Life Insurance approvals for those with COPD

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is one of those “types” of pre-existing medical conditions that can undoubtedly complicate one’s life insurance application. This is because the term COPD isn’t really used to describe a particular “disease”; instead, it is a term used to describe symptoms commonly associated with some type of progressive lung disorder.

As a result…

Most life insurance underwriters are going to spend a lot of time trying to understand why you have developed COPD in addition to how severe your condition is now so that they can get a better understanding of how your condition may progress as you grow older.

For this reason…

We wanted to take a moment and answer some of the most common questions we receive from applicants applying for life insurance with COPD and provide some insight into what the application process may be like for you.

Questions that will be directly answered will include:

• Can I qualify for life insurance if I have been diagnosed with Chronic Pulmonary Disease (COPD)?
• Why do life insurance companies care if I have been diagnosed with Chronic Pulmonary Disease (COPD)?
• What kind of information will the insurance companies ask me or be interested in?
• What “rate” 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 have been diagnosed with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)?

Yes, it is possible to qualify for life insurance if you have been diagnosed with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). However, the terms of your policy and the premiums you will pay may be affected by your diagnosis.

COPD is a chronic lung disease that includes conditions such as chronic bronchitis and emphysema. It is characterized by a decrease in airflow and difficulty breathing, and is typically caused by long-term exposure to irritants such as tobacco smoke. COPD can be a progressive disease and may require ongoing medical treatment and management.

The only problem is that COPD is an “umbrella” term that is often used to describe a wide variety of different progressive lung diseases which is why most of best life insurance companies (in our humble opinion) won’t be able to simply used a “COPD diagnosis” as enough information to make their underwriting decisions.

It’s also 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 COPD.

Why do life insurance companies care if I have been diagnosed with Chronic Pulmonary Disease (COPD)?

The reason why a life insurance company is going to “care” if an individual has been diagnosed with Chronic Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is that at the end of the day, statistics show that the five-year life expectancy rate for an individual who has been diagnosed with COPD can range from 40 to 70%!

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) Defined:

COPD is a medical term used to describe a variety of different progressive lung diseases, which will include the following:

• Emphysema,
• Chronic bronchitis,
• and (non-reversible) Asthma.

Each of which are characterized by breathing difficulties and will often “share” similar symptoms which may include:

• Shortness of breath,
• Wheezing,
• “Tight” chest,
• Chronic mucus development,
• Difficulty breathing during exercising,
• Discolored mucus development,
• Etc…

Unfortunately…

COPD is not considered a “curable” disease, which means that all current “treatment” options will usually center around minimizing the symptoms of these individual pre-existing medical conditions and trying to improve the overall health of an individual.

Treatment options may include:

• Medications, including bronchodilators and/or steroid use.
• Oxygen therapy,
• Diet and exercise,
• Quitting smoking,
• Avoiding certain environmental “triggers”
• Etc…

The good news is…

That by adopting some of these treatment options, many individuals will be able to significantly improve their condition, thus allowing them to “potentially” qualify for a traditional term or whole life insurance policy.

This is why…

Most (if not all) of the best life insurance companies will take a moment and first inquire about how “serious” your COPD is before making any decisions about whether or not you may be able to qualify for coverage.

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 that includes questions about your personal and medical history. If you have been diagnosed with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), the insurance company may ask for more information about your condition and how it is being managed. Some of the information they may request includes:

• Details about your diagnosis, including when you were diagnosed, the severity of your COPD, and the underlying cause of your condition (e.g. tobacco smoke exposure).
• Information about your treatment, including any medications you are taking, lifestyle changes you have made to manage your condition, and any surgical procedures you have undergone.
• Any additional medical conditions you have, as well as your family medical history.
• Your current and past occupation, as well as 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 COPD diagnosis and it is discovered later, it could affect your coverage or the payout of your policy.

It is also a good idea to have a copy of your medical records and a list of medications you are taking with you when you apply for life insurance. This can help the insurance company get a better understanding of your condition and its management.

What “rate” can I qualify for?

As you can see from the aforementioned questions that we listed above, there are quite a few factors that can come into play when trying to determine what kind of “rate” an individual might be able to qualify for after they have been diagnosed with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. 

This is why it’s almost impossible to know what kind of “rate” you might qualify for without first speaking with you for a few moments.

That said however…

There are a few “assumptions” that we can make that will generally hold true, especially if you have been diagnosed with COPD, and you continue to smoke. This is because if you have been diagnosed with COPD and you do smoke, it’s pretty much a given that you will not be able to qualify for a traditional term or whole life insurance policy.

The good news is…

That if you have been diagnosed with COPD, and you have been “”smoke-free for at least 12 months, there is a chance that you may be able to qualify for coverage, only now it’s pretty safe to say that you will be considered a “high-risk” applicant which will mean that we’ll definitely want to be more “selective” with which life insurance companies we do choose to recommend.

Which brings us to the last topic that we wanted to take a moment and discuss with you 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 works best for folks who have been diagnosed with a pre-existing medical condition where the “severity” of the condition is often “subjective” is for the applicant to make sure that they first find a true-life insurance professional who will work as an advocate for you.

Such an agent…

Will not only help guide you through the application process but also be perfectly “frank” with you about what options may or may not be possible for you.

From there…

You’ll also want to make sure that the very same agent you have chosen has access to dozens of different life insurance companies because after all, it really doesn’t matter how “great” of a life insurance agent you might have if they don’t have access to the “best” life insurance policy for you! Now, does it?

Now, will we be able to help out everyone who has been previously diagnosed with COPD?

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!