Why No Exam Life Insurance is a Good Option for People with High Blood Pressure
Meta description: No exam life insurance is a great option for people who have high blood pressure and would be given high rates through a traditional policy.
If you have high blood pressure, you may be concerned about applying for life insurance. Will you qualify? Will you be given high premiums? Life insurance companies do take the issue of high blood pressure seriously, which is why many people with this condition choose no exam life insurance.
On the other hand, no exam policies can often be pricier than traditional policies. If you have high blood pressure, how can you decide which is more financially worthwhile? Getting a free quote is always a good option. For more information, read on.
Defining High Blood Pressure
This is the usual medical condition that is fairly common in the United States, affecting 1 in 3 adults. Physically, high blood pressure is when high enough to cause serious health problems like heart disease. However, if detected early and treated properly, it can be easily managed. It’s when it’s not detected and not treated that serious problems can start. Treatments include lifestyle changes, medication, or a combination of them both.
A blood pressure gauge “uses a unit of measurement called mmHg (millimeters of mercury) for measuring the pressure in your blood vessels,” according to the CDC. General blood pressure is 120/80 or below. High blood pressure is a reading of 140/90 or above. Blood pressure that measures 180/110 is considered extremely high and dangerous.
Applying for Life Insurance with High Blood Pressure
When you apply for a traditional life insurance policy, you’re required to answer several health questions and undergo a medical exam. One of the basic things the insurer looks for is whether you have high blood pressure. (Other things include age, weight, smoker/non-smoker, chronic diseases, drug/alcohol addiction, etc.)
If you have high blood pressure, the insurance company will ask how long you’ve had it, what your previous readings are, and how you’re managing it. You may need to provide a letter from your doctor.
If you’re taking medication as part of the management process, you’ll need to say which ones. Each medication will have significance to the insurer.
After you’ve provided all the information, underwriters at the insurance company will compare each detail against millions of statistics to determine how statistically likely you are to die early. This includes how long you’ve had it, the treatment method and specific medications are taken.
The life insurance rating you get depends on your specific situation. Those who have a mild case of high blood pressure and are managing it competently can still get a fairly good rating from the life insurance company. Those who have severe high blood pressure and haven’t been managing it properly are likely to get slapped with high rates. Additionally, while taking medications is one way of controlling high blood pressure, these meds often come with their own side effects. Therefore, you’re not likely to get great rates if you’re taking certain medications.
No Exam Policies for High Blood Pressure
In a case when you wouldn’t get a good rating from the insurance agency, either due to the severity of your high blood pressure or due to the medications you’re taking, no exam life insurance can be a good option.
No exam life insurance doesn’t require a medical exam, which makes the application process more convenient. A simplified issue is a type of no exam policy that lets you skip the exam but still requires some medical information. Guaranteed issue is another type of policy that grants approval without asking for any medical information at all. Depending on the state of your health and high blood pressure, in particular, you can decide whether to apply for a simplified issue or guaranteed issue.
If you have high blood pressure that’s unmanageable, the advantage of applying for a no exam policy is that you won’t be put in the lowest class rating by the insurance company. However, prices for no exam policies can sometimes be more expensive than traditional, so it’s best to get a free quote before determining which type is the most cost-efficient.
In some cases, a simplified issue can be more affordable than a traditional policy, so it’s worthwhile doing your homework. Guaranteed issue is the most expensive type of life insurance policy, so this is mainly for people who have been turned down for all other types of coverage.
Going Forward with High Blood Pressure
Having high blood pressure when you apply for life insurance can make the approval process slightly more complicated, but it doesn’t mean you can’t get coverage. If you get approved for a traditional policy but put in a low-class rating, you can always try for no exam life insurance and see if you can get a better deal.
