Obesity is a complete show stopper with most life insurance companies. Each company has their own build chart and most of them are relatively comparable up through the standard rate class.

Where companies rapidly peel off and get out of the game is when people are heavier than what fits into their standard rate class. It’s at that point that it’s apparent, at least to me, that most companies really aren’t sure what to do with build or aren’t sure how to address mortality assumptions based on out of the ordinary height/weight situations.

Let’s start with what most companies can agree on, the approximate height/weight ratios they want to see for their best rate classes. Below is a build chart from Banner Life Insurance, kind of a middle of the road guideline. These show the maximum for each rate class, the first two groups being for preferred plus rates and divided as many companies do into maximums for male and female. Some companies keep the sexes separate all the way through to standard. In Banner’s case as the continued weights show for preferred, standard and standard plus rates they go to a unisex guideline.

Male Preferred Plus
Build Chart
Height
5′ 0″ 144
5′ 1″ 148
5′ 2″ 153
5′ 3″ 158
5′ 4″ 163
5′ 5″ 168
5′ 6″ 174
5′ 7″ 179
5′ 8″ 185
5′ 9″ 190
5′ 10″ 196
5′ 11″ 201
6′ 0″ 207
6′ 1″ 213
6′ 2″ 219
6′ 3″ 225
6′ 4″ 230
6′ 5″ 237
6′ 6″ 243
6′ 7″ 249
6′ 8″ 256
6′ 9″ 262
6′ 10″ 268
6′ 11″ 276

PPNT Preferred Plus Non-Tobacco
Female Preferred Plus
Build Chart
Height PPNT
5′ 0″ 135
5′ 1″ 138
5′ 2″ 140
5′ 3″ 143
5′ 4″ 145
5′ 5″ 148
5′ 6″ 150
5′ 7″ 155
5′ 8″ 160
5′ 9″ 165
5′ 10″ 170
5′ 11″ 175
6′ 0″ 180
6′ 1″ 184
6′ 2″ 188
6′ 3″ 193
6′ 4″ 197
6′ 5″ 201
6′ 6″ 205
6′ 7″ 209
6′ 8″ 214
6′ 9″ 218
6′ 10″ 222
6′ 11″ 226

Male/Female Build Chart
Height PNT SNT SPNT
5′ 0″ 158 172 166
5′ 1″ 163 178 172
5′ 2″ 168 183 175
5′ 3″ 174 190 182
5′ 4″ 179 195 188
5′ 5″ 185 202 194
5′ 6″ 191 208 200
5′ 7″ 197 215 206
5′ 8″ 203 221 212
5′ 9″ 209 228 219
5′ 10″ 215 234 226
5′ 11″ 221 241 231
6′ 0″ 228 249 240
6′ 1″ 234 255 245
6′ 2″ 241 263 253
6′ 3″ 247 269 259
6′ 4″ 253 276 265
6′ 5″ 260 283 272
6′ 6″ 267 291 280
6′ 7″ 274 299 287
6′ 8″ 281 306 294
6′ 9″ 288 314 302
6′ 10″ 295 322 309
6′ 11″ 303 330 317
Please be advised; the build data listed for Standard Non-Tobacco also applies to Standard Tobacco and Preferred Non-Tobacco also applies to Preferred Tobacco.

So, using a current client, a young man in his 30’s who is 6’1 and 415#’s, what would Banner’s stance be? He already knows that State Farm considers him not insurable since they declined his application of a few months ago. Banner, and frankly most companies would come to the same conclusion.

We applied for a policy through Prudential and his policy for $250,000 of 20 year term was approved, albeit highly rated, still approved at a rate of about $91 a month. Certainly the average person his age might consider that an outrageous price, but for him it’s a chance to provide the coverage for his family and it’s within his budget.

Bottom line. Obesity presents plenty of challenges in life, but with life insurance it doesn’t have to if you choose an independent agent with access to the right companies.