Life Insurance After Heart Stents or Angioplasty

YES, YOU CAN STILL GET AFFORDABLE LIFE INSURANCE, EVEN AFTER ANGIOPLASTY, A HEART STENT OR MULTIPLE CARDIAC STENTS.

This simple guide will show you how to do just that.

Applying for life insurance after heart stent surgery may seem like a daunting task. Is it possible to get a heart stent life insurance policy approved?  Many people with heart disease, angioplasty, cardiac stents, and other cardiac issues feel as though they cannot qualify for normal term life or permanent life insurance policies at all.

Especially with heart stents in place, it may seem as though the policies you can qualify are outrageously priced with unusually poor terms. This does not have to be the case if you know where to look and what to look for.

The key is working with an independent underwriting expert who has access to multiple top-rated life insurance carriers. This is how you maximize your chances for the lowest life insurance rates.

When you are matched with a life insurance company that will underwrite your heart stent condition in the best light, you get the best rates in the market.  

It’s that simple!

We developed this article to explain what steps you should take to get the best rates after your stent surgery. We also hope to dispel some of the myths that keep many people in the dark about life insurance after heart stents.

Here is a handy guide to this article, feel free to head directly to the section you need.

• Life Insurance and Stents
• The Details About Life Insurance After Heart Stents
• These Factors Will Lead to LOWER Life Insurance Rates After a Stent
• These Factors Will Lead to HIGHER Life Insurance Rates After Angioplasty
• Your Life Insurance Underwriting Class After Heart Stent Surgery
• Life Insurance After Stent Placement with Example Rates
• Now It’s Your Chance to Make a Great Decision

LIFE INSURANCE AND STENTS

If you have recently had a stent surgery, you are not alone. Almost 600,000 people benefit from stent surgery each year in America.  That’s a pretty big number, and life insurance companies are aware.

This represents a significant enough portion of the population that some companies will underwrite the risk “standard” with some exceptions. Most realistic rates classes will be slightly substandard, however still very affordable.

Whether you are shopping for term life insurance or permanent life insurance, there are a few questions that will determine your eligibility, rate class, and premium costs.

Life Insurance After A Recent Angioplasty

BEST RATE TIP!

If you have recently had your heart stent surgery, it’s best to wait to apply for life insurance until at least 6 months after the angioplasty.

Life insurance companies determine eligibility and rates depending upon their own estimated risk. If your stent was put in place recently, it could mean higher rates and more difficult qualifications right now. The reasons for this are simple: there is a high risk of that stent becoming clogged again in the first 6 – 12 months (re-stenosis), and that risk goes down after time.

This is why we see anticoagulants, blood thinners, and anti-platelet therapy in the first 12 months after a stent, and then your cardiologist may drop those medications after that when the risk of re-stenosis has gone down.

Some insurance carriers say they will approve life insurance as early as 90 days after an angioplasty. In “real-life” experience, they usually wait until you’ve had a few follow-up visits with your cardiologist. Any earlier and you are an automatic postpone for most policies, so it’s best to wait.

Every case is different. Contact us ahead of time before you postpone this important decision on your own just to be sure. We can give you an idea of what your rates will be six months down the road and advise you on how to lower those life insurance rates in the meantime.

Life Insurance More Than 6 Months After Your Stent Surgery

Cardiologist followup is the key here. As long as you are following the doctor’s orders, underwriters are going to review the records and see if the artery has remained open.

Your chances for life insurance are very good if your heart health history is stable or better. The longer you’ve had the stent, the fewer complications, the better.

How many stents do you have? Will you need more?

With only one stent, you could still qualify as a standard risk with many insurance companies. If you have two or more stents, you may still qualify for life insurance, but it will mean higher table ratings and a lower health classification.

More than one stent usually results in mildly substandard rates, however, coverage is still very affordable.

Before you go in for an angioplasty, the cardiologist is likely to note additional narrowing of the other coronary arteries. If it looks like your plaque is progressing, you may need more stents in the future.

