Best Life Insurance for People With Hepatitis

As with most medical conditions involving autoimmune diseases or diseases that affect organs, applying for life insurance with hepatitis can result in increased rates or declined applications. If you’re trying to find life insurance with hepatitis C or are a chronic hepatitis B patient you might be struggling to find insurance.

There are five types of hepatitis: hepatitis A through E. In every case, hepatitis is an indication of an inflamed liver. However, hepatitis B and C are the types your insurance company will focus on because these can lead to serious liver complications.

If you’re reading this and have concerns with finding quality life insurance after a diagnosis of any type of hepatitis, this article should help put your fears to rest. We’ll help you find ways to improve your chances to qualify when buying term life insurance.

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Shopping for Life Insurance Quotes With Hepatitis

Is it possible to get life insurance with hepatitis? As with any life insurance with pre-existing conditions, it all depends on the type of hepatitis you might have and the extent of damage that the disease has caused to your liver.

Hepatitis indicates liver inflammation. The cause is usually a viral infection, but abusing drugs or alcohol can also cause hepatitis. The disease can be acute, viral, or chronic and, even with the availability of vaccines in the United States, outbreaks still can occur.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, these outbreaks occur in populations that may be exposed to unclean food sources and drinking water and can largely be prevented with vaccinations. So if you’re shopping for life insurance quotes, you can avoid unnecessary risks and costs by making sure your vaccinations are up to date every few years.

Understanding the type of hepatitis you’ve been diagnosed with will not only help you manage your symptoms but also help you avoid having to seek impaired risk life insurance.

Sample Monthly Life Insurance Rates With Hepatitis

Before we examine how to get life insurance with hepatitis, let’s look at some sample rates quoted by insurance companies.

Rate tables are listed for three different age groups ranging from 40-year-olds to 60-year-olds.

Average Monthly 20-Year Term Life Insurance Rates for 40-Year-Old Non-Smokers by Rating Class

You can see that the higher risk you are, the higher your rating class will be and in turn, the more your insurance will cost.

Average Monthly 20-Year Term Life Insurance Rates for 50-Year-Old Non-Smokers by Rating Class

Monthly rates can almost double every 10 years. Take a look at the dramatic difference between the table above and below. Your incentive is to lock in low-cost insurance when you’re younger.

Average Monthly 20-Year Term Life Insurance Rates for 60-Year-Old Non-Smokers by Rating Class

With the different rates and costs in mind, let’s look at how you can manage your hepatitis symptoms to keep costs down.

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Do life insurance companies test for hepatitis?

A regular life insurance medical exam does not specifically screen for hepatitis. Life insurance companies look for indications of damage to the liver from a regular blood panel and can require follow-up testing for hepatitis B, C, or alcoholic hepatitis.

It’s important to make a distinction between chronic and critical illness when it comes to life insurance.

A chronic illness can be managed, although symptoms can progress over time. However, the patient can still lead a long and happy life and find it manageable to get life insurance. A critical illness is uncurable and is expected to lead to a shorter lifespan. A pre-existing critical illness can disqualify an applicant from life insurance.

Can you get life insurance with autoimmune hepatitis?

Autoimmune hepatitis indicates damage to the liver that is brought on by reactions triggered through a person’s autoimmune system. Normally, your autoimmune system targets infections and viruses in the body and releases pathogens to attack the damaged cells so that you can heal.

For a person with autoimmune disease, the autoimmune system misdiagnoses an issue and attacks a healthy organ and healthy cells. For autoimmune hepatitis, the autoimmune system attacks an otherwise healthy liver. The video below provides more detail on the disease.

According to the American Liver Foundation, there are two types of autoimmune hepatitis. Younger women are more at risk for the more common type 1, while type 2 largely affects women ages 2 to 14.

Left untreated, autoimmune hepatitis can reduce life expectancy.

For a person with autoimmune hepatitis to qualify for preferred rate life insurance, a history of proper symptom management is necessary.

