There are many health conditions that can play a role in your life insurance rates, but there are 5 common factors that affect rates more than others:
One in three Americans has high blood pressure, according to the CDC. This is approximately 75 million people.
So, it’s really no surprise that life insurance companies have to mitigate the risk posed by this health condition.
Now, that said, of course, you can still get a policy even if you have this condition, but you have to understand that having high blood pressure puts you at risk for a handful of other more serious conditions, including stroke and heart disease.
For that reason, having high blood pressure will increase your premiums. If you are working to effectively manage your high blood pressure by meeting with your doctor regularly and taking your medication, it can have a positive influence on the premiums you pay.
| Age | Policy Type | $100,000 Male | $100,000 Female | $500,000 Male | $500,000 Female | $1,000,000 Male | $1,000,000 Female |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 | 10 Year Term | $7 | $6 | $13 | $12 | $21 | $18 |
| 30 | 20 Year Term | $9 | $8 | $20 | $17 | $34 | $28 |
| 30 | 30 Year Term | $13 | $11 | $33 | $27 | $59 | $48 |
| 30 | Whole Life | $72 | $64 | $160 | $136 | $272 | $224 |
| 40 | 10 Year Term | $8 | $8 | $19 | $17 | $30 | $28 |
| 40 | 20 Year Term | $11 | $10 | $31 | $27 | $58 | $47 |
| 40 | 30 Year Term | $19 | $16 | $58 | $45 | $108 | $85 |
| 40 | Whole Life | $88 | $80 | $248 | $216 | $464 | $376 |
| 50 | 10 Year Term | $15 | $13 | $46 | $37 | $83 | $67 |
| 50 | 20 Year Term | $24 | $19 | $82 | $61 | $155 | $112 |
| 50 | 30 Year Term | $41 | $31 | $140 | $107 | $270 | $206 |
| 50 | Whole Life | $209 | $165 | $682 | $484 | $1287 | $902 |
| 60 | 10 Year Term | $32 | $25 | $122 | $83 | $226 | $151 |
| 60 | 20 Year Term | $60 | $41 | $235 | $158 | $456 | $304 |
| 60 | Whole Life | $384 | $300 | $1464 | $996 | $2712 | $1812 |
| 70 | 10 Year Term | $96 | $63 | $373 | $241 | $705 | $445 |
| 70 | 20 Year Term | $231 | $192 | $975 | $808 | $1912 | $1555 |
There is a common misconception that obesity means you will automatically be disqualified from life insurance. This is simply not true.
Obesity, like these other conditions, does put you at a greater risk for things like cancer, high blood pressure, stroke, or heart disease.
As a result, life insurance companies have to charge more to take on this risk.
You can still qualify for more affordable policies if your body mass index is not too far outside of the normal range and only just a little outside.
Life insurance companies assess the risk of an obese person by the severity of their condition, similar to other health conditions. The more severe the obesity levels, the more risk the person poses.
They also inquire about comorbid conditions too, the result of your obesity.
If, for example, you are obese and your obesity has caused high blood pressure too, then you are at even more of a risk.
A morbidly obese person might not be able to secure a term life insurance policy, but for such conditions where someone would otherwise be denied coverage, there is always the most expensive, guaranteed coverage option.
If you are an obese person, you can lower your insurance costs by getting healthier. Showing that you are taking steps to eat better, improve your A1C levels regularly, and visit your doctor on a regular basis will indicate efforts to improve your health and can earn you lower premiums if you wait to improve your health before taking out a policy.
If you have a term policy with obesity rates, you can get healthier and then apply for a new term or convert it into a permanent policy with lower premiums.
| Age | Policy Type | $100,000 Male | $100,000 Female | $500,000 Male | $500,000 Female | $1,000,000 Male | $1,000,000 Female |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 | 10 Year Term | $10 | $8 | $17 | $15 | $28 | $24 |
| 30 | 20 Year Term | $10 | $9 | $26 | $21 | $47 | $37 |
| 30 | 30 Year Term | $14 | $12 | $41 | $34 | $75 | $60 |
| 30 | Whole Life | $80 | $72 | $208 | $168 | $376 | $296 |
| 40 | 10 Year Term | $11 | $10 | $27 | $23 | $44 | $38 |
| 40 | 20 Year Term | $14 | $12 | $40 | $34 | $74 | $62 |
| 40 | 30 Year Term | $22 | $18 | $69 | $54 | $129 | $101 |
| 40 | Whole Life | $112 | $96 | $320 | $272 | $592 | $496 |
| 50 | 10 Year Term | $19 | $16 | $59 | $47 | $104 | $85 |
| 50 | 20 Year Term | $28 | $21 | $98 | $72 | $186 | $135 |
| 50 | 30 Year Term | $47 | $37 | $181 | $128 | $347 | $239 |
| 50 | Whole Life | $242 | $198 | $858 | $616 | $1584 | $115 |
| 60 | 10 Year Term | $42 | $32 | $147 | $104 | $272 | $191 |
| 60 | 20 Year Term | $72 | $51 | $277 | $193 | $528 | $362 |
| 60 | Whole Life | $504 | $384 | $1764 | $1248 | $3264 | $2292 |
| 70 | 10 Year Term | $98 | $69 | $386 | $250 | $705 | $451 |
| 70 | 20 Year Term | $231 | $215 | $975 | $903 | $1912 | $1738 |
High cholesterol is another common condition that impacts one out of every three adults in America.