This could postpone your life insurance approval or negatively affect your rates.

Where was the stent placed, which specific coronary artery and where?

Different vessels could change what you pay for life insurance. Generally speaking, stents in arteries on the right side of your heart are less concerning than stents on the left side. For life insurance purposes, angioplasty in the circumflex artery is less concerning than a stent in the “widowmaker” or left anterior descending artery (LAD).

Also wherein the artery matters as well. Bigger, thicker parts of the vessel have bigger, thicker plaques and are more of a concern, and these are the proximal parts of these arteries. As the vessel tapers off and leaves the root, it becomes distal and the blockages are smaller and less concerning.

Bigger blockages mean less blood flow going where it needs to go. No blood flow equals muscle damage (ischemia). So proximal left stents are more concerning and higher rated than distal right side stents. Make sense?

What event led to the stent in the first place?

Insurance companies will look at the event that led to your angioplasty. Was it a preemptive measure-as was the case for President Bush-or was it a heart attack?  If it was performed as a preventative measure, you could still qualify for standard premiums and classification.

However, if a heart attack or some sort of chest pain led to the stent, it will make life insurance approval more difficult. Your case will be rated and priced based on the more serious event.

What Changes Have You Made After Your Angioplasty?

Are you living a healthy lifestyle?  Have you changed your diet and exercise?   Insurance companies want to know.  If not, whatever led to the stent in the first place is likely to repeat.

For many people, heart stent surgery is a wake-up call and they will become healthier in the future because of it.

BEST RATE TIP:

Quitting smoking is a big deal for lower life insurance rates after angioplasty. Smoking rates are usually over 300% higher than non-smoking rates for clients with heart problems.

Small changes in diet can also help you drop unwanted weight, improve your blood pressure readings, and thereby qualify for lower life insurance rates as well. This is a win-win.  Make these changes for your health and you could save money at the same time. 

What Medications Are You Taking?

After stent surgery, patients are prescribed anti-platelet therapy like aspirin plus Plavix (clopidogrel) or Effient (prasugrel).  This treatment can last a few weeks in the case of a metal stent, to more than a year for drug-eluting or coated stents.  These anti-platelet drugs are very important to prevent thrombosis or blood clots around the stent.

These anticoagulants come with risks of their own in the eyes of a life insurance underwriter. So make sure you follow your cardiologists’ recommendations to the letter.

You will likely be taking cholesterol-lowering drugs and blood pressure medication before the angioplasty, and underwriters will want to see the history of these medications along with your current prescriptions

What Were Your Recent Heart Test Results?

Your cardiologist is your lifeline after PCI and they will use various tests to measure your heart function.  When was your last round of tests?  What was done?  Underwriters want to see EKGs, echocardiograms, nuclear angiograms, stress tests, and most importantly your stress echocardiogram results.

On those echo tests, ask the doctor about your results for left ventricular ejection fraction (or LVEF, or EF).  Your EF measures how much blood is pumped out of the left side of your heart with each contraction, and to qualify for the best ratings we will need to see 55% – 69% or so.

Life insurers will ask us this question first. In turn, we usually ask you in the first interview when you have a stent.

For Lower Life Insurance Rates, What Does your Stress Echo Say?

One of the most important tests that you can have is your stress echo. Look for the “results” or “findings” section. In that section, there are a few important measurements.

First is left ventricular ejection fraction, and for traditional life insurance approvals, 50% + is required at rest. This number will go up as you exercise.

The next most important measurement is METs, and this is not the New York Mets! We are talking about metabolic equivalents of task. For traditional term life insurance, the METs on your echo need to be higher than 10.

After that, look at the measurements of the left ventricle. What’s the thickness of the walls? The closer to 1.0 cm, the better. As the LV wall thickness approaches 2.0 cm we are in a higher rated territory for left ventricular hypertrophy.

