We can help you with Life Insurance Approval with Hepatitis B or C!
Having trouble finding affordable life insurance with Hepatitis B or C?
The good news is there is hope.
In fact, tough life insurance cases are our specialty at High Risk Life Insurance Agency.
Our 2 Minute Promise
Stick with us for two minutes, and you’ll have two important questions answered:
1. Can you qualify for life insurance with Hepatitis B or C? And if so…
2. How much will it cost?
Can People Who Have Hepatitis B or C Be Approved for Life Insurance?
Yes, most individuals with Hepatitis B or C will be able to qualify for traditional life insurance, the type of insurance which requires a medical exam.
But you’ll need to apply with a life insurance company that is accustomed to impaired risk cases, not an auto insurance company that just happens to also offer life insurance.
How Much Will it Cost?
Best Case Scenario – In most cases of Hepatitis B or C where recovery from the symptoms of liver enlargement, jaundice and others takes place, a “Mild Substandard” rating can be given. Even when the individual is in a “carrier state” the best rating may be applicable as long as laboratory result shows normal findings expected after recovery from Hepatitis B or C. Click here for quote at “Mild Substandard”.
Moderate Case – Those with prolonged infection, but do not show any signs of severe complications such as liver damage as seen from liver ultrasound, CT-scan or MRI; or those that do not have any co-infection with other types of Hepatitis (A, D and E) may still qualify for a “Medium Substandard” health class. Click here for a quote at “Medium Substandard”.
Severe Case – With severe and recent complications such as early signs of liver cirrhosis, liver failure or liver cancer, the best approval you may obtain is at a “Severe Substandard” rating. Laboratory and diagnostic tests, however, should show a slow progressing condition. In serious and life threatening conditions, you may get a decline. Click here for a quote at “Severe Substandard”.
You may have difficulty qualifying for traditional coverage, but could be eligible for a graded death benefit policy.
Common Questions to Assess Rating Class
The following questions will help determine whether an individual with Hepatitis B or C would be rated at “Mild Substandard”, “Medium Substandard” or “Severe Substandard” rates:
How many years have you been diagnosed with Hepatitis B or C?
Hepatitis B or C is a self-limiting condition that has the potential for full recovery, but there are cases where an individual remains in “carrier state”. In chronic cases like these, it is important to establish the medical and diagnostic findings before a rating can be given. Depending on the actual health condition and presence of complications, you may qualify for a “Mild Substandard”, “Medium Substandard” or “Severe Substandard” rating.
Have you experienced any symptoms within the last six months?
Symptoms of fatigue, nausea and vomiting or jaundice may be flare signs of infection. It is important to establish whether this is an acute infection or re-infection. In both cases, recovery must be full before a health class may be given. In severe cases, an automatic decline may be given.
You might also be interested in reading this article “Life Insurance with Gilbert’s Syndrome”
Are you taking any maintenance medications?
Certain medications pose a heavy workload for the liver and in some cases speed up the progression of chronic Hepatitis B or C. If this is the case and depending on your laboratory and diagnostic findings, the best rating you can get is at a “Medium Substandard” or “Severe Substandard” rating.
Do you have regular check-ups with your gastroenterologist?
Regular visit to your gastroenterologist is a good sign of control of your chronic Hepatitis B or C, and may get you the best rating at “Mild Substandard”. It is, however, necessary for laboratory and diagnostic exams to confirm the absence of complications such as liver failure or liver cancer.
Have you had any relevant diagnostic tests in the past 12 months?
Recent laboratory tests such as blood levels for AST/ALT or ELISA/PCR are the best ways to assess your actual health condition. If you also have a liver biopsy, ultrasound, CT-scan or MRI, it will also be used to determine the most appropriate rating for you.
Do you have lifestyle practices that may put a higher risk to your condition?
Alcohol intake has shown to speed up the progression of Hepatitis B or C. If you have a history of long term use of alcohol, no matter how minimal the amount is, the best rating you can get even if you do not have serious or current symptoms is at “Severe Substandard” rating.
If you are still unsure which rating class you fall under, we suggest getting a life insurance quote at multiple substandard ratings, so you can familiarize yourself with the range of substandard premiums.
How to Get a Quote
Using the Instant Life Insurance Quote form on the right, select the rating class that best suits you based on your answers to the questions above, as well as complete the amount and type of coverage needed.
An estimate will appear on the next page.
If we can help you with a quote or to apply for coverage, call us at 877-443-9467.
Overview of Hepatitis B or C
Hepatitis B and C are viral infections of the liver caused by Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) and Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) successively. They can be either acute or chronic in nature and may present symptoms in similar ways. The difference lies in the virus types, prognosis of the disease, diagnosis and treatment.
Both types of Hepatitis are transmitted through exposure to infectious blood or body fluids. The incubation period of Hepatitis B or C vary according to whether it is acute or chronic. Usually, acute Hepatitis B takes 8 to 12 weeks’ incubation period, and 2 to 7 weeks for Hepatitis C.
Signs and symptoms include general body weakness, fatigue, joint (arthralgias) or muscle (myalgias) pains, loss of appetite, nausea and vomiting, headache, cough and cold, throat pain, sensitivity to light (photophobia) and yellowish discoloration of the eyes and skin (jaundice). Fever may also be observed when jaundice appears. 1 to 5 days before the skin and eyes turn yellowish, symptoms of dark-colored urine and gray-colored stools may be observed by the individual.
After clinical jaundice appears, the other symptoms usually decrease, but signs of skin rashes and itchiness, weight loss, abdominal pain (right upper quadrant), and liver enlargement may be observed. This period may last for 2 to 12 weeks. Recovery takes place in uncomplicated Hepatitis B or C within 3 to 4 weeks after the period of clinical jaundice.
Recovery from Hepatitis B or C is influenced by the individual’s immune system, since these conditions are self-limiting. Laboratory findings for Hepatitis B will show high levels of aspartate aminotransferase–alanine aminotransferase (AST/ALT), previously known as serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (AST/SGOT) and Serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase (ALT/SGPT).
In Hepatitis C, other than the elevated AST/ALT, diagnostic tests for HCV antibody enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and quantitative HCV RNA polymerase chain reaction (PCR) should also be done. In some cases, a liver biopsy may be necessary.
If full recovery takes place, the individual will show absence of the virus and presence of antibodies in the blood. In some cases, the individuals remain in carrier state, but show no signs of liver infection for several years.
Reactivation of Hepatitis B or C may occur if an individual has a history of alcohol use. In severe cases this can lead to liver cancer, liver cirrhosis, liver failure, life-threatening gastric and esophageal varices, and eventually death.
See our other articles on Liver Disease and Click Here!