Once again, high cholesterol can lead to other conditions such as diabetes, stroke, or coronary heart disease.
The good news is that life insurance providers will look upon your high cholesterol more favorably if you are managing it with medication or working with your healthcare provider regularly.
It is important to get tested for this before you apply because it doesn’t show any conditions, and you certainly don’t want to find out that you have high cholesterol when you apply for a policy.
The risk factors attributed to high cholesterol include your diet and your weight primarily. If you’re suffering from high cholesterol, you can take steps to reduce the cost of your insurance policy by removing things such as trans fats, saturated fat, sugar, and cholesterol from the foods you are eating.
You can also lose weight, as being overweight can increase your LDL levels and decrease your HDL levels.
| Age | Policy Type | $100,000 Male | $100,000 Female | $500,000 Male | $500,000 Female | $1,000,000 Male | $1,000,000 Female |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 | 10 Year Term | $7 | $6 | $13 | $12 | $21 | $18 |
| 30 | 20 Year Term | $9 | $8 | $20 | $17 | $34 | $28 |
| 30 | 30 Year Term | $13 | $11 | $33 | $27 | $59 | $48 |
| 30 | Whole Life | $72 | $64 | $160 | $136 | $272 | $224 |
| 40 | 10 Year Term | $8 | $8 | $19 | $17 | $30 | $28 |
| 40 | 20 Year Term | $11 | $10 | $31 | $27 | $58 | $47 |
| 40 | 30 Year Term | $19 | $16 | $58 | $45 | $108 | $85 |
| 40 | Whole Life | $88 | $80 | $248 | $216 | $464 | $376 |
| 50 | 10 Year Term | $15 | $13 | $46 | $37 | $83 | $67 |
| 50 | 20 Year Term | $24 | $19 | $82 | $61 | $155 | $112 |
| 50 | 30 Year Term | $41 | $31 | $140 | $107 | $270 | $206 |
| 50 | Whole Life | $209 | $165 | $682 | $484 | $1287 | $902 |
| 60 | 10 Year Term | $32 | $25 | $122 | $83 | $226 | $151 |
| 60 | 20 Year Term | $60 | $41 | $235 | $158 | $456 | $304 |
| 60 | Whole Life | $384 | $300 | $1464 | $996 | $2712 | $1812 |
| 70 | 10 Year Term | $96 | $63 | $373 | $241 | $705 | $445 |
| 70 | 20 Year Term | $231 | $192 | $975 | $808 | $1912 | $1555 |
Insurers assess people diagnosed with cancer or who have had a history of cancer by reviewing many factors.
They will ask a lot of questions on the application, which specify the types of cancer, how recently you had issues with certain cancers, and what treatments are currently being used.
Your rates are going to change based on the type of cancer, as some are more severe than others. Prostate cancer, for example, has a much lower survival rate than breast cancer, which means your premiums are going to change with the type of cancer you have and the stage that it is in.
| Age | Policy Type | $100,000 Male | $100,000 Female | $500,000 Male | $500,000 Female | $1,000,000 Male | $1,000,000 Female |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 | 10 Year Term | $7 | $6 | $13 | $12 | $20 | $18 |
| 30 | 20 Year Term | $9 | $8 | $20 | $17 | $33 | $28 |
| 30 | 30 Year Term | $12 | $11 | $32 | $27 | $57 | $ |
| 30 | Whole Life | $72 | $64 | $160 | $136 | $264 | $ |
| 40 | 10 Year Term | $8 | $7 | $18 | $15 | $28 | $25 |
| 40 | 20 Year Term | $10 | $10 | $28 | $24 | $51 | $43 |
| 40 | 30 Year Term | $17 | $15 | $52 | $42 | $99 | $78 |
| 40 | Whole Life | $80 | $80 | $224 | $192 | $408 | $344 |
| 50 | 10 Year Term | $14 | $12 | $41 | $33 | $74 | $61 |
| 50 | 20 Year Term | $22 | $18 | $74 | $55 | $141 | $101 |
| 50 | 30 Year Term | $36 | $28 | $125 | $97 | $251 | $183 |
| 50 | Whole Life | $198 | $143 | $627 | $451 | $1,166 | $847 |
| 60 | 10 Year Term | $28 | $23 | $112 | $75 | $213 | $139 |
| 60 | 20 Year Term | $53 | $36 | $205 | $139 | $396 | $267 |
| 60 | Whole Life | $336 | $276 | $1,344 | $900 | $2,556 | $1,668 |
| 70 | 10 Year Term | $87 | $58 | $322 | $200 | $610 | $373 |
| 70 | 20 Year Term | $207 | $157 | $804 | $578 | $1,546 | $1,117 |
Life insurance companies assess people with mental health issues based on how severe those issues are, whether there are tangential conditions, too, and whether you are controlling the conditions well or not.
