Congenital heart disease is the largest group of all congenital diseases, impacting approximately one percent of newborns in the U.S. Depending on the severity of the condition, many babies with congenital heart disease have to undergo one or more surgeries in the first few months of their lives.
Fortunately, there are infants who go on to live into adulthood. If this is your situation you might be wondering whether you can get life insurance with a congenital heart condition.
Life Insurer Considerations
A life insurance company always evaluates the risk involved before underwriting a policy. That means—to put it bluntly—the higher the risk of you passing away during the term of the policy, the higher the premiums they charge because there’s a higher chance the insurance company will have to pay out the death benefit. In some cases, a life insurance company refuses to sell someone with a higher risk a policy at all.
So how does this tie into congenital heart disease? Basically, whether or not you’ll be able to buy life insurance depends on two factors: medical prognosis and lifestyle.
Medical Prognosis
First, what is your medical prognosis? If you had surgeries when you were a child but are able to live a healthy, normal life at the moment and your doctors have no reason to expect this will change for the foreseeable future, chances are you can get life insurance.
On the other hand, if your life is significantly impacted by congenital heart disease and your medical prognosis isn’t good, most insurance companies will not offer you a life insurance policy. The risk is simply too great for them.
However, there are some life insurance companies that offer smaller policies—for example, up to $25,000—that can help your loved ones with your final expenses or other costs after you pass away.
Lifestyle
If you’re not suffering from any negative effects of congenital heart disease but live a lifestyle that could adversely impact your risk—for example, you’re a smoker or suffer from substance abuse—then the insurance company will likely take both of those factors into account. In this instance, you’ll wind up paying higher premiums or perhaps even being refused a large policy.
Get Expert Help
If you suffer from congenital heart disease and are looking for a life insurance policy, please contact us. We will advise you on your best options, and, if you want to apply, help you throughout the application process.
