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Many life insurance companies receive calls from clients looking to buy a life insurance policy for seniors with liver cirrhosis.
While those insurers aren’t always able to answer callers and provide them with what they’re looking for, it’s worth discussing the options which clients can qualify for.
Being diagnosed with liver cirrhosis means having a slowly progressive disease wherein the tissues of the liver are replaced by damaged ones that hinder any normal liver functioning.
As a result of the diagnosis, the majority of insurers deny the applications of anyone applying for a traditional life insurance policy.
However, there are many options available for people with such a condition.
Liver Cirrhosis Symptoms and Causes
Liver cirrhosis is a late stage of liver disease brought about by many factors. In most cases, it’s caused by hepatitis and alcoholism.
Based on the causes and symptoms of your condition, your life insurance application can be affected.
Here are the common symptoms of liver cirrhosis you may encounter:
- Nausea
- Itchy skin
- Fatigue
- Loss of appetite
- Weight loss
- Swelling in your ankles and legs
- Bleeding
It’s worth mentioning that liver cirrhosis can appear asymptomatically.
Underwriting the Condition During the Health Exam
No matter whether you have informed your insurer of your liver cirrhosis condition or not, you will still be required to do a medical exam. But don’t worry; it’s free and isn’t painful.
During the medical exam, you will be required to have a blood draw which will help your insurer check your liver functioning test enabling underwriters to determine the severity of your condition.
These exams are called liver enzyme tests. They help provide all the information required by your life insurance agent.
Is It Possible to Get a Policy?
Your life insurance company should be able to draw a clear picture of the situation at hand. It will also have a look at your doctor’s notes to evaluate your state of cirrhosis.
During the review of the notes, the underwriters will consider other medical problems popping up during the review.
If you are straightforward about your condition and treatment, you will still have the chance to get a life insurance policy with liver cirrhosis, but this is going to depend on its causes more than anything else.
Available Policy Options
There are many types of life insurance policies available for people with this disease. Here are the most common ones:
Guaranteed Issue Life Insurance
This policy is an option for you regardless of the condition you’re suffering from.
Guaranteed life insurance policy, also called guaranteed acceptance policy, is a policy that requires no health exams or qualifications. And because it requires no medical tests, its premiums are higher compared to other policies.
Most people who apply for this policy don’t get their applications turned down. The only reason your application can be turned down is when you are under or over the required age. However, we see that seniors aged over 75 get quick approval for this plan.
Although this policy does not require answering health questions, applicants’ ages, genders, and states of residence can play significant roles in their coverage terms. But, most guaranteed policies don’t provide coverage for people over 100.
Applying for it requires two things: being a US citizen and meeting age requirements (must be between the ages of 40 and 85).
Although this policy has many advantages, it also has some disadvantages including the following:
1. Small Sized
The first and most common disadvantage you will encounter when purchasing this policy is its size. Generally speaking, most guaranteed policies are small; they are about $25,000 in coverage.
That is, if you wish to provide coverage for things beyond final expenses, it will not meet your expectations or needs.
2. Costly
As stated earlier, the cost of this policy is expensive compared to traditional ones. Actually, it will cost more than ‘dollar for dollar.’
3. Graded Death Benefit
Within this policy, there is a clause written into the policy and is known as Graded Death Benefit. And since it’s included within the policy, it’s important to understand what it is.
Graded Death Benefit states that your insurer will not provide coverage for deaths due to natural causes for a specific period of time, usually 2 to 3 years when you buy your policy. Natural causes include deaths due to illnesses such as liver cirrhosis.
Accidental Death Life Insurance
If you need a guaranteed policy but are not aged from 40 up to 85, you can lean on the accidental death policy. It provides coverage for your loved ones if something bad happens to you in the future as a result of the disease. Remember: some coverage is better than nothing at all.
If your condition is positive that it may improve over time, this policy can just be temporary until you apply again for a traditional life insurance policy.
Most importantly, don’t leave your loved ones without any financial protection. No one knows what the future holds.
Simplified Issue Life Insurance Policies
With this policy type, applicants answer a few questions about their overall health but aren’t required to do any medical exams. It’s designed for applicants who want to have an immediate effect on their life insurance policies and for those who are against doing medical exams for some reason.
