Archive for June 17th, 2009
Relieve that stress and get away from it all for a little camping. Pictured above is what a few thousand people call getting away from it all every year during the Ride the Rockies bicycle tour. A little bike ride through the mountains with 2000 people. What, are they nuts?
I have long contested that anxiety disorder is an affliction primarily contained to big cities which by my definition is any city that you can’t be out of by car in five minutes or less, preferably less. Between narrow, winding mountain roads, people on vacation in rented motor homes (they’ve never driven one before), 2000 bicycles and sleeping in tents just inches from each other, I can see how anxiety disorder, at least for me, could be cleverly cloaked as an “enjoyable getaway”.
I suppose if stress relief comes in the form of getting away from work and your normal routine, even something as crazy as Ride the Rockies might be just the right medicine.
Now, of course, to why I write this blog. How do life insurance underwriters look at anxiety disorders and what makes them comfortable about approving policies that really don’t penalize the poor people who live in, for instance, Denver?
I have often thrown out a list of underwriting thresholds that are used to evaluate bipolar disorder and make the comment that the list is also pertinent to anxiety disorder and depression. For the sake of this post I’ll tweek that list to specifically address anxiety.
1. Someone who has not been hospitalized for anxiety related issues other than for diagnosis?
2. Someone who is compliant with their treatment, both medications and regular followups?
3. Someone who, in spite of anxiety is leading a stable family life or social life?
4. Someone whose anxiety doesn’t impact a stable work life?
5. Someone who is not on disability for anxiety disorder.
6. Doesn’t need multiple medications to control the anxiety.
From an underwriting standpoint anxiety is much less complicated than bipolar disorder or depression and given the list above, which probably would include the majority of those with anxiety issues, good rates are certainly within reach.
Bottom line. I live in a small town called Salida, Colorado and without literally going hours out of my way, if I go to visit family in Wyoming I have to go through Denver. I have determined that I have transient anxiety disorder. It disrupts my mood to drive through Denver. But that’s all personal and not relevant to the poor, medicated people that live there.
June 17th, 2009
What I have hoped to drive home over the past several posts on women and life insurance is really that there is very little difference between men and women and the needs they are trying to meet.
I’ve tried, and I hope accomplished, explaining why there is absolutely no logical grounds for undervaluing what the economic loss would be if a wife, a mother, or a female business person passed away. Husbands are guilty of this and male life insurance agents, and I dare say that I have even seen female life insurance agents fall into this nonsensical line of thinking. We need to get over the sex thing and start looking objectively at exactly how life insurance needs should be computed. What is the economic loss caused by a premature death?
Bottom line. Women are a driving force in the world and in the life of every man who is fortunate enough to be married. Don’t discount their value and never underestimate the financial and emotional role they play. If you’re a single woman, a single mother, or a business woman, consider carefully how you want things to go if you aren’t there to see it through.
June 17th, 2009
You know what really is great about being able to get good rates and place policies in force for those with bipolar disorder? The families are so grateful because of all they’ve been through with the demeaning treatment and declines they have received at the hands of other insurance companies.
It’s a good feeling knowing that any policy goes in force and another family is protected. It’s really quite another to call up a person who has been declined by three companies and let him know we got an approval. And not just an approval, but an approval at preferred best rates, the best rate class available for anyone.
Now, to be sure, I won’t claim I can get preferred best rates for anyone with bipolar. Standard is a far more likely outcome even with a very stable, controlled disorder, but there are those, and I think there are a lot of them, who are exceptionally stable, exceptionally compliant with treatment and exceptionally well controlled with their medication that can, when the underwriter is feeling good, get best class rates. Such was the case of a client approved today. He went into the process just hoping not to be declined again and came out of it able to budget $1,000,000 of 30 year term insurance instead of the $500,000 he was hoping to get approved and settle for.
His was an interesting case because the underwriter at one point was seriously suggesting a much higher rate. The issue was that in the trial the underwriter had said the best rate was possible unless the client was on anti-psychotic medication. He is and has been on Trileptal for some time. It took some time to get the underwriter to see that Trileptal was really just Tegretol, an anti seizure medication, that had been altered slightly for use with bipolar. In the end reason prevailed and the underwriter conceded that he was definitely not on anti psychotic medication.
Just a reminder about what it takes to get to approvals and good rates with bipolar:
1. Someone who has not been hospitalized for bipolar disorder other than for diagnosis?
2. Someone who has not attempted suicide or had bouts with suicidal ideations?
3. Someone who is compliant with their treatment, both medications and regular followups?
4. Someone who is leading a stable family life or social life?
5. Someone who is exhibiting a stable work life?
6. Someone who is not on disability for bipolar and does not have issues with drinking or drugs? If there’s a problem here, then the answers to 3, 4 and 5 are no.
7. Better rates are available for those that aren’t on anti psychotic medication or multiple medications.
Bottom line. This isn’t to say that if you don’t fit the above list perfectly you won’t be able to get an approval, but from a lot of experience I can tell you that straying very far from the list goes down hill fast. Having said that, it should be noted that most are in agreement that the majority of those with bipolar disorder, anxiety disorder or depression would meet the criteria.
June 17th, 2009
