What is High Blood Pressure?
Blood pressure is simply the amount of pressure or force generated between the artery walls and is a measure of numbers called systolic and diastolic contracting and resting of the heart.
Blood pressure normally rises and falls throughout the day. When it consistently stays too high for too long, it is referred to as hypertension. Normal range blood pressure is typically around 120 systolic and 80 diastolic.
What affects will High Blood Pressure have on my Ability to Obtain Life Insurance?
The leading cause of death aside from cancer is heart disease high blood pressure many times lead to more serious health issues like heart disease and heart attacks due to hardening of the arteries and lack of oxygen to the heart. A person with hypertension has an increased risk of stroke, aneurysm, heart failure, heart attack, or kidney damage, especially if the hypertension is not well controlled with medication, diet and exercise. Qualifying for a life insurance policy after a hypertension diagnosis can be complicated, but still possible. When evaluating a diagnosis of high blood pressure and mortality risk for life insurance, the following factors will be carefully considered by the carrier’s underwriters to determine insurability and rate. Supportive evidence that you are stable with treatment under a physician’s monitoring or on the road to recovery will determine insurability. Common reviews will include the following:
- Blood pressure readings in the past 12 months?
- Are there other cardiovascular risk factors involved? (ECG readings, cholesterol levels, diabetes, family history
- Are you currently under supervision with a physician?
- Are the symptoms being managed with medications?
- Are you in the normal weight and build chart range?
- Do you smoke?
How can You Assist in Obtaining a Good High Blood Pressure Insurance Rating
- Take all medications as directed by physician
- Routinely check blood pressure
How to Find the Right Insurance Company for your Health Issues
Many Life agents are experts in researching what carrier’s concentrate on writing clients who have impaired risk such as Hypertension and what questions and support materials will be needed prior to submitting the application. If the blood pressure is being managed you may even qualify for coverage without a medical exam. A knowledgeable agent can assist you by directing you to those carriers and carrier underwriting guidelines that will give careful consideration to your specific blood pressure criterion and measure it against their current hypertension table ratings in order to get you approved at a favorable rate. All carriers have their own table ratings for every impaired risk case.
How to Obtain the Best Reading for the Insurance Para-med Exam
Stress, caffeine, nasal decongestants, and asthma medications can cause the blood pressure to rise. The day of the exam, take blood pressure medication as directed; avoid caffeine, nasal decongestants, and asthma medication if possible. Take several deep, relaxing breaths a few minutes before the examiner takes the blood pressure. If the proposed insured has taken a medication that may cause their blood pressure to rise, they need to advise the examiner at the time of the exam.
What Life Insurance Underwriting Offer can I Expect to Receive with High Blood Pressure?
Well-controlled hypertension can expect a possible Preferred rating with some of the carriers. Uncontrolled hypertension will bump it up several table ratings added to a standard rate, depending on the blood pressure readings.
Example Customer is 58 and normal rating are 120/80 this client is 150 over/95 and is considered standard and could even qualify for a No exam policy based on simply reviewing the Medical records and physician reports. When you fall out side certain ranges you will be rated according to age and hypertension tables and a flat extra will be added. Other risk factors added in such as cholesterol, heart problems, or diabetes type 2 could also affect the overall rating.
If you have not tested your blood pressure and it has been more than 12-24 months since a health screening it is highly recommended to purchase a non-medical policy prior to going for the medical exam type as you can get covered immediately without the worries then later apply for the medical underwritten and stack the two policies or cancel the non medical after the new one is in place as many people find they cannot qualify at the best rates simply because of a bad reading at the paramedical exam and now have a blemished medical record and have to notify every company that they were denied coverage because of a health issue.