For example, if you are diagnosed with liver cirrhosis, you can apply for a simplified or guaranteed policy. In most cases, your application is accepted.
There are some questions you will be asked by the underwriter when you apply for this policy.
These questions include:
- Are you a smoker?
- Are you residing in a hospital? Or in a nursing home?
- Do you suffer from HIV or AIDS?
- Are you declared terminally patient?
Similar to any other policies in the world, this policy has its own pros and cons.
The pros include:
- You don’t need to do any medical exam; only some confirmation questions.
- It’s deemed cheaper than guaranteed life insurance policies.
- You receive coverage typically after a few days of applying.
- Easy coverage without any waiting period.
The cons include:
- It involves high premiums compared to other policies.
Things to Expect While Applying
Even if you have already been diagnosed with liver cirrhosis before applying for a policy, you will still need to do a liver test as part of your medical exam.
Additionally, the underwriter will ask you the following questions:
- When were you diagnosed with the disease?
- What medications are you currently taking?
- What previous medications did you take?
- Do you have any health issues with other organs?
- Have you ever had hepatitis?
- What is your weight?
- What is your height?
- Are you a tobacco user?
- What’s your family history of the disease?
- Do you have any other pre-existing conditions along with cirrhosis of the liver?
Your insurer will ask to check your physician’s notes regarding your condition of liver cirrhosis and will also require confirmation of the information you’ve provided.
But you may be thinking that how life insurance companies take a huge risk by not asking applicants to answer questions about their health!
This is, in fact, the reason why they created the graded death benefit principle that states that you will be provided with coverage for accidental and naturally caused deaths as long as you survive for 2 to 3 years after buying your policy.
Frequently Asked Questions FAQs
Here are some of the most frequently asked questions people with liver cirrhosis ask.
Question 1: Does alcoholism hinder the process of life insurance?
If the alcohol has affected your health, it can, in the long run, affect the process of getting a good policy. It can also make your premiums higher, if not lead to its denial.
Question 2: Is liver cirrhosis a serious disease?
It is because it involves abnormal liver functioning and is usually accompanied by serious illnesses.
Question 3: Can an insurer refuse to pay?
A life insurance policy is defined as an agreement between the insurer and the policyholder. If the insured did not maintain payments on their premiums, the insurer can refuse to pay out the death benefit.
Question 4: Is it worth purchasing serious illness coverage?
The majority of people believe that life insurance covers the needs of their beneficiaries when they pass away. But experiencing a serious illness can be devastating. Thus, if you have family members who rely on your income, it’s worth it.
Question 5: How long can an individual live with cirrhosis of the liver?
Recovering from this disease depends on its type and if you stop drinking alcohol. It’s estimated that 50 percent of people with serious cirrhosis of the liver live for two years and about 35 percent survive for 5 years.
Question 6: Does water help the liver to recover?
In fact, the best thing you can do to your liver is to drink pure water because it cleans the system of the toxin. Since the liver flushes the toxins, water helps it with this operation.
Getting the Best Rates
If you are searching for life insurance with liver cirrhosis and have no idea where to find the best rates, we can give you a helping hand. We are specialized in paving the way for high-risk applicants to find the coverage they need, even if they recently have had their applications declined.
We work with over 40 top-rated insurers, and accordingly, we’re able to determine what policy is best for you and your needs. It’s worth saying that working with independent agents will save you money and time when it comes to life insurance.
Experts do not recommend waiting until it’s too late to get one. Liver cirrhosis isn’t a simply curable condition; it shouldn’t keep you from obtaining the protection you need.
Life insurance is considered one of the most significant things with which you provide your loved ones after you pass away. A lot of insurers specialize in providing coverage for applicants with liver cirrhosis; we can give you a hand to find it.
Final Thoughts
Because liver cirrhosis is a progressive condition, putting your life insurance application off may result in its decline.
If your recent liver tests are good, you are recommended to apply for a policy as soon as possible. Even if you are not in good health and experiencing some issues with your liver, you can apply for an affordable policy.
Without any insurance coverage, you are leaving your family members with financial hardships. So, if you have any questions concerning obtaining a life insurance policy with liver cirrhosis, don’t hesitate to contact us.
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