Life Insurance with DVT or Blood Clots

CAN YOU GET APPROVED FOR LIFE INSURANCE WITH EMBOLI, BLOOD CLOTS OR DEEP VEIN THROMBOSIS (DVT)?

Yes, absolutely, and it may be easier than you think.

In many life insurance cases, a history of blood clots will just be a minor obstacle. It’s just a blip on your overall health profile, you take Xarelto or Warfarin for a time and the symptoms pass. blood clots, DVT or emboli should not prevent you from getting great life insurance at wonderful rates.

Don’t get me wrong, blood clots are serious, and the risk is real. Considering the danger that DVT can pose to your body, it’s natural to be wary.  However, the fact is that many companies are able to draft policies even if you have the disease.

It’s possible you may even qualify for standard or preferred insurance rates, depending on your overall bill of health, the company you choose, and how long it’s been since the emboli.

One thing we know for certain.  If you choose to apply for life insurance with this or any other “high risk” condition, it pays to work with underwriting experts like Heart Life Insurance. You could do this on your own, sure. However you could also do brain surgery on your own, but both tasks are better left to the experts!

We understand thrombosis and all the related cardiovascular issues. More importantly, we know how they can affect your life insurance approval outcomes, and we know which companies are going to take a better look at your case.

In short, we will get the lowest rates for you without wasting your time.

Use our free quote form (choose “standard” for your health class), and let’s get started today.

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

• What Matters for Underwriting Life Insurance with DVT?
• Life Insurance with Blood Clots – What health class can you expect?
• Can you Qualify for a No Exam Life Insurance Policy with DVT?
• Bottom Line on Life Insurance and Deep Vein Thrombosis

There will be some additional considerations that go into drafting a policy for someone with blood clots, so it’s important that you understand the limitations that you face as well as the potential effects that it can have on your coverage.

WHAT MATTERS FOR UNDERWRITING LIFE INSURANCE WITH DVT?

Considering that up to 30 percent of DVT cases can be fatal, many insurance companies take a serious look at the disease and how it affects your life as well as your general bill of health.

One of the most important factors when making a policy decision is the length of time that you have been diagnosed with the disease, as well as how many episodes you’ve had since then.

In the end, what insurers want to see is that your condition is stable and, preferably, resolved. So if you were diagnosed ten years ago and it’s been five years since your last episode, then you will get a much more favorable outcome.

Depending on other health factors, you might even qualify for preferred rates.

Life insurance companies will pay the most attention to the last three years. If you’ve been diagnosed or had episodes within that time frame, it will have the greatest effect on your policy and rates.

What Meds are you Taking for DVT?

As you are most likely aware, doctors will usually prescribe medication for blood clots called anticoagulants.  They also may prescribe clot-busting drugs or dissolvers called thrombolytic or fibrinolytic medications.

Anticoagulants (Blood Thinners)

• Rivaroxaban (Xarelto)
• Dabigatran (Pradaxa)
• Apixaban (Eliquis)
• Heparin (various)
• Warfarin (Coumadin)

What These Medications Do

Anticoagulants prevent your blood from clotting easily. Many people call them blood thinners, but they neither thin the consistency of your blood nor do they dissolve existing clots.

Why are Anticoagulants Prescribed?

• To keep blood clots from forming in your blood vessels
• To prevent existing clots from becoming larger and causing more serious conditions
• In the prevention of a first stroke or a recurrent stroke

When are Anticoagulants Prescribed?

• If your blood work indicates you are at a high risk for stroke or heart attack
• If you have hypertension (high blood pressure)
• After a heart attack or stroke

An insurance agent going door to door selling insurance might pause when you mention some of the medications of the anticoagulant variety. However, most of these medications can still be approved by life insurance underwriters and at great rates too.

Can you qualify for a “No-Exam” policy? Possibly.

Best Case Scenario? Preferred rates depending on condition.

Worst Case Scenario? Moderate substandard rates or postponed.

So, if you are prescribed any blood thinners, you may see an increase in your policy rates, though you may not.  It really depends on your case management.

Other Medications for Blood Clots

Those applicants on thrombolytics might have a harder time qualifying for a policy.

Another thing to consider is if you are taking pain medicine. Sometimes doctors prescribe such pills to help treat symptoms of DVT, and the more you take, the more significant the impact on your rates.  This is particularly the case if you are taking opioids such as Vicodin or Percocet.

Are you taking over the counter drugs like Tylenol or Advil for pain management?

This is no problem as most insurers don’t pay attention to these common medications.

Tobacco Use

It should come as no surprise that smoking will adversely affect your chances of getting life insurance.

When it comes to DVT, though, smoking and tobacco use can significantly affect the condition, making it much worse and more frequent. This is because the nicotine in cigarettes can harden your blood vessels, exacerbating any blood clots that already exist, and even lead to more.

In fact, smoking can be a cause of DVT, meaning that insurance companies will certainly pay more attention to smokers who suffer from the disease.

What if you use tobacco in some way other than smoking cigarettes?

Other tobacco use (such as chewing tobacco, vaping, or the occasional pipe/cigar) can affect your rates.  However, we love it when we meet these clients.  Usually, we have great news for them.

Some tobacco users can be qualified as “non smokers” with certain companies!

This can lead to significant savings on your policy, up to 100% lower rates on life insurance!

