Life Insurance with Melanoma

Melanoma is believed to be the most dangerous type of skin cancer. These growths can develop when DNA damage to skin tissues triggers defects that will get the skin cells to multiply rapidly and form malignant tumors. This damage is due to ultraviolet radiation from tanning beds or the rays of the sun. Although getting life insurance with melanoma may be challenging it is certainly possible in many cases.

Typically these melanomas look just like moles and can develop from moles already on the body. The majority of them are brown or black, but may sometimes be red, skin-colored, purple, white, or blue. Lots of men and women are genetically disposed to getting melanoma and over 10,000 individuals in the U.S. die from it annually. If melanoma is found and treated early, there’s a good chance of it being cured, but otherwise, the disease can spread to other parts of the body and become hard to treat and result in death. Even though melanoma isn’t the most common kind of skin cancer, it contributes to the most fatalities.

Melanoma Risk Factors

Melanoma can affect anyone irrespective of gender or age. There are certain things that can substantially increase your risk of melanoma:

• Exposure to ultraviolet light from the sun’s rays and tanning beds
• Having a light or fair complexion
• Atypical, and dysplastic moles on your body
• If your family has a history of melanoma
• Certain conditions and medications that suppress your immune system

How Common is Melanoma in the U.S.?

As stated by the American Cancer Society, skin cancer has become the most frequent type of cancers. It also leads to the vast majority of all skin cancer deaths, even though it only accounts for one percent of skin cancers. The cases of melanoma reported in the U.S. are substantial.

About 87,000 melanoma cases will be identified in 2017 of which approximately 35,000 will affect women, and approximately 52,000 will affect men.

Approximately 10,000 are anticipated to result in death from this disease which represents about 6,400 males and approximately 3,600 females.

The rates of melanoma have increased each year for the past three decades.

Common Treatment for Melanoma

Based on the condition of the cancer when diagnosed, the most frequent therapy alternatives are:

Methods of Prevention

If melanomas are found in the early stage, surgery will be the typical treatment. If the melanoma is regarded to be in an advanced phase, either one or a group of therapies will be prescribed.

The American Cancer Society is urging examinations every three years for people age 20 to 40 and once each year for those over age 40. They urge self-examinations each month and recommend using a mirror to view hard to see places on your body You must get to know your skin and if you become aware of any changes, call your physician.

Surely, the very best way of Skin Cancer prevention is to minimize your exposure to the sun and eliminate using tanning beds. You should avoid prolonged exposure when ultraviolet light is likely to be extreme. It is possible to guard your skin by wearing sunscreen and a hat while out in sunlight, and by all means, stop using tanning beds.

What Your Underwriters will Look For

To get the lowest rate possible, you should select an insurer that offers fully underwritten policies. By doing so, you will able to provide a clear picture of your health which enables your underwriter to make an informed decision regarding you health classification and ultimately the rates you will be charged for your policy.

You must expect to complete a life insurance application that will have many questions concerning your health history and lifestyle, along with an in-depth questionnaire regarding your melanoma diagnosis and therapy. The insurance underwriter will also be concerned with the information about your case:

How old were you when you were first diagnosed? How much time has passed since your first diagnosis? What stage did your doctor assign to the melanoma? What was the actual size of the tumor or tumors? Was there evidence of metastasis? How quickly are the cancer cells dividing? Is there an appearance of ulceration? After your recovery, was there a recurrence? Was your treatment considered successful and if so, what is the doctor’s prognosis? Are you currently adhering to post-treatment follow-up physician visits and recommendations? Do you drink alcohol or smoke any tobacco products? Are you being treated for any other health issues?

Your underwriter will be helped by reviewing all of your medical information provided during the underwriting process. It’s also likely that your underwriter will order an insurance medical exam that will include blood and urine analysis before making a final decision and inquire about the health history of family members.

Your Outcome Will Depend On Your Prognosis

The great news is that most life insurance applicants who present a history of melanoma typically qualify for traditional life insurance; however, it’s essential to understand that the rate class that is assigned may be subjective and unpredictable. Should you make the most of the services provided by an insurance broker who is an expert in high-risk cases, it is very likely they can predict your insurance rate on the basis of an in-depth conversation with you.

Utilizing an independent broker who has a history of succeeding with high-risk scenarios can put you in a much better place of being offered the lowest insurance rates possible. Since these independent agents represent the majority of the highly-rated insurers who specialize in high-risk cases, your chances of getting very affordable insurance rates will greatly improve.

In case Your Outcome is Unfavorable

If after your completed underwriting, your insurer declines to offer affordable insurance coverage, it’s very likely that your independent agent will offer an alternative life insurance product such as “guaranteed issue” life insurance.

Guaranteed issue life insurance policies are issued without regard to your health history and are typically issued in a matter of days. Since the insurer is agreeing to accept an unknown medical risk, the company will reduce the maximum death benefit to $20,000 or $30,000. They will also require a two or three-year waiting period before the policy will pay the full death benefit if you die from natural causes. Most insurers will, however, pay the full benefit if you die as a result of an accident.