How are life insurance rates calculated?
Life insurance, in fact all insurance, is based on the concept of sharing risk. A large number of people pay a small percent of potential insurance claims so that the beneficiaries of those who die can receive a large amount relative to what they may have paid.
Life insurance companies are careful not to insure (or charge higher rates for) people who statistically, because of medical conditions or riskier behavior, may die prematurely. If they took people with a “higher risk,” this would eventually raise rates for others who are healthy and want insurance because the life insurance company would be paying out more than they collect in premiums from all of their policyholders. Too little premium for too many claims could also harm a company that may not then be around to help the families of those who have policies with them. An insurance company has to be prudent so that they are there to serve all the policyholders when they’re needed most.
Underwriting: By screening those people who apply for insurance rates are kept down. This process of screening and reviewing who gets what rate is called underwriting.
Insurance underwriting is not an exact science: Not every life insurance company looks at situations in the same way. That’s where a good agent comes in. One who knows the insurance companies and knows where to go that fits each individual’s situation.
What kinds of concerns do life insurance companies have?
The insurance companies are looking at health risks that one’s physician
looks for. Use of tobacco, high cholesterol, cholesterol ratios, high triglycerides,
one’s height weight ratio, history of diabetes and any condition or activity
that could decrease a person’s life span.
Summary of what life insurance rates are based on: Life insurance premiums are based on
- Age
- Health status
- Gender, a female receives lower rates than a male of the same age because statistically, females live longer.
- Family medical history of parents and siblings
- Lifestyle: For example, does one travel to dangerous areas of the world? Does one skydive? Race cars? Etc.
How does the insurance company determine your health category?
Depending on your age and the amount of insurance different questions are asked.
For smaller amounts of insurance at younger ages, the agent asks about your medical
history. Sometimes, a physical exam is done that is paid for by the insurance
company and includes some testing and lab work. Also, you give permission for
the insurance company to review your medical records. Based on your health history,
medical exam and other factors, the company then places you in a rating class.
These rating classes are titled with names such as super preferred, preferred,
regular or standard. Each of these categories has a different rate further modified
by your age and gender. If you have had some medical challenges, you may still
be offered insurance with an extra rate. The lingo for in the insurance business
is “rated” or a “rated” policy.
What if you have had a medical history with some problems?
This is where it’s important to find the right agent. There are agents that
have experience and others with less. There are agents that have access to numerous
insurance companies and others that represent just one or just a few. Shop for
the right agent. Some online companies have access to numerous companies.
What does the insurance physical exam consist of?
At certain amounts of life insurance, the company will set up a physical exam
for you, usually at your home or office. A nurse, paramedic or in some cases a
physician will check your weight, blood pressure and do other testing and in some
cases take a blood and/or urine sample. For larger amounts of insurance, more
test, which could include an EKG or X-ray, might be done. Your blood and urine
samples will be analyzed for indications of diseases, cholesterol levels and any
indications of diabetes, kidney problems, liver problems and other problems. The
samples will also be screened for the presence of nicotine and certain medications
along with testing for illegal drugs.
What can you do to lower your insurance rates?
First, shop well. Get quotes from numerous companies. Each insurance company determines
what comprises each rating class.
What do you do if you know you have a health history that may affect
rates?
Communicate your history to the insurance agent about the difficulty when you
first discuss life insurance policies. As experienced insurance agents we know
that some life insurance companies charge lower rates for certain situations than
others, therefore we will look for a company that may raise its premiums less
or not at all for that particular condition.
Can my rate be lowered after I have my policy?
After you get your life insurance policy, in later years, if you substantially
improve your health, we can work with you to alert the insurance company and see
if the life insurance company will lower your rates. There's no risk in attempting
to improve your rate after you have a policy because the contract that already
exists can’t be changed after you have it but it is possible to decrease
the premium or lower your rate class with evidence of improved health.
Questions? Contact us
To learn more, click one of the following:
Term Life Policies
Return of premium
Whole Life Policies
Universal Life Policies
Survivorship Life (Joint and Survivor)
To get a quote for life insurance, click one of the following:
Term life Quote
Return of premium Quote
Whole life Quote
Universal life Quote
Survivorship life Quote (Joint and Survivor)