What Life Insurance Companies Look For With Hepatitis Patients

Life insurance conditions and criteria can change from company to company when it comes to qualifying for insurance. Life insurance has risk classes. Insurance companies are taking a risk by insuring individuals.

To expose any potential risk they conduct a due diligence process called underwriting. In insurance lingo, it’s called “the underwriting process.” Each health ailment calls for different questions you’ll need to be prepared to answer. Let’s look at the issues the underwriter will address.

Date of First Diagnosis

The underwriter is trying to assess whether you can be insured. Typically, to be considered for coverage, a person must have had acute hepatitis (less than six months) and be fully recovered with or without treatment. Anytime you have chronic hepatitis (longer than six months), obtaining a traditional term life insurance policy will be difficult.

Results of the Most Recent Liver Enzyme Tests

Any liver abnormalities will call for extra clarification from the underwriter. Below are a few of the tests the underwriter will ask you about:

• AST/SGOT
• ALT/SGPT
• GGTP

Each of these tests is an intricate enzyme test that may not be part of a regular blood panel. Your insurance company should advise as to whether your doctor will need to make a special request to deliver these results.

Are you on any medications?

Medication usage indicates the severity and control of the ailment. Different medications can indicate the severity of your condition. Insurers can assess risk from the medication you’re taking.

Do you drink alcohol?

Keep in mind that whether you have hepatitis or not, the underwriter will still ask this question. Nonetheless, any alcohol use for a hepatitis patient will most likely result in a declined application.

Have you been diagnosed with any of the following?

Extreme liver damage can significantly impact your ability to obtain insurance.

• Chronic hepatitis is inflammation that lasts at least six months. With this situation, expect to get a table rating from B–H, depending on your age, liver enzymes elevation, and liver biopsy results.
• Cirrhosis is also called irreversible scarring. Anytime the liver is damaged, it tries to repair itself by creating new tissue, resulting in liver failure. With this condition, your application will be denied, and you may want to opt for guaranteed acceptance life insurance.

A sure-fire way to obtain affordable coverage is to get coverage when you are younger when you don’t have any aggravated health issues.

What other questions will life insurance companies ask if you have hepatitis?

Hepatitis isn’t the only health issue the underwriter will ask about. Assessing the overall risk you pose to the insurer has many pieces. Below are a few more questions you should be aware of:

• Current age
• Gender
• State of residence
• Height and weight
• Income and liabilities
• Occupation
• High-risk hobbies (if any)
• Current and past health history
• Family history
• Foreign travel
• Smoking habits
• Driving history
• Criminal history

You may want to keep records of any special diets or exercise you follow to control symptoms. The benefits of healthy eating will keep you healthier which in turn improves your chances of getting a good quote for life insurance.

Who has exposure to hepatitis?

In the United States, vaccinations are available and recommended for all children and adults with potential exposure to hepatitis A and B. The CDC estimates that 1.2 million people in the United States and 350 million people worldwide live with hepatitis B.

There is no vaccine for hepatitis C. Typically contracted through drug use or sexual contact, approximately 2.7 to 3.9 million Americans are living with chronic hepatitis C.

Hepatitis D is a rare form of the disease that occurs only in conjunction with a hepatitis B infection. Hepatitis E isn’t common in the United States and occurs from ingesting contaminated water.

To show you how to get the best rate, let’s focus on the most prominent types of hepatitis.

Is Hepatitis A permanent?

Hepatitis type A (HAV) is normally transmitted through contaminated food or water and is curable. Since treatment for patients will usually lead to a full recovery, hepatitis A doesn’t register as a major concern when it comes to life insurance. However, if you’re diagnosed with hepatitis A, life insurance companies might want to understand the circumstance in which you contracted the disease.

Would I know if I had hepatitis A? As you can see from the graphic below, symptoms can range from mild to severe but you probably would feel the effects.

How long do hepatitis A symptoms last? Normally two to six weeks with treatment.

