In this article, we wanted to take a moment to answer some of the most common questions we get from people applying for life insurance after being diagnosed with cardiac pacemakers (artificial).

• Can I qualify for life insurance if I have received a Cardiac Pacemaker (Artificial)?
• Why do life insurance companies care if I have received a Cardiac Pacemaker (Artificial)?
• What kind of information will the insurance companies ask me or be interested in?
• What “rate” 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 have received a Cardiac Pacemaker (artificial)?

Yes, individuals who have received an artificial cardiac pacemaker can and often will qualify for a traditional term or whole-life insurance policy. The only problem is that many of the pre-existing medical conditions that could lead to one requiring an artificial pacemaker are pretty severe. These “types” of life insurance applications can become quite complicated quickly.

It’s also why…

Even though it may be “theoretically” possible for someone to qualify for a no-medical-exam term life insurance policy with an artificial heart valve because these “types” of policies tend to be more challenging to prepare for, we here at IBUSA will usually advise against applying for one simply because one’s chances of being approved are generally quite slim.

Why do life insurance companies care if I have received a Cardiac Pacemaker (Artificial)?

You can bet that any time an individual has been diagnosed with a pre-existing medical condition that affects the heart, most (if not all) of the best life insurance companies will be interested in learning more about that condition.

And this is precisely what we find when assisting an individual who has received a Cardiac Pacemaker. Only in cases like these do we usually find that the “pacemaker” is the treatment for a condition and not the condition itself; most applications like these will focus more on “why” you need to receive a pacemaker. And whether or not it’s improved your overall health!

This is why it makes sense to take a moment to examine what an artificial pacemaker is and briefly list some conditions that might cause one to need an artificial cardiac pacemaker.

Artificial Cardiac Pacemaker Defined:

An artificial cardiac pacemaker is a medical device that is “implanted” within a patient to generate electrical impulses to the heart muscle so that a “normal” heartbeat or heart “functioning” can be resumed.

Pre-existing medical conditions…

Which could lead to requiring an artificial cardiac pacemaker may include:

• Bradyarrhythmias,
• Heart failure,
• Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy,
• Syncope,
• Etc…

Common symptoms that may exist before receiving a pacemaker may include:

• Fainting,
• Dizziness,
• A feeling of lightheadedness,
• Quickly exhausted or “winded”,
• Etc…

Fortunately…

Having a pacemaker implanted is a “relatively” routine procedure. Most life insurance companies aren’t going to get too “worried” about it, particularly because pacemakers can be very effective in improving one’s health once they are working correctly.

“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 a doctor could cause significant harm to yourself!

Second…

Nobody here at IBUSA is medically trained; we’re certainly not doctors. All we are is 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 Cardiac Pacemaker… 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?

When applying for life insurance, you will typically be required to complete an application with questions about your personal and medical history. If you have received a cardiac pacemaker (artificial), the insurance company may ask for more information about your condition and how it is managed. Some of the information they may request includes:

• Details about your diagnosis and the reason for receiving a cardiac pacemaker, including any underlying heart conditions or symptoms you were experiencing.
• Information about your treatment, including the type of pacemaker you received, any complications or problems you have experienced, and any medications you are taking.
• Any additional medical conditions you have and your family medical history.
• Your current and past occupation and any hazardous activities you engage in as part of your work or leisure activities.
• Your lifestyle habits, including your diet, exercise routine, and use of tobacco or alcohol.

It is important to be honest and accurate when answering these questions, as this information will be used to determine your eligibility for a life insurance policy and the premiums you will pay. If you do not disclose your cardiac pacemaker and it is discovered later, it could affect your coverage or your policy payout.

It is also a good idea to have a copy of your medical records and a list of medications you take when applying for life insurance. This can help the insurance company better understand your condition and its management.

What “rate” can I qualify for?

Now, what you’re generally going to find is that because most of the underlying pre-existing medical conditions that an artificial cardiac pacemaker can be used to treat are considered insurable, what will determine what kind of “rate” an individual will be able to qualify for will be based on how “well” your artificial cardiac pacemaker is working!

Which is why…

It’s pretty much impossible to know precisely what “rate” you might qualify for without first speaking with you directly and understanding exactly how “healthy” you are. That said, however, it is fair to say that if you have received an artificial cardiac pacemaker, chances are you won’t qualify for a Standard or better rate. This means you’ll most likely “automatically” be considered a “high-risk” applicant by most (if not all) life insurance companies, which is why you’re going to want to be very “selective” with which life insurance companies you decide to apply for coverage.

The good news is…

Regardless of your situation, we at IBUSA can help because we have extensive 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!