Disclaimer: This article does not constitute medical advice. It’s for informational purposes only. Always discuss anything health-related with qualified medical personnel.
Surviving a heart attack or being diagnosed with a heart condition is a stressful event. A common result of such experiences is that people become more aware of their own mortality and feel a rush to change their lives for the better.
If you belong to this group, you are likely considering getting life insurance which comes with some questions. Here are the answers to the most pressing ones.
Can I Get Life Insurance After a Heart Attack
Yes, you can get life Insurance after a heart attack.
Contrary to what you might’ve heard or read, having a heart attack, a stent or heart disease doesn’t necessarily disqualify you from getting insured. It does make it, however, harder and more expensive.
But this shouldn’t discourage you from applying because insurance companies look at many other factors when determining your eligibility for life insurance.
How to Get Life Insurance After a Heart Attack
If you have had a heart attack or have a heart condition, this will put you in the high-risk category of applicants.
As noted above, you can still get approved for life insurance, but it is best if you let somebody with experience in high-risk insurance help you out.
American Term is an insurance consultancy specializing in such cases including heart disease life insurance. They’ve successfully handled a variety of complex situations from applicants with heart conditions to people with diabetes who are also considered high-risk.
What Are My Chances of Getting a Life Insurance After a Heart Attack
There’s no definitive answer. Your chances of getting life insurance after a heart attack depends on a multitude of factors.
When underwriters assess eligibility for life insurance and eventual premium rates, they’ll consider your age, for how long you’ve been living with a heart condition, past medical records, your overall health, including any comorbid illnesses, what treatment you are undergoing, if any, and most likely will ask you to take a medical test.
However, these are only some of the things that insurance companies care about, so other factors also carry weight.
How Can I Get Better Chances of Being Approved for Life Insurance
The purpose of evaluating your risk factor is to estimate your life expectancy. If you show that you are doing your best to keep yourself healthy and alive, the underwriter is more likely to consider you for life insurance.
Heart conditions are the leading cause of death all over the globe and as such, they are at the forefront of medical research. Thanks to this, survival rate and quality of life of people with heart conditions have significantly improved in recent years.
Contact authorized medical personnel for advice on what steps you can take to improve your quality of life. You can also check out the American Heart Association’s webpage on life after a heart attack.
What Other Options Do I Have If I Get Declined
There are many reasons why your application for life insurance might be declined. But only because you weren’t approved at one place doesn’t mean you have exhausted all your options.
You can discuss with your insurance agent the possibility to apply to more than one insurance company. Other options are to go for guaranteed acceptance life insurance or a no exam life insurance. The former gives more favorable chances for acceptance but comes with lower coverage and higher premiums. The latter doesn’t require you to take a medical test but also comes with higher premiums.
In sum, yes, you can still get life insurance after going through a heart attack or being diagnosed with a heart condition. Granted, it is harder and more expensive than it is for people without chronic conditions. On the upside, you can increase your chances by working with an insurance agent experienced in finding insurance for high-risk applicants and by adopting some healthy lifestyle habits.