Look out for the word ischemia. This indicates damage to the heart muscle itself. So if you see “negative for ischemia” in your stress echo findings, good for you! This is fantastic news for life insurance purposes.

How Is Everything Going Since The Stent Surgery?

More specifically, have you returned to work and your daily activities?  Are you seeing your doctor and cardiologist regularly?

Was there any cardiac rehab prescribed and if so – did you complete it?

Has there been any chest pain or shortness of breath since your angioplasty?  More chest pain or a return of chest pain is not a positive sign for your heart or your life insurance application.

DID YOU KNOW?

Both former presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton have stents. After your angioplasty, you are in a club with some of the most powerful men in the world!

THE DETAILS ABOUT LIFE INSURANCE AFTER HEART STENTS

What kind of life insurance rates can you expect after you have heart stents?

Here is the truth that most life insurance agents won’t tell you – your case is going to come with higher rates, plain and simple. Most life insurance agents will misquote you, or set you up for a bait-and-switch.

We don’t do that at Heart Life Insurance, our underwriting experts would rather be upfront with you from the beginning. We have too much respect for you – our clients and future clients – to conduct business otherwise.

Wait A Minute. My Doctor Says I’m Fine! Why Don’t I Get The Best Life Insurance Rates?

We hear you loud and clear. However, would you expect a car insurance company to give you the best rates after a few car crashes? It’s the same thing with life insurance. Having an angioplasty procedure is like a car wreck for the most important muscle in your body.

Most people simply do not have heart stents or an angioplasty, it’s true. They may be walking around with heart disease and not even know it, but you do. Therefore, even if heart disease only raises your personal risk a little teeny tiny bit, it’s still concerning to a life insurance underwriter.

Therefore, the rates for life insurance after a stent are going to be a little bit higher.

Here Is The Good News

Over 600,000 people were survivors of angioplasty last year. Due to the law of large numbers, this is a risk that life insurance underwriters understand and will approve.

Here Is The Great News: Most People Overestimate What Life Insurance Is Going To Cost, Sometimes By Double!

So just because your case is labeled “substandard” doesn’t mean you will pay an arm and a leg for life insurance. “Substandard” or “Table-Rated” life insurance is just an industry term, don’t get wrapped up in it.

BEST RATE TIP!

The key to finding the best life insurance for you is to work with life insurance experts who understand cardiac underwriting.

Use an independent adviser who represents multiple companies like Heart Life Insurance. This decision is crucial!

An underwriting expert will advocate for you. They will help you find the absolute best value for life insurance, regardless of your health history.

THESE FACTORS WILL LEAD TO LOWER LIFE INSURANCE RATES AFTER A STENT

How Long Ago Was Your Heart Cath?

Your personal angioplasty that was completed 10 years ago looks better to an underwriter than a more recent heart cath procedure.

How Old Were You When You First Got Your Stents?

The older you are, the better. The western diet leads to plaque buildup for most Americans over time. So if you were 60 or 70 before you needed angioplasty, this is a good thing.

How Many Stents?           

One stent, one artery is the best-case scenario. The more stents, the higher the overall coronary artery disease.

Left Side Coronary Artery Stents Vs. Right Side Coronary Artery Stents

All of your coronary arteries are important, however, the left side arteries are the most concerning to an underwriter. Therefore, angioplasty in the right coronary artery or right marginal artery is less concerning and results in a more favorable life insurance outcome.

Where In The Artery Was The Blockage?

In anatomical terms, life insurance underwriters prefer cases with distal stent placement. The distal branches of the artery carry less blood flow and there is less chance for damage to the heart muscle.

What positive lifestyle changes have you made?

This should not surprise you, however, the best case outcomes happen to clients who exercise, diet and keep the weight off.

What are the most recent test results?

The best life insurance cases that fly through underwriting have recent cardiac studies, the gold standard being a stress echocardiogram completed within the last 18 months. Life insurance companies prefer to see resting LVEF of 55% or higher, great exercise response, METs of 12 – 15, no swelling of the left ventricle wall and no evidence of damage to the heart muscle.

