If you have been diagnosed with diverticulosis or diverticulitis, it’s important to understand that when it comes time to applying for a traditional term or whole life insurance policy, you’ll really want to make sure that your life insurance agent understands that there is a BIG difference between these two different medical conditions.
If ordinary life insurance is not the best route, we may encourage you to choose no medical exam life insurance.
Finally, for those with a more severe type of health condition, guaranteed issue life insurance from among the best final expense and burial insurance companies may be your top option.
You see…
Diverticulitis is a term used to describe a situation where ones’ diverticula have become infected. And, as you’re probably well aware of, if your colon has developed diverticula, then you have diverticulosis!
Why is this important?
It’s important because when it comes time to applying for a traditional term or whole life insurance policy, if you’ve only been diagnosed with diverticulosis, you should “theoretically” be eligible for a Preferred rate class.
Now if you’ve been diagnosed with…
Diverticulitis (diverticula, that have not become infected), you still may be eligible for a Preferred rate class, only now, the insurance underwriters are going to be much more interested in how “severe” your diverticulitis has been in the past, and will want to know if you are currently suffering from any symptoms related to your diverticulitis.
About diverticulosis and diverticulitis.
Diverticulosis is a medical condition that develops when “pouches”, that are called diverticula, develop along the wall of the large intestine/colon.
While these diverticula are theoretically “abnormal”, for many individuals, they may go “undiagnosed” for years or indefinitely simply because they do not cause an individual to suffer/experience any problems.
In fact, nearly 80% of those who are diagnosed with diverticulosis may live a symptom fee life and never develop diverticulitis.
Which brings us to…
Discussing exactly what diverticulitis is. Diverticulitis is the term used to describe the medical condition that occurs when ones’ diverticula become inflamed or infected. Diverticulitis will occur with individuals suffering from diverticulosis approximately 10-25% of the time.
Common symptoms will often include:
- Stomach aches.
- Fevers and chills.
- Feeling bloated.
- Diarrhea or constipation.
- Decreased appetite.
- Lower gastrointestinal infections.
Causes of diverticulosis and/or diverticulitis.
The exact cause of why some people will develop diverticulosis and other people won’t is currently not fully understood. It is believed however, that a diet low in fiber may play a role in the development of diverticulosis.
Diets low in fiber will produce small, harder stools which will force the colon to work harder to pass waste thereby possibly causing an individual to begin developing diverticula within their large intestine/colon.
Treating Diverticulosis/diverticulitis.
The best way to treat diverticulosis and prevent diverticulitis from occurring is to eat a health “fiber rich” diet which will help individuals avoid becoming constipated.
For those who actually develop an infection and begin to experience symptoms of an active infection, antibiotics may be necessary to help the body recover from a diverticulitis flare up.
Diverticulosis/diverticulitis and life insurance.
When it comes to applying for a traditional term or whole life insurance policy, what you’re generally going to find is that if your diverticulosis and/or diverticulitis is being “well managed” with few symptoms and few “complications” you should “theoretically” be eligible for a Preferred rate when applying for coverage.
However…
If you are experiencing quite a few symptoms due to your diverticulitis or you’re having numerous diverticulitis “flare ups”, what you’re generally going to find is that you “should” still be eligible for coverage, only now, you’re probably not going to qualify for a Preferred rate.
These individuals will usually end up qualifying for a Table A to a Table C rate.
What is a Table A to Table C rate?
That’s a great question! So let’s just take a moment to address exactly what Table Rates are.
Table Rates…
Are rates that fall just below a Standard or Normal rate and are usually reserved for those applicants who are deemed a “higher” risk for life insurance.
In total, there are 10 total Table Rates with Table A being the best (least expensive) and Table J being the worst or (most expensive).
Now when it comes to nailing down exactly what Table Rate you may or may not qualify for if you’ve been diagnosed with a moderate to severe case of diverticulosis or diverticulitis, what we’re generally going to find is that most life insurance underwriters are going to ask you a series of questions about your diverticulosis and diverticulitis as well as “potentially” request medical records from your doctor.
Common questions you’ll likely be asked may include:
- How old are you now?
- What is your current height and weight?
- When were you first diagnosed with diverticulosis?
- Have you ever been diagnosed with diverticulitis and if so, how often do you experience a “flare up”?
- Has your doctor recommended a particular diet for you? Are you following that diet?
- Have you ever needed to be hospitalized due to any symptoms you’ve experienced due to your diverticulitis?
- Have you been diagnosed with any other pre-existing medical conditions?
- Are you currently working now?
- In the past 12 months, have you applied for or received any forms of disability benefits?
Now the good news is that…
After learning the answers to questions like these, we here at JustBuryMe are going to have a pretty good idea about what “type” of life insurance you’re likely going to be eligible for as well as what rate you’ll likely qualify for as well. In addition, we’re also going to have a pretty good idea “which” life insurance company is going probably going to give you the greatest opportunity for success!
You see…
Because we here at JustBuryMe have chosen to remain an independent life insurance brokerage, we’re able to work with dozens of different life insurance companies. So… when it comes time to helping out folks with a more “challenging” life insurance application like someone who experiences multiple diverticulitis flare ups each and every year, we don’t have to simply rely on the decision-making processes of one or two different life insurance companies.
Instead…
We can “shop” your life insurance application to dozens of different life insurance companies and make them “compete” for your business.
So, what are you waiting for? Give us a call today and see what we can do for you!