Life insurance is an important purchase for many families to consider. If you are financially responsible for others in your household — especially if you have children — it becomes even more important to consider getting a policy.
Life insurance risks are an issue that makes purchasing insurance unrealistic for many families. It’s not worth sacrificing all your money in the present for the chance to take care of your family in the future. It is this risk and reward that needs to be weighed by every person who considers buying life insurance.
If you have a health risk, it can be even more difficult to obtain inexpensive life insurance. We’ll cover the top health risks life insurance companies consider in their customers. We’ll also cover what you can do to make yourself a more attractive customer to life insurance companies, whether you have one of these health problems or not.
Cancer
Cancer is never a good thing for a life insurance company to see, but certain types of cancer and the stage of cancer you have factor into your policy. Identifying your cancer early with testing can be a huge benefit for both your health and your chances of getting life insurance.
If you’re a cancer survivor, you need to make sure you are taking care of your health post-treatment. This means going to your doctor’s appointments, getting the recommended level of exercise, and eating well. These habits show your insurance company you’re a better candidate than cancer survivors who aren’t taking these steps to stay healthy.
Diabetes
Diabetes, both Type 1 and Type 2, doesn’t have to be a debilitating disease. If you take your medications and change to a diabetes-friendly diet, you can live like any other person. Diabetes is still an issue for life insurance companies because it’s a chronic condition. There is currently no cure for diabetes.
Other factors and lifestyle choices will factor heavily into your life insurance application as a person with diabetes. Your weight, your age, other medical conditions, and whether you are a smoker with diabetes will be heavily factored into getting life insurance.
Unfortunately, diabetes is a condition that increases the risks of other diseases and conditions. Life insurance companies will worry about these things no matter what lifestyle changes you make.
Heart Problems
Having a heart attack, congestive heart failure, and even high blood pressure can be a life insurance risk. Your age is going to factor strongly into your policy if you are a person living with heart conditions. Older folks are more likely to have another heart attack than younger people. It is also more likely to be a fatal heart attack.
Just like the other issues on this list, you need to get adequate exercise to maintain good health after having heart problems. Unlike some of the other issues here, too much exercise could cause you trouble, too. Talk to your doctor and make sure you go through a cardiac rehabilitation program to return to good health after a heart problem.
Diet is going to be an especially important sticking point for life insurance companies if you have a heart problem. Being obese leads to heart attack and hypertension, and it heightens these issues if they’re already present.
Alzheimer’s and Dementia
Diseases that alter your mental state, like Alzheimer’s and dementia, can be a huge risk for life insurance companies because many people die in the aftermath of a diagnosis. The average mortality rate for most Alzheimer’s patients is under 10 years after diagnosis.
If someone you know is trying to get a life insurance policy with one of these illnesses, the best thing you can do is keep them mentally stimulated. This may show life insurance companies the customer can potentially live longer with a mentally rigorous lifestyle.
Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Use
Smoking can lead to all kinds of health issues, especially lung cancer. If you use chewing tobacco, this can lead to ulcers and cancers in the mouth. Even if you don’t have these issues yet, life insurance companies will give you an enormous price hike if they see that you use tobacco products.
Try to get with a support group so you can overcome your tobacco addiction before it’s too late. Vaping used to be an encouraged alternative to tobacco, but further research has proven this wrong. Talk to specialists about how to ease yourself off tobacco, as going cold turkey could make the problem worse.
Life insurance companies will appreciate you quitting your tobacco habit, and they should reward you with cheaper rates depending on how long you can prove you have quit. If you stop smoking, you’ll also prevent health problems that will lead to higher life insurance prices.
Old Age
Being old becomes a health risk for life insurance companies past the age of 65. Because the average lifespan in America is around 75-80 years old, getting close to this range is a huge risk factor for life insurers. In fact, you sometimes can reach an age where life insurance companies simply won’t take you anymore, no matter what you do.
You should look into life insurance before this age so you have a chance to get a policy. Older folks who are worried about getting a policy to pay for final expenses may be able to get one of these policies, though. This would only cover the burial supplies and the funeral.
Your Job
Believe it or not, your job can be a huge risk factor in getting life insurance. If you do something that puts yourself in danger of dying on the job, you may have very high life insurance prices. This can consist of being a construction worker, being around wild animals, or even being a pro skier or snowboarder.
Some life insurance companies even have clauses that void the policy if you die in an accident on the job. Talk to your life insurer about how they handle death on the job, and look for another company if you don’t feel comfortable with their coverage.
If you already have any of the issues above, the best thing you can do is try to live an active, healthy lifestyle. This will show your life insurance company you care about taking care of yourself.
Shawn Laib writes and researches for the insurance comparison site, Clearsurance.com. He wants to help people understand what increases life insurance rates.