Qualifying for Life Insurance with CLL Newly diagnosed

[Mochachino]

Qualifying for Life Insurance with Newly diagnosed CLL (April 2021)

Otherwise healthy, on watch and Wait only , no treatment

Am I insurable? Age 65. Any advice?

[Hidden]

I haven't been able to find any insurance. If you check the box "cancer" they automatically reject you at our age. The only way is if you had a plan before you got sick.

[Belfastbees]

I'm all for doing things online but I'm sure a broker would be good to talk to. I would think you could get cover for non CLL related or triggered conditions. Events like accidents, heart attacks and so on. Maybe that's the cover you want or need. I'm 56 and currently insured, a policy to see me through to raising my kids and clearing my mortgage. This policy ends in May 2022 and the cover isn't needed beyond that as I have done those things. Even before diagnosis, apr2020, I hadn't intended to look for life insurance after this. Do you really need to have your life insured? I expect it would be more expensive given your age, my age even, and that's in a 'healthy' subject.

[Edalv in reply to Belfastbees]

Life insurance would be too expensive at this age (69) and with CLL. But I was able to buy a Long Term Care policy (Money Guard) that has a life insurance component. I need to clarify that I am still in wait-and-watch with a stable blood count for many years now…

[HopeME]

We have had this question asked in the past and I’ve never seen someone come back and say they had secured life insurance. I suspect there is a price you can pay to get insured somewhere but you likely would find the premiums unacceptable. The problem with CLL is it is difficult to predict disease progression. If the CLL doctors are unable to accurately predict this then the insurance underwriters obviously can’t quantify the risk. I could be off on this but that is my take.

Best

Mark

[bennevisplace]

You need to talk to an experienced insurance broker. Insurance companies do differ in their underwriting criteria. Some will say no, others may want more info from your doctor. If you can get any cover at all, my guess is it will come with restrictions and possibly loaded premiums. Costs nothing to find out, except the price of a medical if you get that far with an application.

[Tortola2019]

I had everything completed for a 15-year term life insurance policy (passed blood pressure, blood analysis, application) when I found out from my doctor I had CLL. (Interestingly, the Life insurance blood work hadn't looked for lymphocytosis). So, I thought I'd got in under the wire, but I researched and found that I was obligated to update them about my diagnosis because the policy wasn't set to actually begin for a few days...and if I didn't they wouldn't pay in the event i died... Needless to say, I don't have life insurance for my family (but hope to live beyond the 15-year term anyway...13 years and counting).

[Big_Dee in reply to Tortola2019]

Hello Tortola2019

I have life insurance through the hospital where my wife works and I am 73 years old.

[bennevisplace]

onlinemoneyadvisor.co.uk/in... as an example (I have no connection with this organisation)

[LeoPa]

Normally life insurance ends at age 65 in my place. Nobody insures older folks. Too high a chance of death. The cemetery is full of 50 somethings at time of passing.

[Pageboy]

Sadly, I don’t think so. Or at least I wasn’t able to find cover here in the UK. I was twenty years younger than you when diagnosed and otherwise healthy and had a couple of years to go on my current life insurance. When it expired it was one of those hard knock moment when it hit me how ‘unfair’ it was and how cancer patients (any many others) are discriminated against at every turn.

[HopeME in reply to Pageboy]

Discriminated against? Can you blame an insurance company for not wanting to insure someone who has cancer or any other life threatening illness? That isn’t discrimination it is sound business. If insurance companies insured folks with serious illnesses on the same terms as those without serious illnesses they wouldn’t stay in business long. They way insurance works is the insurance company insures a large pool of individuals without known illnesses. From historical statistics over many years the insurance company can calculate how many of these folks will die of cancer, heart disease, etc. and how many will live to a ripe old age. Not on an individual basis but on a pooled basis. They then set premiums so there will be enough money to cover the losses (deaths) and have a profit left over. This is simplified but basically the way it works. Insurance companies can do the same with high risk individuals (cancer patients for example) but the premiums are much, much higher because the losses will be much, much higher. I hope that helps!

Best

Mark

[Pageboy in reply to HopeME]

Didn’t need an explanation, so no, no help at all, thanks. I understand the reasons why but was sharing I found it impossible to get life insurance. It made me feel discriminated against for my illness and I’m entitled to that.

[HopeME in reply to Pageboy]

It’s OK to “feel” discriminated against as long as you understand there was no discrimination.

Best

Mark

[AnneHill in reply to Pageboy]

You are probably like many of us. Its not just insurance but many things in life that cll hinders. The latest thing is covid. It is highly unlikely that I will have protection from the vaccination. I will have to decide if its safe to go to the beach or to see a film.That is just an example. Anne uk

[jdolinger]

Hi Mochachino I went on your profile to see where you live but cannot find it. Therefore, it is somewhat difficult to answer your question. I happen to be a licensed life and disability insurance broker in the state of North Carolina, South Carolina and Arizona. I am three years in as a CLL patient and due to terrific hematologists and being on Ibrutinib for the past two years, I am now in remission with a white blood cell count back to about 7.5 from a high of 185.

At age 65, and with a recent history of CLL it may be very difficult for you to find life insurance. If you do qualify, it would be under a policy for qualified life. And it will probably be pricey. however, everyone’s definition of pricey is different. One option you may be able to find is what is called a “final expense” policy for somewhere between $5000 and $25,000. This is meant to help your loved ones pay those final expenses for you. I would need more information to advise you appropriately.

I am not on this forum to sell or promote life insurance to any of the other participants. However, if you would like to discuss your personal situation in confidence further, you could contact me on my email at [e-mail]. I would be happy then to call you and then refer you to one of my associates who would be an insurance specialist in your area of residence if in the USA.

Best regards, Jack O.

[Mochachino in reply to jdolinger]

Thanks for your help . I live in BC Canada

[jdolinger in reply to Mochachino]

Foresters Life has a product called PLAN RIGHT. It is a final expense policy that you can get up to about $30,000 I believe. They are located in Toronto Canada. You might want to contact a life insurance agent in BC and see if they can contract with Forrester’s life. Good luck.Jack O

[Mochachino in reply to jdolinger]

Thanks Jack. I have insurance in force that I can covert to whole life without medical. We were in the process of buying insurance as part of a fixed income portfolio for estate planning.

[Billhere]

No luck here. I tried. Oddly they seemed to imply if I’d been treated and was “in remission” for long enough, I might qualify. So, basically NO. Being in W&W was not “underwritible.”