When shopping for life insurance coverage in the United States, it can be difficult to qualify for coverage with life insurance carriers if you have certain types of adverse health conditions or are deemed high risk.
This is because any condition listed on an insurance application that could essentially shorten the person’s life expectancy that could possibly lead to an insurance claim can be risky to the insurer. The higher risk you are to a company, the higher your life insurance rates will be, including term life insurance and the other various types of insurance your life insurance agent discusses with you.
There are, however, many insurance companies that work with what are referred to as higher risk cases.
Working with a company that has access to such insurers that cover health problems can oftentimes help you in life insurance quotes for coverage much faster and more conveniently than going through the process alone.
Can I Purchase Life Insurance With Hepatitis C?
According to the CDC, Hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver and 4.4 million Americans are currently living with Hep B and Hep C. There are various types of Hepatitis, including Hepatitis A virus, Hepatitis B virus (HBV), Hepatitis C virus (including chronic Hepatitis b and chronic Hepatitis c), Hepatitis D virus, and Hepatitis E virus.
Hepatitis can be spread with the blood of an infected person comes into contact with a non-infected individual. Hepatitis C or HCV, can cause liver inflammation and may essentially lead to liver damage, which can, in turn, become a more serious issue such as cirrhosis, hepatic cancer, or liver failure due to viral infection with this virus. There are around 2.7-3.9 million Americans living with the chronic infection form of Hep C.
Here are some common ways Hep C is transmitted:
- Sharing needles through either drug use or equipment to inject drugs
- Being born with a mother with Hep C
- Sharing personal items like razors or toothbrushes with someone who is infected
- Having sexual contact with someone who is infected
- Getting a body piercing or tattoo in an unregulated setting
- In rare cases, through donated blood
In addition, because there is no vaccine or permanent cure for Hepatitis C, life insurance underwriters are very careful when reviewing the application of someone who is seeking life insurance.
If you’ve ever been declined for life insurance because of Hep C, or any other pre-existing condition, don’t assume that you can’t get quality coverage for your family.
Don’t let your health stop you from getting life insurance that will protect your immediate family.
How to Apply for Life Insurance with Hep C
When preparing to apply for a policy, remember the underwriter will try and get to the bottom of your health condition.
Sample Underwriting Questions for Hepatitis C
Therefore, in order to best prepare, it is good to know the following personal information and medical history so you can be prepared to provide it on your application:
- The date you were initially diagnosed with Hepatitis C.
- The tests (liver function tests, blood test, ct scan) you have had performed regarding your condition the test results.
- What type of Hepatitis listed on your medical record, whether you have been diagnosed with Chronic Persistent Hepatitis C, Acute Viral Hepatitis C, or Active Hepatitis C.
- Alcohol use and drug use.
- The names and dosages of the medications (like the antiviral Harvoni), if any, that you have been prescribed for your Hepatitis C.
- Whether or not your liver function enzymes have been tested, and if so, what the results of the liver enzymes were.
- How often you are required to visit a physician for treatment of your condition.
- What, if any, other medical conditions you suffer from like liver cancer or liver disease.
Provide Additional Information to Underwriters
If you are controlling your condition in any other manner that is not specifically inquired about on the application for life insurance, you should add this information as an addendum or on a separate sheet.
This information can help the underwriters in getting a clearer picture of how you are better dealing with your condition, which in turn, could be prolonging life expectancy and therefore reducing the risk to the life insurance company.
The life insurance underwriters will also need to know basic information about you as well, like demographic questions, health history, tobacco use, and hobbies.
Every single thing they ask and look at will be put into their algorithm and analysis to help them decide your premium, class rating, and if they’ll offer you the policy you want.
Can You Still Get Competitive Rates with Hep C?
Once the underwriters have reviewed your information, they can better determine where you will be in terms of policy approval and premium rate.
In many instances, if you have experienced sustained remission, you could receive a competitive premium rate for your coverage. This is because you pose less of a risk to the insurer.
Those who have suffered minor liver damage due to their condition, however, do tend to pose more risk to the life insurance company. In this case, although you may still qualify for the coverage that you need, your premium may be higher than average.
In order to make a more exact determination of your condition, the insurance company may request a liver biopsy result. This information will allow the insurer to note more clearly how much damage has been done to your liver due to the Hepatitis C.
There are plenty of ways that you can increase your chances of being approved for coverage and getting affordable rates. Following all of your doctor’s orders is the most important thing you should do, but you should also get regular exercise and stick to a healthy diet. Both of these can have a wonderful impact on your health.
Finding the Best Life Insurance With Hepatitis C
Do you have Hepatitis C and you’re ready to purchase life insurance? You’ll want to find an agent or agency with years of experience that can offer you more than just one quote from one carrier.
These agents should have an idea, after hearing about your situation, on what company or companies that you should apply for coverage with.
We are here to assist you in finding the life insurance protection that you need. We are familiar with which insurers will take on life insurance policies for people with an illness and can, therefore, point you in the right direction for your coverage. This will be a huge time-saver for you.
We know that buying life insurance can be a long and difficult process, especially if you have severe health complications.
Our agents are here to help make the process as simple and quick as possible. Because you can’t predict the future, there is no way to know when tragedy is going to strike, which means that you shouldn’t wait any longer to get the protection that they need.