I’ve often mentioned that getting approval and good rates on life insurance is a matter of the right agent in combination with the right company. The other key to success is an application that is properly thought out and presented.
A case in point is a client we just got approved who had applied through another agent before coming to us. Her application was declined off hand by a company that assumed she had bipolar disorder because of a medication she was taking that is quite often used with bipolar, Lamictal. This company declined her without asking for medical records because they assumed she wasn’t being forthcoming concerning her mental health issues.
On her application she had indicated treatment for depression. Had the company taken her at her word they would have discovered that, in fact, she was diagnosed with and treated for depression and attention deficit disorder, not bipolar. Had the agent understood that the medication she was taking is commonly used for bipolar, he could have simply put on the application “Client’s use of Lamictal is not for Bipolar disorder”. Wrong agent! Poorly thought out application!
The other thing that wasn’t done that is a must anytime there are health issues is that the agent didn’t ask for trial quotes before submitting the application. Had that been done he would have discovered that the medication was going to be a question, easily clarified up front. Then, with trial quotes in hand the application would have flown.
Bottom line. The client now has the coverage she wanted, at a good rate. It may not be rocket science, but it does matter who your agent is and how the application is presented.
My 20 years of experience give me the knowledge and leverage to find reasonably-priced life insurance for people who have been declined or are paying more than they need to.
I’m the woman Ed is describing here. I was shocked and humiliated that I was declined basic life insurance coverage. How on earth was I going to be able to secure life insurance for the security of my family? Yes, it’s a fact that I suffer from long term depression (certainly not unusual today), but at the same time I have a very productive, “normal†life. I have never missed work, never been hospitalized, nor had any family disruption as a result of my depression. I’m actually very proud of all the work I’ve done to get my depression under control. Little did I know I was going to be penalized for all this hard work.
I knew I couldn’t possibly be alone in this situation so I turned to the blogs in search of help. I typed in – blog+lamitical+life+insurance – and came across the Ed Hinerman Group. Reading Ed’s blog gave me a ray of hope. I contacted Ed and he immediately got back to me. I walked him through my history and he outlined the approach he would take. He was respectful of my mental health issues and very gentle in his approach. He walked me through how he thought he might be able to help. Importantly, he talked of submitting TRIAL quotes to multiple carriers. The Trial quotes would give him enough information to determine what carriers where more apt to dig deeper in the underwriting process rather than simply declining me because of a certain drug I was on. When you are declined by a carrier it’s seen as a big negative when you apply with other carriers. With efficiency and ease I’m now covered by a leading carrier and at budget price – thanks to The Hinerman Group