Epilepsy and seizure disorders and affordable life insurance in the same sentence?
If you told a life insurance agent that you have a seizure disorder or epilepsy, and have they told you are uninsurable without asking more questions, take them off your Christmas card list. They are, not unlike most of their fellow agents, ignorant of the disorder and ignorant of how to successfully find you affordable life insurance.
A brief overview from the Epilepsy Foundation website, www.epilepsyfoundation.org, tells us “Epilepsy is generally not the kind of condition that gets worse with time. Most adults who have it can expect to live a normal life span.” A normal life span? Isn’t that what life insurance underwriters are looking for? The answer is yes. That is exactly what they are looking for. Absent other health issues, if most adults who hav it can expect to live a normal life span, then most adults who have it can expect to pay standard or better rates for their life insurance.
“Doctors treat epilepsy primarily with seizure-preventing medicines. Although seizure medications are not a cure, they control seizures in the majority of people with epilepsy.” I keep harping on what underwriters want to see when a person has a serious medical condition. It’s the same with diabetes, coronary artery disease or cholesterol. CONTROL AND COMPLIANCE!!! If you have epilepsy and are compliant with doctors orders, then you should have control. Good life insurance rates should follow control and compliance.
If you can find a good independent life insurance agent who doesn’t flinch when you mention epilepsy, but rather asks more questions like, What medication you take? When were you diagnosed? How frequent are your seizures and when was you most recent seizure? If they head down that road with you, you are in the right office or on the phone with a good agent.
Bottom line, look for an agent who isn’t scared of or too lazy to help you. Do a search with epilepsy and life insurance in the key words. Throw out all the big names at the top and look for a small agency that actually has information on their website about you and your condition and your chances at getting the life insurance your family needs. Don’t let anyone cut you short with the uninsurable answer.
1 comment April 3rd, 2007
