When living with a chronic illness like lupus, you may have wondered, “Can I get life insurance if I have lupus?” or “Does lupus affect life insurance premiums?”
This comprehensive guide aims to answer these and many more questions about lupus and life insurance, helping you find the best life insurance based on your health.
Understanding Lupus
Lupus is an autoimmune disease that attacks healthy cells and tissues, affecting everything from your skin, kidneys, heart, lungs, brain, and joints.
Roughly 1.5 million Americans have lupus, according to the Lupus Foundation.
From an underwriting standpoint, life insurance companies consider the severity of your lupus symptoms and overall health when life insurance is available to you and at what price.
Life Insurance for People with Lupus
The reality is that being diagnosed with lupus may affect your life insurance options. However, several life insurance companies offer coverage for lupus patients.
What type of lupus do you have?
- Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE)
- Discord lupus
- Drug-induced SLE
The availability and price of life insurance depend on the type of lupus and other factors, such as:
- Time since diagnosis of lupus
- Frequency of flare-ups and exacerbations
- Medications you are taking
- Serious Medical Conditions caused by lupus;
- Heart Conditions – Pericarditis, Pleuritis
- Kidney Disorders
- Neurologic Disorders
- Arthritis
- Other Lupus-related medical – Low blood counts, positive ANA, oral ulcers, photosensitivity, skin lesions, or butterfly facial rashes.
What Company Offers the Best Life Insurance for Lupus Patients?
Every insurance company has different underwriting guidelines regarding lupus life insurance coverage.
Lupus is a “timing underwriting condition,” meaning that your best rates will always be available when you are in remission, with rates getting better as more time passes since remission started.
Discord Lupus diagnosed within the past 12 months may receive a “standard” rate or small table rating added to the policy. Some of the best life insurance companies include Prudential, Banner Life, John Hancock, and AIG offer standard rates or better, and you may even qualify for a preferred best rate with Prudential if you are age 40 or older and in remission for the past three years.
Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) & Drug Induced SLE – Both conditions follow similar underwriting guidelines. Life insurance pricing depends on whether you are in remission or not and your current age. Most insureds age 20 or younger get declined. It may be possible to get a standard rate if you have been in remission for three years or longer. Most underwriting offers are in the Table 4 – Table 6 range.
Applying for Life Insurance with Lupus
When you choose to work with us, the first step is for us to gather information from you about your medical history.
We then take your information, summarize it and reach out to underwriters for feedback. It’s the best way to shop for coverage when you have a high-risk condition like lupus.
It takes about three business days to hear back from all companies that underwrite lupus. At that time, we’ll tell you exactly what to expect regarding underwriting and price.
And while many life insurance companies now offer accelerated underwriting, you most likely will have to go through the traditional underwriting process of completing a paramedical exam and the insurance company obtaining your medical records from doctors.
Final Thoughts
Please take a few minutes to complete your quote request.
There is never any pressure or obligation with our life insurance service.
We’ll provide you with the information you need to make an informed decision about your life insurance.