Some more minor issues, like depression or anxiety, and even sleep apnea, can be controlled with regular treatment and therefore will only result in slightly higher premiums.
However, for those more severe cases or those that are not well managed, it can be very challenging to get a policy. People in these situations may find it hard to get an insurance policy:
Rest assured that if you have a pre-existing mental health condition such as depression, you can still get a policy, but your premiums will be different.
| Age | Policy Type | $100,000 Male | $100,000 Female | $500,000 Male | $500,000 Female | $1,000,000 Male | $1,000,000 Female |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 | 10 Year Term | $10 | $9 | $26 | $22 | $46 | $39 |
| 30 | 20 Year Term | $13 | $12 | $39 | $33 | $70 | $60 |
| 30 | 30 Year Term | $21 | $17 | $68 | $52 | $128 | $96 |
| 30 | Whole Life | $104 | $96 | $312 | $264 | $560 | $480 |
| 40 | 10 Year Term | $13 | $12 | $39 | $34 | $70 | $61 |
| 40 | 20 Year Term | $19 | $16 | $65 | $54 | $125 | $101 |
| 40 | 30 Year Term | $33 | $25 | $116 | $86 | $217 | $162 |
| 40 | Whole Life | $152 | $128 | $520 | $432 | $1000 | $808 |
| 50 | 10 Year Term | $25 | $20 | $96 | $70 | $179 | $132 |
| 50 | 20 Year Term | $39 | $30 | $157 | $117 | $302 | $221 |
| 50 | 30 Year Term | $79 | $57 | $297 | $221 | $568 | $408 |
| 50 | Whole Life | $363 | $275 | $1353 | $1001 | $2552 | $1859 |
| 60 | 10 Year Term | $57 | $41 | $233 | $155 | $447 | $287 |
| 60 | 20 Year Term | $106 | $73 | $456 | $310 | $880 | $585 |
| 60 | Whole Life | $684 | $492 | $2796 | $1860 | $5364 | $3444 |
| 70 | 10 Year Term | $170 | $110 | $737 | $443 | $1366 | $832 |
| 70 | 20 Year Term | $466 | $381 | $1942 | $1583 | $3876 | $3046 |
As I said at the beginning of this article, there are many health conditions that can affect life insurance rates.
These are just the 5 most common health conditions that affect life insurance rates.
Some other common health conditions affecting life insurance rates are:
Respiratory diseases include things like:
Naturally, these diseases shorten your life expectancy and, therefore, elevate your risk profile to a life insurance company. This is not to say that you cannot find affordable life insurance rates for people with respiratory diseases.
Depending on your condition, there may be plenty of life insurance options available to you. Because of the nature of your disease, it may be hard to give exact quotes for your rates. It is best to speak with an agent to ensure you find the best policies, rates, and companies for your needs.
Some common digestive diseases that affect life insurance rates are:
Again, depending on your health condition and your age, life insurance rates and policy options may vary. However, unless your condition is very bad, you are likely to find affordable life insurance rates for people with digestive system diseases.
Even if your condition is serious, guaranteed issue life insurance can cover your needs without the need for a medical examination and with no health questions asked. There are life insurance options for just about everyone, regardless of your health.
Some common muscular diseases that can have an effect on your life insurance rates are:
These diseases are already challenging enough to live with, there is no reason that getting life insurance to protect your family should be hard.
Because these diseases are so uncommon, and each individual case is different, giving realistic life insurance quotes for people with muscular diseases can be difficult when generalizing. It is best to speak with a professional to find the best life insurance rates if you suffer from a muscular disease.
Some common lymphatic system diseases that can affect life insurance rates are:
These diseases are particularly dangerous, as the lymph system spans the whole body, and they can be very difficult to detect or treat.
Again, people with these types of lymphatic system diseases should seek out professional help to find the best life insurance policies and rates.
Some common endocrine system diseases that have an effect on life insurance rates are:
Determining life insurance rates for people with endocrine system diseases depends on the disease and its severity. Life insurance rates for people with diabetes and thyroid disorders will be much lower and more standard than those with Turner Syndrome, Grave’s Disease, or other more serious endocrine system disorders.
Some of the common nervous system diseases that affect life insurance rates are:
These diseases are usually quite severe in terms of how they affect your body, life expectancy, and health. As a result, giving life insurance rates for people with nervous system diseases is difficult without knowing their individual situation.
There are thousands of health conditions in the world. While high blood pressure, obesity, high cholesterol, cancer, and mental health conditions are the most common, there are many others to consider.
Everyone should be entitled to the right to life insurance in order to protect their family and loved ones financially in the event of their death.
While it may seem like affordable life insurance may be hard to obtain for your specific health condition, I promise this is not the case.
Give us a call today to speak with one of our independent life insurance agents who can compare life insurance rates from dozens of the best life insurance companies for people with health conditions.
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