People who travel or people who don’t have up-to-date vaccinations are at a higher risk to contract the disease. Keeping good records of your treatment and documentation of all vaccinations to indicate a healthy liver and complete recovery isn’t necessary for life insurance but is a good practice to maintain.

Is Hepatitis B a critical illness?

Hepatitis B (HBV) is transmitted through bodily fluids and can be transmitted from a mother to a child at birth or by adults who share intravenous needles or engage in unprotected sex.

Unfortunately, hepatitis B is not curable, but it’s also not a critical illness.

There are two types of hepatitis B, acute and chronic. In either case, a carrier of the disease can spread the disease, so regular checkups are required for treatment. However, insurance companies are interested in monitoring customers with chronic hepatitis B.

Acute hepatitis B patients will typically resolve symptoms within six months. Although the disease will continue to exist in their systems and they can continue to transmit the disease, they are usually safe from long-term liver damage or liver cirrhosis. The danger of acute hepatitis B patients carrying and transmitting the disease to others speaks to the importance of having everyone vaccinated.

India still has a large number of its population who have not received the vaccine, and insurance companies, both health and life insurance, struggle to ensure against outbreaks of the disease. This makes getting hepatitis B insurance coverage in India a complex problem.

Insurance companies must manage hepatitis B chronic versus carrier cases differently. Chronic hepatitis B can lead to serious liver damage and is not curable.

Life insurance companies may not want to take a risk on individuals who have a history of dangerous and risky behavior. In these instances, an insurance-seeking hepatitis B patient may want to work with an impaired risk life insurance agent. If you’re seeking life insurance with hepatitis B, you should keep good records of all medical history and medications for your life insurer. If you can prove that you’re managing your symptoms responsibly and are a low risk for dangerous behavior, you may qualify for preferred rates.

If you’re ready to get a life insurance rate with hepatitis, take a moment to visit the top of this page and get a free instant quote in just seconds.

How to Qualify for Term Life Insurance With Liver Disease

While hepatitis A and B are largely preventable through modern medicine, other types of hepatitis and fatty liver diseases can be a problem for life insurance companies. In these other cases, life expectancy can be reduced because of aggressive liver damage, cirrhosis, or cancer of the liver.

Hepatitis C (HCV), alcoholic hepatitis, and fatty liver disease all indicate red flags for insurance companies.

In each of these cases, there are no preventative vaccines, although treatments are available. However, in three of these types of hepatitis, the method of contraction can impact a person’s insurability.

• Hepatitis C (HCV)
• Alcoholic hepatitis
• Fatty liver disease

In these cases, an insurance company can see a longer-term risk in insuring a person even if the disease itself is cured. For example, a cured Hepatitis C life insurance customer may be completely healthy at the time of a checkup. But the patient is high-risk if the disease was contracted from drug use. Life insurance for drug abusers can be difficult to obtain.

In these cases, an insurance company might not want to qualify the candidate for insurance or might require a higher premium.

If you do have concerns about your liver, you may consider taking special precautions, especially if you plan to travel. Often, vaccines are required for hepatitis A and B. If you plan to travel to places where hepatitis C might be an issue or where you may be inclined to use too much alcohol, you might consider travel insurance for fatty liver or other means of travel insurance.

In countries where medical standards are not as high, travel insurance can help you pay for the best possible medical care should anything happen.

How to Get a Life Insurance Quote

If you were recently diagnosed with any type of hepatitis, you’ll want to see your doctor before getting a life insurance quote. It’s always better to secure life insurance earlier than later. Getting quotes at a younger age will save you money. If you’re thinking about putting off getting life insurance, ask yourself if you can afford to wait.

Can you get life insurance before diagnosis by putting aside some time now? It might be time well spent.

By getting insurance early and staying on top of your condition by working with doctors and taking your medications, you can not only offset symptoms of hepatitis but also get insurance companies to consider you for lower-risk plans.

