Many people assume that any incidence of heart disease in any form means an automatic rejection on a life insurance policy application. Nothing could be farther from the truth, particularly with a condition such as congestive heart disease.
If you follow the proper steps in managing your condition, you’re very likely to be approved for life insurance. The better that you are in managing your condition, the more attractive the insurance premium is likely to be.
What Is Congestive Heart Disease?
Congestive heart failure describes a condition in which the heart is unable to pump an adequate amount of blood to meet your body’s needs. There are various diseases that can impact the ability of the heart to pump blood efficiently, and result in congestive heart failure.
Common symptoms of congestive heart failure include shortness of breath, fatigue, a reduced ability to exercise and swelling, also known as edema.
The heart experiences a decreased ability to circulate blood returning to the heart from the rest of the body, including the lungs. This inability results in fluid, primarily water, leaking from the capillary blood vessels. The leakage causes swelling in various parts of the body, primarily the legs and feet, but also in the lungs and abdominal cavity.
Diagnosing congestive heart disease is determined by a physical examination, including laboratory tests, as well as a careful review of the patient’s medical history.
The condition is typically highly treatable, through lifestyle changes, such as diet and exercise, as well as ongoing use of medications and various mechanical therapies. Elimination of certain medications may also be necessary, if those medications are determined to be weakening the heart muscle. The elimination of salt is also the common therapy, as salt is known to increase fluid retention. Under extreme circumstances, a heart transplant may be required.
How Life Insurance Companies View a History of Congestive Heart Disease
Since congestive heart disease is potentially life-threatening, it can have a major impact on your ability to get life insurance. That doesn’t mean that congestive heart disease will result in an automatic decline. But it is very likely that you’ll receive a less than preferred rating for premium purposes.
An insurance company will consider various factors in determining the severity of your condition, as well as your rating for premium purposes.
Factors considered will include:
- Your age at the time that congestive heart disease was first diagnosed
- The severity of your condition, based on the results of recent medical examinations and medical tests performed
- Any health problems that may have either caused or contributed to congestive heart disease
- Your family medical history, particularly the existence of any family members who either have some form of heart disease, or have died as a result of having heart disease
- Your overall health condition
- Lifestyle factors that may be contributing to the disease, including obesity, smoking, excess alcohol consumption, or a lack of regular exercise
- Therapies and medications that you are receiving to control the condition
When completing your life insurance application, it is extremely important that you fully disclose your history of congestive heart disease. The insurance company will find out about it even if you don’t tell them, since an extensive investigation of your medical history will be performed.
Your best strategy will be to not only disclose your condition, but also to be as detailed as possible in explaining the strategies and therapies that you’re using to improve your condition.
Applying For Life Insurance With a History of Congestive Heart Disease
It is extremely important that your overall health condition is as good as possible, despite the history of congestive heart disease. That will mean planning to be highly proactive in managing your weight – including losing a significant amount of weight if that is necessary. You’ll also need to avoid negative habits, especially smoking, getting regular exercise, and making necessary dietary changes, such as reducing sodium intake.
It is also vitally important that you are getting regular medical checkups, and making certain that your condition is being closely monitored. You must also undergo any necessary periodic tests that are required, as well as stay on a regimen of recommended drug therapies. Beta blockers, nitrates, diuretics, and other medications are commonly prescribed for use in controlling congestive heart disease.
The Life Insurance Company You Choose Will Make All the Difference if You Have a History of Congestive Heart Disease
When it comes to applying for life insurance, there are a whole host of variables associated with a health condition such as congestive heart disease. Which company that you make application to will make all of the difference. There are certain companies that will reject your application as a result of your condition. Others will approve your policy, but do so at a very high premium. But there are likely to be a few, who will not only approve your policy application, but do so with an attractive premium.
Do you know which life insurance companies are likely to take the best view of your situation if you have congestive heart disease? Most people who don’t work in life insurance will have no idea who the “good guy” insurance companies are who can best accommodate them. That’s why you need to bring in a trained professional to get you where you need to go.
That’s where we can help. We work with dozens of insurance companies, including some that take a more favorable view of people with a history of congestive heart disease. Let us help you find out who those companies are, so we can get you a life insurance policy at the best price possible. It won’t cost you anything for our services, so give us a call.
