Speak with an experienced advisor! An irregular heartbeat is one of the most common heart issues people have. Statistics show that about 4.5 million Americans have been diagnosed of having an irregular heartbeat. The first questions people typically ponder when looking into life insurance is about qualification. “Can I get life insurance with an irregular heartbeat?” The second question is usually “How much does life insurance cost for someone with an irregular heartbeat?” If either of these questions have crossed your mind, don’t worry you are not alone. You can qualify for life insurance with an irregular heartbeat. Depending on the company, you can also often times find it at a very reasonable price. Getting an affordable life insurance quote is important, but before you do, lets look at some information in this article to help you get started.
Obtaining Life Insurance with an Irregular Heartbeat
There are many different forms of irregular heart beat conditions. Depending on which type of heart arrhythmia you have, and the severity of it, will be big factors in whether you qualify for a traditional life insurance policy, and at what sort of rate you will be looking at. Depending on the type heart arrhythmia you have, your life insurance quote will vary. Some of the most common types of irregular heart beat are:
- Premature (Extra) Beats
- Supraventricular Arrhythmia
- Atrial Fibrillation (AFib)
- Atrial Flutter
- Paroxysmal Supraventricular Tachycardia (PSVT)
- Ventricular Tachycardia
- Ventricular Fibrillation (V-Fib)
- Premature Ventricular Complexes (PVC)
- Torsades de Pointes
- Bradyarrhythmias
- Sinus Arrhythmia
- Sick sinus syndrome
If you are in overall good health, and your irregular heartbeat condition is not serious, then you will typically be able to qualify for a standard rate. In some cases, you may qualify for even a preferred rate, however standard is going to be more common. Below are life insurance quote samples at the standard rate:
15 Year Term Life Insurance Quote for 40 Year Old Female Non-Tobacco at Standard Rate
15 Year Term Life Insurance Quote for 50 Year Old Female Non-Tobacco at Standard Rate
15 Year Term Life Insurance Quote for 60 Year Old Female Non-Tobacco at Standard Rate
If you have some other health issues, in addition to your irregular heartbeat, then you could possible receive a substandard rate. Below are several life insurance quote samples at the substandard table 2 rate:
15 Year Term Life Insurance Quote for 40 Year Old Female Non-Tobacco at Table 2 Rate
15 Year Term Life Insurance Quote for 50 Year Old Female Non-Tobacco at Table 2 Rate
15 Year Term Life Insurance Quote for 60 Year Old Female Non-Tobacco at Table 2 Rate
Diagnosis and Treatment Options for an Irregular Heartbeat
Often times, your doctor will look at several different factors when diagnosing an irregular heartbeat. Since symptoms sometimes are non-existent, the diagnosis may even be the first time you are aware you even have the condition. Typically an echo-cardiogram (EKG) is the most common way to diagnose. The use of a Holter monitor and/or event monitor are also some other common methods used for diagnosing irregular heartbeat. Sometimes treatment options can be as simple as reducing stress, caffeine, and alcohol. A healthy diet with exercise is also another way to manage the condition. Certain medications such as beta blockers and calcium channel blockers can also be administered.
In more serious cases when medications are unable to control the heart beat, you can undergo electrical cardioversion, have a pacemaker installed, or receive an implantable cardioverter defibrillator. For individuals with Atrial Fibrillation, a Cardio ablation is also another type of treatment.
Underwriting Your Application
After you have received your life insurance quote and applied for coverage, your application will go through underwriting. Underwriters will take into consideration what sort of treatment you require, if any, to keep the irregular heartbeat under control. Below are common things an underwriter will want to know regarding your irregular heartbeat:
• The date of your diagnosis
• How often you see your doctor
• If you are presently under medication
• The type of treatments administered
• If you have other health conditions
• If you are a smoker
• Is the condition under control
• Severity and frequency of symptoms
4 Tips for Getting the Best Rates for Life Insurance with Irregular Heartbeat
- Be Honest on Your Application – This is important because if you withhold information, or stretch the truth, you will typically be scrutinized by underwriters in the worst light. The underwriter then thinks, “What other information are they possibly not telling us,” and thus will generally rule you to be a higher risk, than someone who is open and honest about their condition.
- Get All of Your Medical Information Compiled – There will be a lot of information needed when you apply for life insurance with an irregular heartbeat. It is a good idea to have that information ready so you don’t omit anything by mistake. Things like mentioned above such as date of diagnosis, treatments and dates of treatments, medications used in the last 5 years, Doctor names, addresses, and phone numbers. This goes along way, and is very
easy if prepared ahead of time. If you don’t have this information, and it comes up later, refer back to tip 1 listed above. It may appear to the underwriter you are trying to hide something, when reality is you simply didn’t have the information available when you applied, so you left it off. - Put Your Best Foot Forward – Since so many factors are looked at when you apply for life insurance with an irregular heartbeat, try to control the things you can control. Quit smoking if you do so. Lose weight if you are obese. Eat healthy and exercise. These things are easier said than done, however if you get things like weight under control, and toss the smokes, you can drastically reduce your life insurance premium.
- Work with The Right Life Insurance Broker – If you have a tooth ache, you don’t go to your general family doctor, you go to the dentist. Instead of going to your local auto insurance guy down the road, you should consider working with a life insurance broker, who represents all major life insurance companies. It is also very helpful to work with a group that has a background in dealing with life insurance for individuals with heart issues. A group like ours knows what companies to avoid, and what companies offer the most favorable underwriting results to individuals with heart issues. The right broker can mean the difference in a decline, or a great rate. Compare rates for yourself instantly to get a good starting point in the process.
The Wrap-up
You can obtain life insurance with an irregular heartbeat, often times, at a fair price with respected companies. By understanding what underwriters look at, what rate categories are most typical, and working with an organization like us to help you avoid pitfalls, you will be on the right track. If you have questions, shoot us a message, or give us a call at 888-930-6599. Our experienced team is standing by to help you.
