increased risk of:
  • Blood clots,
  • Strokes,
  • Bacterial endocarditis,
  • Arrhythmias,
  • Heart failure,
  • Premature death.

Possibly…

The best thing about suffering from Tetralogy of Fallot is that because it is such a serious congenital heart defect, it is almost impossible to imagine that it would go undetected for very long. This means that the vast majority of individuals who are born with this disease will learn about it right away and presumably have it treated!

Which is a good thing…

Once treated with modern medicine, individuals suffering from this condition will usually have a long and healthy life without any symptoms or complications from there disease. Now before anyone gets too upset or beings complaining about the simplicity of our definitions that we’re using here, it’s important to understand that we here at IBUSA aren’t medical experts of 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 the one’s described above find and qualify for life insurance. Which means that because we’re not going to be the one “diagnosing” your condition, all we need to do is understand that there are differences between these different pre-existing medical conditions and those differences are going to affect how a life insurance underwriter is going to consider you as a potential “risk”. The good news is that despite how simply our definitions of these diseases may be, this is something that we actually have down pat!

Which is why…

When we are approached by an individual who has been diagnosed with Tetralogy of Fallot, we’re going to know right away what questions a life insurance underwriter is going to want to know the answers too before he or she will be willing to make any kind of decision about the outcome of your life insurance application.

What kind of information will the insurance companies ask me or be interested in?

Common questions you’ll like be asked may include:

• Have you had your Tetralogy of Fallot surgically corrected?
• Do you suffer from any symptoms of your Tetralogy of Fallot condition?
• Have you been diagnosed with any other pre-existing medical conditions?
• Have you ever suffered from a heart attack or stroke?
• Are you currently taking any prescription medications?
• What are your current height and weight?
• In the past 12 months, have you used any tobacco or nicotine products?
• 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 many variables that can come into play when trying to determine what kind of “rate” an individual diagnosed with Tetralogy of Fallot. 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 Tetralogy of Fallot will usually fall into one of two different categories that we can make some “assumptions” about that will generally hold true.

Category #1.

The first group of folks will be those who have been diagnosed with Tetralogy of Fallot and have had their condition surgically repaired. In cases like these, what you’ll typically find is that most life insurance companies will be willing to offer an individual a traditional life insurance policy (albeit at a high-risk rate) provided that they don’t suffer from any other pre-existing medical condition or show signs that their condition hasn’t been completely “cured”.

What you’ll usually find is that most individuals who meet these criteria will usually be able to qualify for a Table rate ranging somewhere around Table D-J.

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.

Will then consist of a much smaller group of individuals who either haven’t been able to receive a surgical correction of their condition or have such a “mild” case that they have determined that it would be better not to treat it. In either situation, what you’re going to find is that most (if not all) life insurance companies are going to be unwilling to provide traditional coverage to anyone who hasn’t had their condition surgically repaired.

Which means that…

In cases like these, if an individual still wishes to purchase a life insurance policy, they will need to pursue a Guaranteed Issue Life Insurance policy, which wouldn’t require them to have to be able to medically qualify for 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!