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Best Life Insurance Companies for Hepatitis

The rate tables provided earlier in this article should give you a good idea of how rates increase if your symptoms aren’t well managed. To get the best rates, regardless of your condition, you’ll always want to compare rates from a few companies. The table below lists the top 10 insurance companies by market share.

Top 10 Life Insurance Companies by Market Share

By starting with the larger insurance companies, you can get a sense of how the risks of your specific condition are evaluated. In many cases, if your symptoms are well-managed or even cured, you won’t have an issue qualifying for a better rating class.

If you’re looking for life insurance with hepatitis options for your children, you can reach out to specialists like Globe Life at its getglobenow site.

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Case Studies: Life Insurance With Hepatitis (Companies + Rates)

Case Study 1: John’s Story

John is a 45-year-old individual who was diagnosed with chronic hepatitis B several years ago. Despite managing his symptoms and receiving regular medical check-ups, he has faced challenges in finding life insurance coverage. John approached several insurance companies but was either denied coverage or offered policies with high premiums.

However, with the help of an impaired risk life insurance agent specializing in high-risk cases like hepatitis, John was able to find a suitable life insurance policy. The agent gathered all the necessary medical records, including John’s history of symptom management and treatments.

By providing detailed information about his condition and demonstrating responsible behavior, John was able to secure preferred rates, which significantly reduced his monthly premiums.

Case Study 2: Sarah’s Story

Sarah, a 38-year-old woman, was diagnosed with autoimmune hepatitis, a condition where the immune system mistakenly attacks the liver. She had been managing her symptoms effectively and leading a healthy lifestyle. When Sarah decided to apply for life insurance, she was concerned about how her condition would affect the process.

Sarah worked with an independent insurance agent who specialized in pre-existing conditions like autoimmune hepatitis. The agent helped her navigate the underwriting process and provided guidance on the best insurance companies to approach. Sarah disclosed her diagnosis and provided all the necessary medical documentation to demonstrate her responsible management of the condition.

Based on her healthy lifestyle and well-controlled symptoms, Sarah was able to obtain a life insurance policy with favorable rates. The insurance company recognized her efforts in managing her autoimmune hepatitis and considered her a low-risk applicant.

Case Study 3: Michael’s Story

Michael, a 55-year-old man, was diagnosed with hepatitis C several years ago. He had undergone treatment and achieved a sustained virologic response, meaning the virus was no longer detectable in his blood. However, Michael was concerned about his ability to secure life insurance due to his previous diagnosis.

Michael decided to seek the assistance of an impaired risk life insurance agent who specialized in hepatitis cases. The agent collected all of Michael’s medical records, including the details of his treatment and the results of his follow-up tests. They worked together to present a comprehensive picture of Michael’s health and demonstrate that he posed a low risk for the insurance company.

With the agent’s guidance and thorough documentation, Michael was able to secure a life insurance policy at standard rates. The insurance company recognized that his hepatitis C was effectively treated and that he was no longer at high risk for liver complications.

Life Insurance with Hepatitis: The Bottom Line

Life insurance may be one of the most important decisions you can make for your loved ones. Life insurers get phone calls all the time in which they have to say, “Sorry, I don’t have any policy to offer — you won’t be able to receive a traditional policy because of your health conditions.”

The point is simple: If you have someone who depends on you financially, you need to buy life insurance. We never know when our time arrives or how we will pass away, but at least you wouldn’t find yourself in a situation where you need a life policy but can’t get it.

If you’re looking for life insurance with hepatitis or any pre-existing condition for that matter, run the quotes yourself by clicking on the FREE quote tool below and entering your ZIP code to get an idea of the prices.

References:

1. https://medlineplus.gov/hepatitis.html
2. https://www.cdc.gov/hepatitis/outbreaks/HepAOutbreaks.htm
3. https://liverfoundation.org/for-patients/about-the-liver/diseases-of-the-liver/autoimmune-hepatitis
4. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/hepatitis-a

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