Finding the best life insurance with asthma can be difficult. If asthma is treated properly and not ignored, underwriting will be easier on you. On the other hand, the most severe asthma conditions might receive a sub-standard risk rating or a decline from most life insurance companies.
Life insurance companies will need to know the details regarding any health condition they feel will decrease your chances of living a long life. Asthma is no different. Let’s look at some important things to consider when seeking a life insurance policy with asthma.
Understanding Asthma Types and Life Insurance Implications
The medical profession recognizes several types and categories of asthma: child and adult onset, allergic, exercise-induced, cough-induced, occupational, nocturnal, and steroid-resistant. Life insurance underwriters will definitely be interested in every aspect of the diagnosis and treatment of your asthma but will generally categorize asthma sufferers a little more simply. Insurers will see your condition as mild, moderate, severe, or seasonal.
Seasonal asthma involves only a few, often allergy-induced, attacks a year and infrequent usage of mild medications. The preferred can be available to seasonal asthma sufferers.
Mild asthma refers to someone who feels little or no impairment between attacks that occur infrequently. An attack has never resulted in hospitalization, and their condition can be treated with inhalers or oral medication. Mild, well-controlled asthma can still get you into the best life insurance risk classes.
With moderate asthma, there are more frequent attacks that may have resulted in hospitalization. There are some symptoms between attacks, and steroid-based medications may be required. Moderate asthma sufferers regularly get standard life insurance rates. If your conditions improve, so do your chances of getting better ratings.
If you have been hospitalized for an asthma attack, our insurance companies will want to know the circumstances and length of your hospital stay. What medications you are taking is very important to insurers. For how long, in what quantity, and how frequently? The side effects of some medications can be severe. Steroid-based medications that are often prescribed to treat asthma have side effects that concern life insurance companies.
Severe asthma means there are frequent and more extreme attacks that regularly result in hospitalization. Steroid-based medications are required, and there is significant difficulty breathing between attacks. Those with severe asthma will usually receive higher table ratings or declines. But remember, getting a policy in place now is important, and as your condition improves, your life insurance premium can too.
The Significance of Asthma Control in Life Insurance Evaluation
This is always a priority for life insurance companies when evaluating a client with any health condition that may “impair” their risk. Impaired risk is when some aspect of a person’s life, usually their health, may make them less likely to live a long life. Most deaths related to asthma can be avoided with proper care and treatment. If you have documented your treatment and doctor’s visits, a life insurance company will know that you are taking control of not just your asthma but also your general health and the rest of your life. They will feel much more confident that you will not suffer a fatal asthma attack and that your life span will not be significantly reduced.
According to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NIH), good asthma control will:
- Prevent chronic and troublesome symptoms, such as coughing and shortness of breath
- Reduce your need for quick-relief medicines
- Help you maintain good lung function
- Let you maintain your normal activity level and sleep through the night
- Prevent asthma attacks that could result in an emergency room visit or hospital stay
Further, to accomplish these goals, the role of the asthma patient requires:
- Working with your doctor to treat other conditions that can interfere with asthma management.
- Avoiding things that worsen your asthma (asthma triggers). However, one trigger you should not avoid is physical activity. Physical activity is an important part of a healthy lifestyle. Talk with your doctor about medicines that can help you stay active.
- Working with your doctor and other health care providers to create and follow an asthma action plan.
The NIH defines an asthma action plan as:
- taking your medicines properly
- avoiding asthma triggers (except physical activity)
- tracking your level of asthma control
- responding to worsening symptoms
- seeking emergency care when needed
The Impact of Smoking on Asthma and Life Insurance
If you are smoking cigarettes and have asthma, you are not a good candidate for life insurance. Cigarette smoking is a major cause of severe asthma, which is when a one becomes most susceptible to more serious and sometimes fatal asthma attacks and can expect a significant reduction in their life expectancy. Any company underwriting you for a life insurance policy will take a dim view of this behavior.
Final Thoughts on Asthma and Life Insurance
Life insurance companies will also be interested in when you were diagnosed with asthma if you know what leads to your asthmatic attacks, how often you have asthma attacks, how severe your attacks are, and the history of the frequency of your attacks since you were diagnosed.
All of this information will play a huge role in how much you’ll pay for your life insurance. If you’re like the majority of applicants, your asthma is only minor, and it’s going to have very little impact on how much you pay every month for your life insurance coverage.
If you have any questions about getting life insurance for asthma or about any of the different insurance options that are available to you, please contact one of our advisors. We would happily answer those questions and connect you with the best plan to meet your needs.
Use the instant term quoter on this page, or call us at 1-800-712-8519.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I get life insurance if I have mild asthma?
Mild asthma refers to a client who feels little or no impairment between attacks that occur infrequently. An attack has never resulted in hospitalization and their condition can be treated with inhalers or oral medication. Clients with mild, well-controlled asthma can qualify for the best life insurance risk classes.
Can I get life insurance if I have severe asthma?
Severe asthma means there are frequent and more extreme attacks that regularly result in hospitalization. Steroid-based medications are required and there is significant difficulty breathing between attacks. Those with severe asthma will usually receive higher table ratings. But remember, getting a policy in place now is important, and as your condition improves, your life insurance premium can, too.
I am a smoker with asthma, can I get life insurance?
If you are smoking cigarettes with any level of asthmatic disability, you are dealing your health a deadly blow. Cigarette smoking is a major cause of severe asthma, which is when a patient becomes most susceptible to more serious and sometimes fatal asthma attacks and can expect a significant reduction in their life expectancy. Any company underwriting you for a insurance policy on your life will take a dim view of this behavior. If you have asthma and must smoke, you may want to look into a guarantee issue life insurance policy with no health exam or questionnaire.
