Is it possible to get affordable life insurance when you have chronic bronchitis? Generally speaking, the answer is yes. However there are variables surrounding chronic bronchitis that can affect the premium rates that you will pay for a life insurance policy. If the condition is particularly severe, it’s even possible that you may only qualify for a nontraditional life insurance policy.
What Is Chronic Bronchitis?
Chronic bronchitis is a form of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, better known as COPD. The condition is generally caused by smoking. It generally appears as a long-term cough with mucus. It also often appears with emphysema, which is a condition that involves destruction of the lungs over time, by destroying the air sacs deep within the lungs. Chronic bronchitis itself causes inflammation, congestion, and scarring in the airways.
Chronic bronchitis is usually diagnosed through a chest x-ray that is used to determine the extent of lung damage. Pulmonary function tests may also be conducted to measure your lung capacity. Your blood oxygen levels can also be tested using a small sensor that is clipped on your finger.
One of the complications involved with chronic bronchitis is that your lungs are vulnerable to infections. Flu is a particularly worrisome illness, and patients with chronic bronchitis are generally required to get a yearly flu shot, as well as a vaccination against pneumonia. Using cough syrup to control the cough is usually counterproductive, since coughing works to expel excess mucus from the lungs. It may even be recommended that you take an expectorant to increase your ability to force phlegm out of your lungs.
How Life Insurance Companies View Chronic Bronchitis
Chronic bronchitis is a complicated condition, particularly if it exists in conjunction with other health conditions. In underwriting your life insurance application, the insurance company will be interested to know your age at the time you were diagnosed, what medications you’re taking, as well as your history of tobacco consumption.
But the bigger complication is whether or not chronic bronchitis occurs along with either asthma or emphysema. The company will want to know the results of an electrocardiographic test (ECG), as well as whether or not you ever been hospitalized for your condition.
In many cases, you will not be able to qualify for anything better than standard rates, as far your premiums are concerned. This may be the case even if your condition is well-controlled. Well-controlled means that you are using medications regularly, you have no recent hospital visits, and you don’t use tobacco products.
If your condition is judged to be moderate, you will likely be given substandard rates, or even completely declined for coverage. In this case, you may have to consider a guaranteed issue policy, since it will not require a medical exam or that you answer any health questions.
If you have chronic bronchitis, in addition to other conditions, there’s a very good chance that you will not qualify for traditional life insurance, and you will need to consider a guaranteed issue policy.
Managing Your Chronic Bronchitis
How well you are managing your condition will be absolutely critical. You’ll need to be getting regular medical attention, and controlling your condition with any required medications.
Weight reduction is often a common recommended therapy, since it will reduce the strain on your lungs and heart.
It’s also vitally important that you do your best to maintain your general level of health. This means maintaining a proper diet, getting regular exercise, and avoiding any habits that might cause your situation to deteriorate. Cigarette smoking, or any other kind tobacco consumption, must be avoided anytime you have any kind of respiratory health conditions.
If You Have Chronic Bronchitis You Must Apply With the Right Life Insurance Companies
Anytime you have any kind of health condition, choosing the right life insurance company to apply to is a major strategy. But this is even more important when you have a respiratory condition, such as chronic bronchitis. Many companies will decline policies even for people who have mild or moderate conditions. And if there are any other health conditions present along with chronic bronchitis, it could be an automatic decline.
Not all life insurance companies however have such a negative view of chronic bronchitis. The trick is to know which companies those are, and to apply for a policy with them exclusively. As an individual consumer, since you don’t know who those companies are, you will have a built-in disadvantage. And if you apply for a life insurance policy with one company, and are declined, that could affect your ability to get coverage at other companies.
Don’t take that chance – let us help you find the right life insurance companies so that you’ll get the coverage that you need. We know who the companies are and who are most likely to approve your application, as well as to give you the most affordable premium rates.
If you have chronic bronchitis – or any other health condition – give us a call, and let us see if we can help you get the policy that you need, at the best possible price.
