Posts filed under 'DUI'
I’m often asked, after the fact, what it takes to get the best life insurance rates. While I would be hard pressed to cover everything that could be hiding in your medical records, I can provide a general rundown based on the exam, labs, family and personal history.
Generally a person can’t have used any kind of tobacco or nicotine products in the last 5 years. They test for it and while the test really won’t show anything more than a month or two old, medical records almost always indicate if a person is smoking or uses other types of tobacco. If you say no and die during the incontestability period due to lung cancer, you better figure they will be asking people who were around you prior to your death.
Family history generally holds the best rate at “No cardiovascular disease or cancer prior to age 60″ for your mother, father and full siblings. A few companies say no death prior to age 70 and a few add diabetes to the before age 60 list.
A few companies allow blood pressure treatment for their best rate. Most don’t allow it. Either way, good control is a must with 135/80 being a pretty standard benchmark. Some allow 140/80. That’s actually pretty liberal. Most healthy folks are more in the 120/75 and under range.
Cholesterol treatment is being accepted for the best rate class by more companies all the time. That being said, good control is being looked at more stringently than ever before. The old benchmark for most companies was a total cholesterol of 220 and HDL of at least 40 giving a ratio of 5 or less. Some companies are going as low as 205 and a ratio of 4.5 for their best rate now.
The only cancer history acceptable at the best rate class is one instance of basal cell carcinoma. Multiple basal cells can be OK with some companies, but any other cancer history will end your chances for the best rate class.
Your driving record counts. Most companies won’t allow more than one moving violation in the last 3 years and yes, they will pull an MVR and check. Best case for the best rate would also include no reckless driving, DUI’s, license suspension or revocation in the last 5 years. Many companies are more stringent on the DUI topic.
Private pilots can only get the best rate from a few companies and they generally have to be well qualified. Instrument rating and enough total hours and annual hours to be considered experienced is a must.
Hazardous activities is kind of a crap shoot. Scuba diving can be ok if you aren’t going below 100′. Skydiving never gets the best class. Rock or mountain climbing, car or motorcycle racing and extreme sports will almost always bump you out of running for the best rates.
The last of the general underwriting guidelines is build. All companies have height/weight charts that they use and for the most part they run pretty much the same. Using my height of 5′10″, a sample of weights for best class are American General at 195, Banner at 196, Genworth at 193 and probably the most generous is Prudential at 202.
Bottom line. They don’t just ask how you’re feeling and give you a policy at the best rate. There are a lot of people who say these rates simply aren’t attainable, especially at older ages, but plenty of my clients receive offers in the best rate class and the oldest of those was 79 at the time.
February 17th, 2009
I very seldom “go off” on individual life insurance companies. Our experience in the impaired risk market is that company underwriting can go through cyclical changes, so we have learned to stay away from companies who aren’t being consistent until they get their legs back under them.
A problem arises when a new company comes on the impaired risk scene. They know all the right stuff to say to attract the independent agents that can help them break into the market, but until you’ve actually tried them out on a real live client, it’s a crap shoot.
Western Reserve Life western-reserve-life is a company that has fallen into this bait and switch, say whatever it takes to attract agents, mentality.
One of the things we depend on as agents are the trial offers we get from life insurance underwriters. In a nutshell, this is where we present a case informally and the underwriter says, barring any surprises, this is the rate that we should approve your client at. We work hard to do our homework on our end so that there aren’t any surprises once the case hits underwriting. What we don’t want to see is irrational behavior from an underwriting department.
Case in point. A man in his 30’s with multiple dui’s several years ago. He has cleaned up his act, doesn’t drink anymore and is by all accounts a stable family man and a productive member of society. He is, and we admitted this on the trial, on medications for mood stability. When we applied formally the case was declined by Western Reserve because the client is doing so well that his physician was recommending he be taken off of some of this medications. They declined him, in underwriter Kevin Rivera’s words, “because we don’t know how he will do when he isn’t on those medications”. Well crap. I bet his doctor thinks he’ll do just fine or he wouldn’t take him off of them.
