Life Insurance and Apnea

ScottGA · Post by **ScottGA** » Thu Feb 16, 2006 8:33 pm

Anyone here with Apnea and few other health problems experienced problems getting new life insurance due to Apnea? I have been told getting new coverage with Apnea will now get more difficult. Is this sales pitch or a real fact?

yardbird · Post by **yardbird** » Thu Feb 16, 2006 9:57 pm

I have policies recently with 3 different companies. Like... within the past 3 months. No problems with any of them. Had insurance with companies A, B, and C and now have different policies with D, E, and F. NONE of them blinked when apnea was mentioned. NONE.

So I think it's a sales pitch.

Snoredog · Post by **Snoredog** » Thu Feb 16, 2006 11:22 pm

um... you don't tell them, you also don't fall asleep while they are filling out the application.

But if I was missing a leg, I wouldn't put down "missing one leg", but then again the rate may be cheaper if you're missing one leg

Darth Vader Look · Post by **Darth Vader Look** » Thu Feb 16, 2006 11:55 pm

Withholding information from your life insurance agent can cost you your benefit. There is a 2 year contestability period where the insurance company can reject you as a client, reject a claim based on misinformation or pre-existing health problems. The usually process with good insurance companies is they do all underwriting of the policy including seeking out medical information before issuing the policy. Some unethical insurance companies (you know the ones - no medical required and up to 5 times the payout for accidental death) underwrite at death and use this against the client in time of making a claim. Stay far, far away from these companies. There are companies out there that will rate you (charge you more) for having OSA but there are also companies that will not charge you anymore provided you are under treatment for OSA and are under a doctors care (doing your required sleep studies). Similar for high blood pressure - if you are taking your meds and your blood pressure is under control, there is no reason for charging you more money.

Seek out quotes for insurance from many companies and before buying make sure that everything is spelled out in black and white. Any questions ask the agent, that is what he is there for and don't bet on a rate until you have the signed policy in your hands.