Unless you go with a no medical exam life insurance policy most carriers will require for you to take a medical exam. During the exam the nurse will check your built, your blood pressure,take a urine and blood sample. The truth is that getting life insurance with high blood pressure is really not that complicated. We have seen cases where people get preferred rates with high blood pressure. The key is choosing the right company and making sure your blood pressure is under control.
What Life Insurance Companies Look For
Like many other conditions blood pressure can lead to heart conditions and other impairments so the carriers will want to get some details. Life Insurance company’s biggest concern is making sure that your blood pressure is under control. They will also look at your last 3 blood pressure readings to get a good idea of your average reading. Some other factors that they use for considerations will be any other medical conditions, your built, age, date of diagnosis and whether you are a tobacco user. Also a quick tip, it is very common that people who take medications and manage their blood pressure often times will get better rates than those who have identical readings but are not getting it treated. If you know you have high blood pressure it is best to visit your doctor to show that you are managing your high blood pressure.
So lets say the life insurance company has all the information they need to make a decision.What are some possible outcomes?
Life insurance payments are determined by your age and the rate class they assign to you. The rate class is an overall picture of your risk to the company.
Preferred Plus – Lets say that your blood pressure is mild with reading of 135/80 and you might or might not take medication for it. In this case you will not get rated which means you will qualify for the best rate the company can offer.
Preferred – If you’re blood pressure reading is 140/90 or 145/90 and is under control with medications than you can get a preferred rate class which will still result in premium payments better than majority of applicants.
Standard – This is a rate class you will get if your blood pressure reading is under 150/90 and is also managed with medications with ongoing follow up with your doctor.
Substandard/Decline – If your blood pressure is higher than standard requirement you will either get a substandard rating or a decline. Once again the company will want to see treatment and if you are not treating it, prepare for much higher rates or a decline altogether.
Tips for the Medical Exam
There are few things you can do to make your blood pressure readings more favorable at the time of the exam. A fast can be helpful that is why we recommend to take the exam first thing in the morning since food can have a dramatic effect on your reading. You might also want to drink few glasses of water an hour prior to the exam, this will dilate your blood vessels for better results. I would also avoid caffeine, tobacco and energy drinks since they can cause a spike in your blood pressure. If you get anxious I would also recommend doing a quick meditation. No I am not asking you to go on a journey of finding yourself, just a quick 5 minute deep breathing session. Trust me it will lower your blood pressure. Lastly you should request the nurse to take two readings since the result can vary so pick the best one.
Just to summarize everything. Getting life insurance with high blood pressure is a piece of cake as long as you are applying with the right carrier and you have it under control. If you would like to get quotes click on the term life insurance quotes box to your right and pick the appropriate rate class(the ones we mentioned above.) Or you can call us at 888-492-1967 so we can answer all your questions.
