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 after being diagnosed with Endometriosis.

Questions that will be directly addressed will include:

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

So, without further ado, let’s dive right in!

Can I qualify for life insurance if I have been diagnosed with Endometriosis?

Yes, individuals who have been diagnosed with Endometriosis can and often will be able to qualify for a traditional term or whole life insurance policy. In fact, many of them may even be eligible for a no-exam life insurance policy at a Preferred rate!

The problem is that because the frequency and severity by which someone might suffer from an Endometriosis “attack” can vary significantly from one individual to the next, it’s not all that uncommon for some of the best life insurance companies to want to know more about your Endometriosis before making any definitive decisions about your life insurance application.

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

What you’re generally going to find is that because Endometriosis isn’t really a “life-threatening” medical condition and because most folks will be able to live a “normal” life (whatever that is) despite having to deal with it, your Endometriosis really shouldn’t play that important of a role in determining the outcome of your life insurance application.

Rather…

How you are dealing with your Endometriosis will usually play a more significant role.

• Are you working full time, or has your Endometriosis prevented you from being able to work a 40-hour work week?
• Do you require prescription pain medication to help you deal with the pain from your Endometriosis?
• Is your Endometriosis preventing you from living what you consider a normal, active lifestyle?

This is why, before being approved for coverage, you will likely be asked questions like these so that a life insurance underwriter can better understand how “serious” your Endometriosis is. And how much of an effect does it have on your daily life?

The tough part…

Most life insurance underwriters’ decisions based on your Endometriosis will tend to be somewhat “subjective.” This is why we wanted to take a moment to describe Endometriosis and highlight some of the most common symptoms that a life insurance underwriter will be looking for.

Endometriosis Defined:

Endometriosis is a frequently painful medical condition where tissue similar to the tissue generally found within a woman’s uterus (or endometrium) grows outside the uterus. This growth usually involves one’s ovaries, fallopian tubes, or the connective tissue that lines one’s pelvis.

Common symptoms may include:

• Painful periods or dysmenorrhea,
• Pain during intercourse,
• Pain during bowel movements or urination,
• Infertility,
• Excessive bleeding,
• Etc…

Fortunately, there are treatment options that can often help individuals who are suffering from Endometriosis minimize their symptoms and/or decrease the frequency of their “attacks.” Treatments may include the use of:

• Hormonal contraceptives,
• Gonadotropin-releasing hormones (Gn-RH),
• Progestin therapy,
• Aromatase inhibitors.

Now, at this point…

We usually like to take a moment and remind folks that nobody here at IBUSA has any “official” medical training, and we’re certainly not doctors. All we are is a bunch of life insurance agents who are really good at helping folks with pre-existing medical conditions like this one find and qualify for the life insurance coverage they are looking for.

But…

It’s not so great if you’re seeking answers to specific medical questions. In such cases, we recommend contacting an actual medical professional with the training to help. For everyone else, you’re in luck because now we’re going to get into some of the “nitty-gritty” about what you may or may not be able to qualify for.

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

Typical questions you’ll likely be asked may include:

• When were you first diagnosed with Endometriosis?
• Who diagnosed your Endometriosis? A general practitioner or a specialist?
• What symptoms (if any) led to your diagnosis?
• How often do you suffer from an Endometriosis “flare-up”?
• When was the last time you experienced symptoms of your Endometriosis?
• What medications (if any) are you using to help you treat/manage your Endometriosis?
• 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?

Here at IBUSA, what we have found when working with an individual who has been diagnosed with Endometriosis is that this “diagnosis” isn’t really going to play a massive role in the outcome of one’s life insurance application unless it appears to either affect their ability to work full time in which case an individual may also have applied of some “kind” of disability benefit.

Or…

An individual has been prescribed a pain medication that could make a life insurance company a bit more nervous than they typically would be about insuring someone who has been diagnosed with Endometriosis.

As for the rest of…

Folks applying for a traditional term or whole life insurance policy after having been diagnosed with Endometriosis, what you’re probably going to find is that whatever “rate” that you would have been able to qualify for before being diagnosed with Endometriosis should be the same “rate” that you would be able to qualify for AFTER having been diagnosed with Endometriosis.

“Which is great!”

It segues nicely into the next topic that we wanted to discuss with you in this article, which is…

How can I help ensure I get the “best life insurance”?

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 be able to guide you through the application process and be perfectly “frank” with you about what options may or may not be possible.

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?

Lastly, before applying for coverage, you’ll want to ensure you’re completely honest with your life insurance agent. By doing so, you will be helping them narrow down what options might be the “best.”

So, what are you waiting for? Give us a call today and see what we can do for you!

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

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 Burial Life 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.