So my client is really doing better than we presented in the trial in that he has outgrown the need for some of the medications, but the company penalized him, declined him anyway. The underwriter blamed it on the medical director, and actually the underwriter changed his story several times during our appeal process on their decision. They kept moving the target until we got tired of shooting at it.
Western Reserve is no longer on our list of “go to” companies for impaired risk business. Their grandiose claims of being a player in the market didn’t come through. The case above is just one of several where they waffled and declined when nothing changed from the trial to the application.
Bottom line. Fortunately we were able to place these cases elsewhere and get the insurance in force for the clients, except for the case above. Still working on that one.
December 15th, 2008
If you want to get a life insurance underwriter’s attention, talk about your history of alcohol or drug abuse. Tell them about your DUI or history of DUI’s. A good independent agent is going to ask about any history of alcohol abuse, treatment for alcohol or drug abuse and any dui’s you may have had. Is he going too far? Let’s be honest! These issues, depending on when they happened and how severe the problem was or is, can have a definite effect on mortality.
For those who choose to take the route of not answering the questions honestly, a word of caution. If you are still drinking, in all likelihood your liver function tests will tell the tale. If they come back elevated, the underwriter will ask for an alcohol test to be run. Called a CDT, it is very sensitive and very accurate in bringing heavy drinking, alcohol abuse, to light. A positive CDT is an automatic decline.
If you have changed your ways and no longer drink, or at least don’t drink heavily, alcohol abuse is still likely to be documented in your medical records and certainly DUI’s will show up in a motor vehicle report. Yes, they really check all of that!!
And of course DUI speaks for itself. Life insurance companies aren’t prone to leniency when it comes to insuring people who may kill themselves or end up in jail. There are a few companies that will forgive one indiscretion if it isn’t part of a lifestyle pattern. With them you may only need to wait a year before decent rates are available. Unless you fly airplanes. They really don’t like the idea of someone who drinks and drives and is a private pilot.
Now for the light at the end of the tunnel. Time does heal. Just like traffic violations and your auto insurance, the further you are from the last incident, the more you are forgiven and the better the chances of locking in good rates. So, given time, most companies will allow that DUI to melt away. Do it more than once and it won’t melt near as fast. Depending on circumstances, multiple DUI’s can put a cork in the life insurance bottle permanently.
Bottom line. Life insurance underwriters are concerned with health risks, but they also take lifestyle risks very seriously. Don’t drink and drive is a good slogan for staying alive and for getting the best rates life insurance has to offer.
April 2nd, 2008
When is DUI not a DUI? Trick question? Well, of course it is. The answer is never even if your attorney was able to plea bargain your DUI by having you plead no contest to DWS, driving while stupid.
Clients will, and honestly in their mind, answer no to the question of having been charged with or convicted of DUI, because their clever lawyer was able to plea bargain them out of having to attend AA as a consequence of their actions. Truth is that attending that AA meeting might have been what they needed.
Anyway, when a life insurance underwriter pulls your motor vehicle record it shows what really happened. You really were DUI, but the end legal result was you didn’t have to suffer the full consequences. DUI is a serious matter with life insurance underwriters, as it should be. There is nothing safe about driving under the influence for you or anyone around you. Plea bargained or not, your DUI will be treated just like any other DUI.
Underwriting of DUI is treated much the same as auto insurance. The further you are from the incident, the more likely you are to get back to the best rates. It varies from company to company, but at best you can assume it will take 5 years before it doesn’t impact your life insurance rates at all, 10 years with some companies. The closer you are to the incident, the higher the rates will be.
Another underwriting note with DUI is that the underwriter is interested in if you’ve changed your drinking habits. The best underwriting will go to those who were so moved by the incident that they quit drinking. You are scrutinized a little more closely if you are still drinking. Assume that if you are still drinking and you happen to have elevated liver functions on the labs, the underwriter will ask for an alcohol marker to be run. Alcohol markers are a very accurate measure of your current drinking habits and if you have a positive CDT, you will be declined.
Bottom line. A DUI by any other name is still a DUI for life insurance purposes. That plea bargain might impress your banker, but not your underwriter.
