Millions of people every year are diagnosed with cancer. According to an estimate from the American Cancer Society, 1,665,540 new cases of cancer were diagnosed in 2014.
If you or a family member have been diagnosed with cancer, you are probably feeling overwhelmed and frightened by what the future holds. One of the most frightening aspects of cancer is one that all too often we don’t think about until its too late: not having life insurance coverage.
Life insurance coverage is a necessary expense that can be used to pay your medical bills and protect your family after you’re no longer around to do so.
Depending on the type and stage of your cancer, the process of applying for life insurance coverage may be anxiety-inducing: will you pass the medical exam? What if the cancer recurs? How will this impact your premiums?
The good news is that finding life insurance if you have cancer does not have to be a hassle. In fact, with a little preparation and the right tools, you can find affordable coverage in no time.
Your Policy is Your Safety Net
Everyday, we prepare for disasters in a variety of ways.
We buckle our seat belts before pulling out of the driveway; we exercise regularly to reduce the chances of heart disease; we change the batteries in the smoke and carbon monoxide detectors; and we provide our friends and families with emergency phone numbers in case they need to reach us.
Despite the many ways we prepare for little disasters, it is virtually impossible to prepare for the mental and emotional impact of a cancer diagnosis.
Unfortunately, applying for a new life insurance policy – or updating your current policy – is the last thing on your mind after a cancer diagnosis.
If you are a healthy individual, you may have previously thought about buying a life insurance policy to protect you and your family. All too often, life insurance becomes one of those things that we put on the shelf: we’ll buy it later, it’s too expensive, you don’t need it at this age.
After your diagnosis, you may feel panicked and anxious: you and your family need a safety net, and life insurance was not included in your disaster preparedness kit.
If you have been diagnosed with cancer, you may think that it is too late to get covered.
It is not too late. We can help.
How We Help
The first step to obtaining life insurance after your diagnosis should be to speak to an agent.
Our agents have a long solid history of working with cancer patients, and providing them affordable coverage. Talking to an agent after you or a family member have been diagnosed with cancer can help clear up a lot of confusion.
Your agent can tell you what your diagnosis will mean for your policy: how it will increase your premiums and whether or not you should convert your insurance policy or find a new one.
An agent will also be able to connect you to companies that favorably underwrite cancer risks.
We know that breakthroughs in cancer treatment is extending the lifespan of patients and we are able to put this in terms that underwriters will understand.
What We Need To Know
Before we help you find the right life insurance policy for you, there are a few things we will need to know:
- Your medical history. Before presenting your case to the underwriters, you will need to have an updated medical history on file, including any past diseases. Do you have a history of heart disease? Cancer? Diabetes or high cholesterol? Insurance Underwriters will want to know your complete medical history when evaluating your risk.
- If you are a tobacco user. This information is required when filling out most instant quote forms, yet a surprising number of people think they can leave it out. The important thing is to not sugarcoat your medical history – including your tobacco use; underwriters will find out if you do so and you could be sued for insurance fraud.
- Your weight. Your medical records should include your current weight, and any diet and exercise programs you are following.
- Your treatment regimen. It is important for underwriters and agents to know your treatment program because some treatments carry more risk than others.
- Your prognosis. You should be sure to ask your doctor to clarify anything you may not understand about your diagnosis and the predicted outcome of your cancer treatments.
- A complete list of any medications you are currently taking. Some medications carry with them side effects such as the potential for stroke, heart attack or liver damage. These side effects may be a red flag to insurance underwriters and could place you in a higher risk class.
- Your age.
We will then look at all of your information before preparing your applications.
It is important to take the extra step of using an agent because agents will be able to immediately see what insurance carriers may believe are risks and to present them in a favorable life.
For example, if you were a smoker but recently quit, your agent will be sure to stress how long you have been tobacco free to underwriters, so that they see you in terms of positives, rather than in terms of risks.
We will also be able to rapidly compare the right insurance companies for your unique situation, saving you time and stress.
Click Here to Get Started
Talk to us today. We set ourselves apart for our competitors because we understand your struggle and make the effort to present you as a human being, not a risk.
After a cancer diagnosis, it can easily feel as though you’ve lost your identity to your struggle. We take the time to get to know you personally, matching you to an insurance carrier that fits your needs.
If you have been diagnosed with cancer, you have options. Speak to one of our agents today.