So if your tobacco use is limited, give us a call.  You will be glad that you did.

Exercise your way to Great Life Insurance Rates

One thing that can help contribute to DVT is a lack of movement or exercise. Because your blood vessels are not getting used as much, they have a higher chance of developing clots.

This is particularly troublesome if you are overweight. If you are overweight, then focus on shedding some pounds and adding more exercise into your daily routine.

A wonderful way to help boost your life insurance chances is to show that you are staying active and avoiding a sedentary lifestyle.

The longer you can do this and the more readily you can prove that you’re moving around, the better your odds of getting a lower rate.

Regular Doctor Visits

Spending a lot of time at the physician’s office may seem like a bad thing at first, but the fact is that insurers prefer you to visit your doctor more, not less. In the end, uncertainty is what drives a lot of the costs of your insurance policy.

Regular check-ups mean that you are staying on top of your condition and ensuring that it remains under control. If you only go to the doctor when there is a flare-up, some insurance companies will see that as a liability.

Do you have any more serious complications?

Underwriters are specifically on the lookout for pulmonary embolism (PE). A pulmonary embolism is when a blood clot breaks free and lodges in your lungs.  This is a serious concern to an underwriter.

The reason that they view it so seriously is that it can be fatal, so if you have had one in the last 36 months it will impact your rates. If you have multiple pulmonary embolisms after your initial diagnosis, this is also a sign of a worsening condition.

Maintaining a treatment plan and keeping your DVT under control will improve your approval chances and life insurance rates.

LIFE INSURANCE WITH BLOOD CLOTS – WHAT HEALTH CLASS CAN YOU EXPECT?

Preferred Plus

This is the absolute best health class, #1 of 12 health classes.  Generally, preferred plus is not available for suffers of deep vein thrombosis or after a pulmonary embolism

Preferred

A preferred health class is possible, however not likely.  If an applicant had a single episode of DVT or a blood clot that was resolved without medication, preferred is possible.  The key here is no medication, just a single incident, and a low risk for blood clots moving forward.

This applicant would need a solid underwriting cover letter and otherwise be in excellent health. The ideal client here usually can explain the emboli due to a one-time event, like trauma to the leg or a pilot who no longer flies long-haul flights.

If you are being offered preferred or preferred plus rates after a blood clotting issue, beware!

You are dealing with a rookie agent, or the company is about to “bait and switch” with higher rates before you are approved.

Standard Rates

A standard health class is more likely when dealing with a single incident of DVT or pulmonary embolism resolved without medication.  Multiple episodes of PE or deep vein thrombosis cleared up more than 3 years ago would go standard.

This applicant would be in great health otherwise with a high activity level and no other health complications.

Mild Substandard Rates

This is a likely outcome.  Anybody taking anticoagulants currently would qualify for mild substandard rates.  Coumadin, Lovenox, Fragmin – type medications usually represent a higher risk of a stroke in the future, and that’s why mild substandard rates come into play.

The great news is that life insurance is still very affordable, even at mild substandard rates.

Moderate Substandard Rates

If you have avoided your doctor after a pulmonary embolism, you are headed for moderate substandard rates.  Clients with a bad health maintenance history, or gaps in their prescription history, or a prognosis getting worse end up in this rate class.

Multiple episodes of DVT, blood clots or PE within 36 months might qualify for moderate substandard rates.

Thrombolytic “clot buster” medications might qualify you for moderate substandard rates depending on how recently prescribed.

Sometimes there is another more serious health condition (like coronary artery disease) that will cause moderate substandard rates.

Decline / Postpone

We rarely see a life insurance application declined for DVT or a pulmonary embolism alone.  A combination of conditions can result in a denial of term life insurance.

We still have permanent life insurance products available in those cases.

If a life insurance application is false, fraudulent, misleading or incomplete it can lead to a denial. It is very important to be up-front as possible with your underwriting expert, don’t hide anything.

Finally, your application could be postponed if there is currently an embolus present. Get it treated first, and then we will follow up to apply.

CAN YOU QUALIFY FOR A NO EXAM LIFE INSURANCE POLICY WITH DVT?

Maybe. Life insurance companies will still check the medical information bureau (MIB), a prescription report, and an attending physician’s statement (APS).

It is unlikely that recent blood clots, pulmonary embolisms or instances of DVT will qualify for a no exam policy.  Evidence of blood-thinning medications or thrombolytics on the prescription check will also require a medical exam for term life insurance.

However, single incidents in the distant past might skip the medical exam with certain life insurance companies.  Sometimes these cases are approved using the doctor’s statement only.

BOTTOM LINE ON LIFE INSURANCE AND DEEP VEIN THROMBOSIS

Considering that blood clots are quite treatable and preventable, there is no reason to expect a denial on your life insurance application. The more effort you put into maintaining a clean bill of health, the better your rates will be.

Consider this: You are as young as you will ever be right now.

Today is your day, and life insurance is only more expensive tomorrow. Don’t hesitate.

We have underwriting experts standing by who understand blood clots, emboli, and deep vein thrombosis.  They will get you approved for the life insurance you need.

Fill out the instant quote form and let our family help your family. The peace of mind is unbelievable, the advice is free, and the time is now. Don’t leave your loved ones stranded with unbelievable debt when you die, reach out and we will secure your family’s future today.