Asthma is a chronic condition affecting the lungs. Breathing difficulties occur with Asthma due to the narrowing or blocking of the airways. Asthma is divided into two categories. Allergic Asthma and Non-Allergic Asthma.
Allergic Asthma - Symptoms are triggered by an external source such as dust, pollen, mold, etc.
Non-Allergic Asthma - Non-allergic asthma is triggered by sources other than allergies. Non-allergic asthma may be triggered by things such as exercise, cold air, having a cold, etc.
Life Insurance Underwriting of Asthma:
Competitive term life insurance rates are available from a number of life insurance companies if you have asthma. Depending on the severity of your asthma, sometimes we will need to work with an impaired risk life insurance company in order to get you the best possible life insurance rate.
The factors that will affect your life insurance rates are:
- Your age - How old were you when diagnosed with asthma and how old are you now?
- The type of asthma you have - Do you have Allergic asthma or non-allergic asthma?
- How often do you have asthma attacks?
- How severe are your asthma attacks?
- Have you been hospitalized for your asthma attacks?
- Do you take medications for your asthma?
- What medications do you take?
Asthma Medications and Life Insurance Underwriting:
Life insurance underwriters look at the medications you take and classify those medications into three categories:
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First Line Therapies - First Line therapies are medications such as inhaled bronchodilators, inhaled corticosteroids, and some pill medications. Examples would be medications such as Advair, Albuterol, Flovent, Atrovent, Singulair, Accolate, and others.
Second Line Therapies - Second Line Therapies for asthma are medications such as Alupent, Brethine, Theo-Dur, Slo-bid, Ventoline, and short use of medications such as Prednisone, and Prednisolone.
Third Line Therapies - Third Line Therapies for asthma include continuous use of oral or injected steroids, Methotrexate, Cyclosporine, Sandimmune and others.
How Life Insurance Underwriters Look at Asthma:
From a life insurance underwriting standpoint, life insurance underwiters look at Asthma and classify it into the categories of either Mild Asthma, Moderate Asthma, and Severe Asthma. We know which life insurance companies will give you the best life insurance rates based on your individual medical information.
Mild Asthma - With mild asthma, there is no disability between asthma attacks. Typically, only mild or occasional attacks occur, and no hospitalizations have occurred. If any medications are used, the types of asthma medications used are "first line" therapies such as inhaled bronchodilators, inhaled corticosteroids, or some oral medications.
Moderate Asthma - With Moderate asthma, there may be some mild difficulty breathing between attacks. The number of attacks may increase, and the use of "first line" and occasional "second line" medications may occur. If you have been hospitalized for asthma, underwriters may consider you to have moderate asthma.
Severe Asthma - With Severe Asthma, the medications taken are "third line" therapies, there have been multiple hospitalizations, frequent use of steroids, difficulty in breathing between attacks, frequent attacks, etc.
What Kind of Life Insurance Rate Can I Expect to Pay?
The life insurance rate you can expect to pay will depend on how severe your asthma is, the medications you take, and how well your asthma is controlled.
Mild Asthma - There are a few life insurance companies available where a preferred life insurance rate may be possible.
Moderate Asthma - Typically, a standard life insurance rate will be available to you with the right life insurance company.
Severe Asthma - This will be case by case, but many cases will be rated as a "standard table 2" rate to "standard table 4" rate. Each table rating adds 25% increase to the price of a standard rate. We'll get you to the best life insurance company based on your specific asthma information.
What We Do To Get You the Best Rate Possible
