Many people who have had a heart attack or bypass surgery mistakenly believe that they can’t quality for underwritten term life insurance or permanent life insurance.  Depending on a number of factors, you may still be able to get the coverage you need without paying an arm and a leg for it.  

While most life insurance companies will charge a higher premium to an individual with a more complex medical history, the cost can still be very reasonable.  The additional rating assigned by life insurance companies is often referred to as a “table rating” and is designated with a letter (such as A-J) or a number (such as 1-10).  Each higher letter or number usually represents a 25% increase over the standard rate.  As an example, a Table 4 rate is usually double the standard rate.  

The following items will determine the risk classification offered by the insurance company for someone with a prior heart attack or bypass surgery:

1.    Number of heart attacks
2.    Length of time since heart attack or surgery
3.    Cardiac testing results since heart attack or surgery
4.    Smoker or non-smoker.  If a smoker, are you still smoking, or have you quit?
5.    Any other medical conditions, such as high blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes, etc.
6.    Any parents, brothers, or sisters who had or died of a heart attack, heart disease, or cancer before age 60.
7.    Current lifestyle (e.g. conscious of diet and exercise, losing weight, etc.)
8.    Positive feedback from the primary physician regarding recovery progress

Even if you are still unable to qualify for underwritten life insurance, you may still qualify for final expense insurance or guaranteed issue life insurance.  Please feel free to give us a call at 1-800-571-2980 or e-mail us if you have any questions.  You can also get an instant quote by clicking the banner at the top or bottom of the page - choose the "regular" risk class.  The final rate will likely be higher than this, so the quotes cited will be a starting point.