February 27th, 2008
I really think there must be some confusion. Men’s Health has decided that Denver and Colorado Springs, Colorado’s two largest cities, are respectively the number one and number three drunkest cities in the country. Ouch!!
Right up front I want you to understand that I am a Colorado patriot of sorts, except for the Broncos. I’m a little miffed at the Rockies too. Anyway, I’m thinking that this whole survey is somehow skewed by altitude with Denver being over 5000′ and Colorado Springs over 6000′. How else could such a healthy, outdoorsy kind of place end up so stinking drunk.
Of course that 60 mile stretch of highway between the two cities is an awfully accident prone stretch of Interstate 25. Probably from people trying to make it back from a ball game in number one to the relative safety of number 3. They should get an apartment in Aurora and then they wouldn’t have to drive very far and be in a much safer number eighteen.
All kidding aside, I’ve talked about this mindset in the Rocky mountain states before. And while, as a whole we are toward the healthy end of most scales, that doesn’t do much for you if your liver falls out from over use. Probably not much fun being healthy and sitting in jail after a DUI bust either.
Bottom line. Colorado is a great place to live. Because of the great out door recreation and clean air, we are a healthy bunch and probably enjoy overall lower life insurance rates because of that. Looks like we may need to clean up our life styles more than just a little bit though. On the upside, Salida Colorado was voted one of the America’s 10 best outdoor towns today. Don’t be fooled into moving here by that article. The reason it is such an “outdoor” town is that 95% of us are homeless and living under bridges. And we all got kicked out of Denver and Colorado Springs for drinking too much. Beware!!!
December 4th, 2007
Not too long ago while writing on the obesity problem in America I ran across a state by state breakdown that showed my home state, Colorado, as being one of the 4 leanest states in the country. I wasn’t too surprised, as we are kind of an exercising, outdoorsy bunch.
Then last night I heard on our local ABC channel that a study showed that Denver was the heaviest drinking city in America as measured by the instance of cirrhosis of the liver. Two other Colorado cities were in the top ten.
This was also not a big surprise to me. I’ve lived my whole life in the Rocky Mountains and drinking, and especially drinking beer, has always had an acceptance here that borders on silly. I can remember growing up in Wyoming and being shocked when law enforcement started cracking down on drinking and driving. DUI was generally accepted and, I can remember times that, even if you were pulled over for not being able to keep it in your own lane, you were either told to be more careful or at worst given a ride home.
While DUI is taken far more seriously than when I was young, the Rockies are obviously still a hard drinking region of the country. Looks like we have more work to do to keep that healthy lifestyle image intact.
Bottom line. Lifestyle choices are an important issue in life insurance. Having your weight down and your liver functions out of whack due to excessive drinking is not the balance that life insurance underwriters are looking for.
November 20th, 2007
Just when I think I’ve heard it all concerning how stupid or dangerous drinking can be, here we go…….I was too drunk to drive so I had my son drive!
But the son was 13
and was drunk also! The son was charged with DUI.
Bottom line. No life insurance company I can think of would feel justified in making an offer to this 41 year old idiot. And I applaud their wisdom!
November 17th, 2007
Transient Ischemic Attacks (TIA), or mini strokes occur when blood flow to part of the brain is blocked temporarily. With a TIA, the blockage, usually a blood clot, sticks in place long enough to cause symptoms, and then moves on and is absorbed by the body without any further damage.
It’s big brother, the stroke, occurs when the blockage doesn’t pass and blood flow to that part of the brain is suppressed long enough to cause major damage. Depending on the area of the brain that loses blood flow, different symptoms can occur that range anywhere from weakness or paralysis, usually on one side, to trouble or inability to speak, to complete inability to function which can lead to death.
The TIA should be considered a lucky stroke, a shot across the bow so to speak. If ignored, a TIA is usually a precursor to a stroke. The warning should not be taken lightly.
According to the American Stroke Association, symptoms of a TIA:
* One side of your body may feel numb, tingly, or heavy.
* You may not be able to move your arm, your leg, or your face on one side of your body.
* Things may look blurry or dim. You may have double vision or not be able to see.
* It may be hard to speak. You may slur or mix up your words.