THESE FACTORS WILL LEAD TO HIGHER LIFE INSURANCE RATES AFTER ANGIOPLASTY

How Long Ago Was Your Heart Cath?

We have potential clients who will call us the day after their angioplasty, and this is too soon. Underwriters are concerned about the artery closing up again around the stent and this leads to another angioplasty. Some estimates have this happening about 20% – 30% of the time within one year of the PCI.

Therefore, if you are looking for life insurance after a stent, most companies will want to wait for at least 6 months after your procedure.

How Old Were You When You First Got Your Stents?

Younger clients with coronary artery disease and stents are harder to approve for life insurance. Heart problems usually increase with age, so if you are a younger angioplasty patient, your life insurance will be more expensive.

How Many Stents?

Multiple stents in the same place are more concerning than multiple stents in the same artery. Generally speaking, a higher number of stents in more affected arteries leads to higher rates.

Left side Coronary Artery Stents vs. Right side Coronary Artery Stents:

When we go over cases where the left coronary artery and the left anterior descending artery were blocked, these cases usually have higher life insurance rates. Plaque buildup in the LAD is very concerning to a life insurance underwriter because of the risk for sudden cardiac arrest.

Where In The Artery Was The Blockage?

If you think of your left coronary artery as a tree, the “proximal” part would be the large, thick trunk. Having a stent in the proximal part of an artery is more concerning to a life insurance company because more blood flow was blocked.

Therefore, cases with stents in the proximal part of the artery tend to have higher life insurance rates.

What Positive Lifestyle Changes Have You Made?

Those clients who are still smoking, are overweight, skipped their cardio rehab and don’t take their medicine usually have higher life insurance rates.

What Are The Most Recent Test Results?

Most life insurance companies want cardiac testing with images within the last two years. Sure, your primary physician will give you an EKG or ECG every year, however, that’s not enough for a $1,000,000 policy. The life insurance underwriter will postpone the case until you have a more recent echocardiogram, stress echocardiogram, angiogram or heart cath.

On those test results, if the EF is lower than 45% or the METs are lower than 10, it is more difficult to get your life insurance approved.

It seems like the cardiologists are reversing a trend of “over-testing,” at least as it relates to cardiac imaging studies. It used to be common to have tests like stress echos every two years after stent surgery. Now it seems only the highest risk cases have followup that frequent; we see many of our clients with echos every 5 years or so.

Unfortunately, some life insurance companies still want to test every two years if you have other cardiac risk factors like diabetes or obstructive sleep apnea.

YOUR LIFE INSURANCE UNDERWRITING CLASS AFTER HEART STENT SURGERY

Your life insurance rates will be based on 4 things: your age, policy amount, plan design, and health class. There isn’t much we can do about your age, and your adviser will work to design a life insurance plan that fits your budget.

Now that you know what life insurance companies are looking for, just what health class can you expect after an angioplasty?

Preferred Plus or Preferred Rates

BEST RATE TIP!

If someone is quoting you preferred or preferred plus life insurance rates after an angioplasty . . . RUN. You are dealing with an inexperienced agent or a bait and switch situation.

Preferred plus rates are reserved for those applicants who are Olympic athletes. Very few people qualify at that rate, and zero people qualify after a stent.

Large call-center type life insurance outfits that advertise on the radio / TV are interested in getting your information for an application – nothing else. They don’t actually care if your application is approved or not. They are going to tell you that you qualify for the “lowest rates in the business” when frankly it is not true.

“No-exam” or “non-med” life insurance policies are also hard to qualify for after heart problems of any type. So we recommend avoiding them.

Standard Rates

BEST RATE TIP!

Be very cautious if someone is quoting standard life insurance rates after an angioplasty. You may be involved with a rookie agent or a bait-and-switch scenario.

Quiz your insurance agent – “Just how did you come up with these quotes?” If you don’t trust their response, call Heart Life Insurance immediately.

