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 Glaucoma.

Questions that will be directly addressed will include:

• Can I qualify for life insurance if I have been diagnosed with Glaucoma?
• Why do life insurance companies care if I’ve been diagnosed with Glaucoma?
• 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’ dive right in!

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

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

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

In general, most (if not all) of the best life insurance companies (in our humble opinion) aren’t going to be all that concerned that an individual has been diagnosed with Glaucoma. Mainly because Glaucoma isn’t a medical condition that is necessarily going to cause any kind of “life-threatening” complications.

That said however…

Because Glaucoma can cause an individual to begin having difficulties seeing and because it can ultimately lead to blindness if left untreated, it’s not all that uncommon for a life insurance company to want to ask a few questions about your Glaucoma before making any kind of decisions about your life insurance application.

After all…

If you were to become completely blind as a result of not treating your Glaucoma, it pretty safe to say that your life would probably change considerably and that you may not be able to do the same things you can do today. Which is something that most life insurance companies would usually like to avoid whenever possible.

Which is why…

We want to just take a moment and define exactly what Glaucoma is as well as highlight some of the most common symptoms of the disease are so that we’ll have a better idea about what a life insurance underwriter will most likely be looking for when making his or her decision about your life insurance application.

Glaucoma Defined:

Glaucoma is a term used to describe a group of different eye conditions that can potentially damage the optic never, which is essential to maintain good vision. This “damage” to the optic never will usually be caused by an abnormally high amount of pressure within the actual eyeball itself and is one of the leading causes of blindness for people over the age of 60.

Common symptoms may include:

• Intense eye pain,
• Nausea and vomiting.
• Sudden vision difficulties, particular night time vision loss or impairment,
• Blurry vision,
• Halos around lights,
• Etc…

Fortunately…

Glaucoma can be treated using a variety of methods, including prescription eye drops, oral medications, laser eye treatment, or a combination of one or all of the above.

Now at this point…

We usually like to take a moment and remind folks that nobody here at IBUSA has any kind of “official” medical training, and we’re certainly not 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 this one, find and qualify for the life insurance coverage that they are looking for.

But…

Not so great if you’re looking for answers to any specific medical questions. In cases like these, we would recommend that you contact a true medical professional who has 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?

Common questions you might be asked may include:

• When were you first diagnosed with Glaucoma?
• Who diagnosed your Glaucoma?
• What symptoms (if any) led to your diagnosis?
• Have you suffered from any permanent damage to your optic nerve as a result of your Glaucoma?
• What treatment options are you pursuing to treat your Glaucoma?
• Have you been able to lower your Ocular Hypertension?
• Do you have any issues with your driving record? Issues such as multiple moving violations, or a suspended license?
• 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?

Generally speaking, what you’re going to find is that most life insurance companies aren’t going to care all that much about the fact that you have been previously diagnosed with Glaucoma, particularly if you are suffering from any difficulties with your vision.

The problem is…

While your Glaucoma might not be an issue for you when applying for a traditional term or whole life insurance policy, there are many other factors that could play a role in the outcome of your life insurance application.

Factors such as your:

• Current height and weight ratio.
• Family medical history,
• Future travel destinations,
• Previous criminal background,
• Participation in certain hobbies,
• Etc…

This is why…

It’s pretty much impossible to know what kind of “rate” that you might be able to qualify for without first speaking with you directly. That said, however, it’s fair to say that with regards to your Glaucoma diagnosis, what you’re probably going to find is that whatever “rate” that you would have been able to qualify for before being diagnosed with Glaucoma should be the same “rate” that you can qualify for AFTER being diagnosed with Glaucoma.

Which segues very nicely into our next topic 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?

Lastly…

You’ll want to make sure that you’re completely honest with your life insurance agent before applying for coverage. By doing so, you will be helping him or her 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 Glaucoma?

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 in the event that 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.