Archive for July 30th, 2007
From a life insurance standpoint, diet and exercise control of diabetes, if well controlled, would certainly earn the best possible rates that someone with diabetes could expect. But what happens if someone has diabetes and also happens to be an athlete? And not just an athlete, but an extreme athlete!
One thing immediately came to mind when I was pondering the situation. One of the red flags underwriters look for in the labs of anyone with diabetes is whether they are spilling any protein in the urine. Protein, or blood, in the urine is also, unfortunately, a common occurrence with athletes who push the boundaries of endurance. Marathon runners and bike racers come to mind. When they train and race they are straining every part of their system for 2 to 4 hours or more.
The New York Times had a great article a few days ago on the subject of diabetes and extreme athletes. It really hit home on the subject of how diabetes can impact lifestyle.
A client of mine was rated due to protein in his urine several years ago. He was 68 at the time. He was also a distance trail runner. He would run about 7 miles daily up a mountain near where we live, unless he was training for a specific race, then he upped the mileage to about 10 a day. He was training for a race when he did the exam. Anyway, he came back positive for protein and the insurance company allowed us to do a retest. It was his good fortune that he had the flu during the retest and came back negative for protein because he hadn’t been able to run for several days.
Bottom line. I think everyone would agree that exercise is a good thing and be assured that life insurance underwriters would much rather see that someone is taking care of themselves than not.
July 30th, 2007
I recently worked with a client who, seven years after his radical prostatectomy for prostate cancer, once again had a detectable and rising PSA. This news was discovered from the lab results on an insurance exam.
While his PSA wasn’t high, in the absence of a prostate, any level is a concern. He is now back in the hands of a urologist to determine if there has been a recurrence and what course of action needs to be taken. This put his life insurance on hold of course. As I’ve mentioned before, any PSA level above zero after a prostatectomy, will not be insured.
A recent Medical News Today article brought up a point not to be overlooked by anyone who has had prostate cancer and certainly to anyone who has been recently diagnosed. Bottom line is that a rather substantial survey has shown that a recurrence rate after a radical prostatectomy is significantly higher with surgeons who are less experienced with the procedure.
The good news is that the survivability is good in either case and that life insurance underwriters don’t underwrite the credentials of your surgeon, just the results. In most cases prostate cancer can be underwritten resulting in better than standard rates.
Bottom line. If you can, get the most experienced prostate surgeon. The good news is that the most experienced independent life insurance agents are available for everyone.
July 30th, 2007
How often have I said it’s all about mortality? That is the bottom line for life insurance underwriters. The better the survivability of any health issue, the better the underwriting and subsequent life insurance rates.
A recent Washington Post article provided details of overall cancer mortality improvements such as this comment, “U.S. cancer mortality rates have declined every year since 1991, an unmatched achievement in the developed world. Five year survival rates for breast cancer, if detected early, are over 95%. In January 2007, the American Cancer Society reported that total cancer deaths in the U.S. declined for the second straight year, despite an aging population that is at higher risk for cancer.”
The article makes a good point concerning Michael Moore’s documentary “Sicko” that slams American health care. While health care in the U.S. may not be all that it could be, mainly more affordable, the truth is that the cancer survivability in the U.S. is higher than any of the other countries that Mr Moore suggests as good examples.
Bottom line. Cancer, and especially breast and prostate cancer, are becoming more manageable and more insurable all the time. Just a footnote. Life insurance in those other countries comes at a much higher cost than it does here at home.
July 30th, 2007