A standard rate class after a stent is unlikely however it happens occasionally. Just the existence of coronary artery disease pushes most cases out of the standard range. However, some companies have more aggressive underwriting guidelines for CAD and will offer standard rates to very select cases.

We also work with life insurance companies that will offer standard rates on permanent life insurance products through a “table shave” or “table crediting” program.

Clients who had their stent procedure later in life, with only one affected artery and no other complications might qualify for standard rates.

Mild Substandard Rates

This is very likely. If your coronary artery disease was pervasive, your doctor would have elected a bypass. So the fact that you have stents instead suggests that your CAD is limited to two or fewer vessels.

Assuming two or fewer vessels, no complications and recent cardiac testing, mild substandard rates are a reasonable expectation. You can even have other issues like obstructive sleep apnea, depression or diabetes and still qualify in the mild substandard class.

Moderate Substandard Rates

This is a likely outcome as well. More than two arteries, more than four stents, or re-stenosis of a stent will usually qualify for moderate substandard rates.

Other multiple factors could push the case into moderate substandard territory too, such as:

• Being overweight or having a high BMI
• A heart attack that caused the stent, or evidence of heart damage (ischemia)
• Uncontrolled hypertension or high blood pressure
• High cholesterol
• Sleep Apnea
• Depression or anxiety
• Diabetes diagnosed before age 50 or diabetes with A1C higher than 7.0

Postponed or Declined

If your surgery was recent, or if you have some important cardiac tests that are scheduled but not completed yet, you can expect your case to be postponed.

We never, never ever tell someone to wait for life insurance, because you never know when you are going to die. However, sometimes the life insurance companies want more history of followup before they will approve your case.

Call us first before you decide to delay a life insurance application on your own.

It’s rare that we get a case declined for life insurance after a stent, however, when it happens the client usually checks all of the boxes in the negative factors listed above.

BEST RATE TIP!

Even if your case was declined at another life insurance company, give Heart Life Insurance a call. A decline is not your fault. It’s likely you were working with someone who does not understand cardiac life insurance underwriting, or a rookie.

We have thousands of life insurance programs. We still will have options for your and we can still help.

LIFE INSURANCE AFTER STENT PLACEMENT WITH EXAMPLE RATES

Every single case is different.  You and your health profile will be unique, and so will your underwriting decision.  It is important that you get our underwriting experts involved in your case early on to qualify you for the lowest rates your health class will allow.

Our goal is to find a life insurance company that will view your angioplasty in the most favorable light (and with the best possible health class.) Otherwise, you will pay thousands more in rates or your life insurance application will be declined outright.

CASE STUDY!

Ron F. was 54 when we met, one year removed from his angioplasty.

He was visiting his doctor regularly and controlling high blood pressure through medication.  All tests we positive, EF was 60%, he exercised regularly and took other medications for cholesterol as prescribed.  No other major health conditions.

Results:

Ron’s main concern was income replacement.  One of his children was finishing college and still lived with Ron and his wife.  He planned to retire in about 10 years and had other assets earmarked for final expenses and income after his retirement.

In his case, a 10-year term policy made the most sense.  His rates were slightly substandard, however still affordable.

10-year term, A-rated company for Ron F., quoted August 2019

NOW IT’S YOUR CHANCE TO MAKE A GREAT DECISION

Are you going to work with an expert in underwriting heart conditions, or are you going to wait needlessly?  Are you really going to risk your family’s future?

What does Tuesday look like for your family if you die on Monday? Where are they going to live? Who is going to pay those bills?

We have succeeded in getting affordable life insurance for clients after angioplasty. Don’t pay more than you need to, let us save you some money.

Put our underwriting experts in your corner and let’s get to work today.

One quick note about life insurance quotes after stent surgery:

Do you want a good estimate with realistic numbers, or do you want a pipe dream? When you choose a health class, choose STANDARD.

This will give you the closest estimate to rates you can expect for life insurance after angioplasty.