Getting Life Insurance With High Blood Pressure

Can I get Life Insurance With High Blood Pressure?

Fortunately, even if you are one of the many individuals who currently suffer from blood pressure problem, there are likely still many high-quality life insurance policies that are well within your reach. We take a quick look at how to apply for life insurance with high blood pressure and the types of policies that may be best for you.

According to the American Heart Association, over 77 million American adults can be considered to have high blood pressure. This staggering figure means that roughly 1 in 3 adults experience high blood pressure, which is statistically more relevant than nearly any other medical condition.

How Do I Know If I Have High Blood Pressure?

High blood pressure is called hypertension. You may never know you have this health issue for years as the condition itself has no symptoms. It can damage your heart, kidneys and even cause a disturbance in your daily life routines.

Make sure to keep a check on your blood pressure levels next time you visit a doctor. When asked he will likely tell your blood pressure with two relevant numbers. The upper number is your systolic pressure and the lower number is your diastolic pressure.

There are five main categories of blood pressure levels:

Normal: Less than 120 (systolic) and less than 80 (diastolic)
Elevated: 120-129 (systolic) and less than 80 (diastolic)
High blood pressure: 130-139 (systolic) or 80-89 (diastolic)
High blood pressure stage 2: over 140 (systolic) or over 90 (diastolic)
Hypertensive crisis (emergency): over 180 (systolic) or over 120 (diastolic)

Categories 3, 4, and 5 can all affect the monthly premiums associated with a life insurance policy. However, it is important to note that having high blood pressure will affect the cost of some policies much more than others.

How do I Qualify for Life Insurance?

The relevance of having high blood pressure will depend on your life insurance provider, the type of policy you are applying for, and the effects that this pre-existing condition may have on your overall health.

Universal life insurance policies have a variety of valuable features (such as cash value) and are also the most difficult to qualify for. Having high cholesterol will likely not disqualify you from these policies, but—following a usually mandatory medical exam—these policies are the type that are likely to see the greatest increase in monthly premiums.

Term life insurance policies will also likely be affected by the presence of high cholesterol, though this effect will be less noticeable (these policies are less expensive). But if you are interested in qualifying for a life insurance policy without having to take a medical exam, then you may want to begin looking into what is known as a guaranteed life insurance policy. With these sorts of policies, whether you have high blood pressure will likely be completely irrelevant.

What Type of Life Insurance Policy Is Best For People With High Blood Pressure?

Applying for no exam life insurance with high blood pressure can sometimes be the most financially rational option available. These types of policies offer a quick turnaround, enough coverage for the average person’s funeral costs, and are still able to maintain relatively low monthly premiums. They are especially good for people who are older or may be experiencing other relevant medical issues.

Finding life insurance with high blood pressure, while you are young and healthy in other ways, is not that expensive. You may be able to find a policy that does not increase your monthly premiums. The importance of looking at the various options you have available cannot be overstated. Additionally, it is important to note that even if you end up paying higher premiums today, you may be able to have your premiums readjusted in the future once your blood pressure is lowered back to a normal level.

Having high blood pressure can be difficult, but that doesn’t mean that a good life insurance policy is beyond your reach. By keeping these simple tips in mind, you can have a better chance of finding the type of policy that is best for you.

If you have any questions, please feel free to call our life insurance specialists at LifeQuote. 800-521-7873.