* It may be hard to understand words.
* You may feel unsteady, dizzy, or clumsy. You may have trouble walking.
Not much different than the symptoms of a stroke:
* Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arms, or legs, especially on one side of the body.
* Sudden confusion, trouble speaking, or trouble understanding.
* Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes.
* Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, and loss of balance or coordination.
* Sudden, severe headache with no known cause.
Except in the speed of onset and severity. Anyone who has symptoms of a TIA should seek medical attention immediately and begin treatment to prevent a full blown stroke.
From a life insurance underwriting perspective, obviously a TIA is better news than a stroke, but the truth is that both are insurable once the event has passed and a person is being treated to prevent recurrence. The severity of the event and any contributing factors such as smoking will determine the rate class that will be offered.
Bottom line. We get those warning shots in one form or another all our lives. It could be a TIA. It might be chest pains. It could be getting busted for DUI. The whole idea is to take that warning seriously so we don’t have a stroke, a heart attack, or a drinking problem that leads to something more serious like our death or the death of someone else.
November 2nd, 2007
The Rock!! I bring Pru up every once in a while simply because they seem to be a company that is out to make a difference in the life insurance business. Other companies are competitive, and Prudential isn’t the answer to every life insurance question, but they are trying as hard as any company out there to expand the underwriting box and be just a little more fair. The attached is a two page summary of Prudential Financial’s rating, history and financial strength.
prudential.pdf
So, what are their strengths and what are their weaknesses? They are above average in underwriting for private pilots (including students), sleep apnea, weight (with an extra break if you’re over 65), situational anxiety and depression issues if well controlled, one time dui cases, prostate cancer and family history.
Areas where they come close, but I personally would like to see them be a little more aggressive would be well controlled diabetes and minor cardiac issues (a one vessel angioplasty with no heart attack after age 50).
Where I really wonder what they are thinking is with more involved heart issues and cancer (except prostate cancer).
But, no company can be all things to all people and again, they are a cut well above average in today’s market.
Bottom line. It takes an independent agent to figure out which direction you need to go for the best life insurance value. All of the top companies have an area where they stand out. Pru has several.
October 16th, 2007
Not too long ago I discussed life insurance exam labs results. I mentioned that the tests were not always tests that would lead to a diagnosis of a specific problem, but were tests that often exposed the tip of the iceberg, where a more serious problem might lie hidden beneath.
One such case would be with the liver function test call a GGT, Gamma Glutamyl Transferase. This isn’t a test that you would normally find on your annual exam with your doctor. The truth is that doctors don’t run it and don’t see the value in it. They say it is too “nonspecific” to be of value.
The GGT simply put, measures irritation of the liver. Irritation of the liver can be caused by over the counter medication such as Ibuprofen. Elevation can be caused by drinking and of course, the irritation can potentially be just the beginning stages of something more serious such as cancer.
One of the most common culprits for an elevated GGT is heavy drinking. Not so heavy that extensive liver damage has been caused, but heavy enough that your liver is pretty irritated……at you. For this reason, when there is an elevated GGT on an insurance exam, there is a standing order to run a back up test called a CDT, Carbohydrate Deficient Transferrin. The CDT is known in the industry as an alcohol marker, a very reliable test for detecting heavy drinking. For those with a more clinical or inquisitive mind, here is an article that discusses liver functions and alcohol abuse in more detail.
Life insurance underwriters don’t mince words when it comes to a positive CDT. A positive CDT means that you are knocking back 4-5 drinks or more per day on an ongoing basis. It wasn’t caused by that party over the weekend. Binge drinking won’t cause a positive CDT. So the word from the underwriter that won’t be minced, or misunderstood, will be decline.
There was a company in the not too distant past that felt so strongly about the GGT being alcohol related, that if you had a DUI or alcohol treatment anywhere in your past, even 30 years in your past, even if your CDT was negative, and your GGT was elevated, it was an automatic decline.
Bottom line. Alcohol abuse has been shown in so many ways to have a negative impact on mortality, that life insurance companies simply don’t want to have anything to do with it if they can detect it up front.
September 22nd, 2007
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