Life insurance for high-risk applicants

What makes you a high-risk life insurance applicant?

A high-risk life insurance applicant is someone who has health or lifestyle risks that makes them riskier for life insurance companies to insure. Each life insurance company defines high-risk life insurance applicants differently. However, typically, life insurance companies may consider you to be a high-risk applicant if you have a dangerous occupation, engage in risky hobbies like skydiving, smoke, have below-average health and/or have underlying health conditions.

Unlike home and auto insurance, life insurance quotes are based on the applicant’s life expectancy. The higher your risk of premature death, the higher your premium will be, on average. If you’re considered a high-risk applicant, some life insurance companies will limit the policies available to you. Some companies may only offer you a guaranteed issue policy, a high-cost no-exam life insurance policy. Other companies may still allow you to purchase term life insurance, but your rates will likely be high.

So, how do you find out whether you’re a high-risk applicant? To determine your underwriting risks, life insurance companies typically require you to complete a medical exam that measures key health markers such as height, weight, blood pressure, nicotine usage, alcohol consumption, prescriptions, family medical history and current medical conditions. If you are considered to be high-risk, the insurance company could deny you coverage. Even if you’re able to get a policy, you may have to pay higher premiums or experience a waiting period before you can be fully covered. The two biggest factors that determine your eligibility for life insurance are your medical risks and your lifestyle.

Medical risk

Life insurance companies want to know about your personal medical history, as well as your family history of illness that could make you a high-risk applicant. If you have any of the following conditions, you are likely considered high-risk:

• Cancer: Having been diagnosed with cancer of any type will likely put you in the high-risk category for life insurance. To purchase a policy, most insurance companies will require you to be cancer-free for a certain number of years.
• Heart attack: If you have had a heart attack in the past or have been diagnosed with heart disease, it will impact your ability to get life insurance. People who have had one heart attack often have another, which poses additional risk for the insurance company.
• Stroke: Strokes can affect your ability to get life insurance. Most life insurance companies will not approve a traditional policy if you have had a stroke within the last year, or you had a stroke that led to other health issues, like paralysis.
• Dementia: Because there is no cure for cognitive disorders, people with dementia have to purchase high-risk life insurance. On average, a person with Alzheimer’s lives four to eight years after diagnosis, according to the Alzheimer’s Association.
• HIV/AIDS: People who have been diagnosed with HIV or AIDS are considered high-risk, even if their disorder is well-managed. Some studies show that people living with HIV/AIDS have a shorter life expectancy than the average person.

Other health conditions may not immediately make you a high-risk applicant. For instance, life insurance for diabetics can be pretty cheap, especially for policyholders with well-managed Type 2 Diabetes.

Lifestyle

The other major factor that determines your life insurance risk is your lifestyle. Even if you have no medical issues or family history of illness, you could still be considered high-risk based on things like your occupation, your habits and the types of hobbies you enjoy:

• Occupation: Life insurance companies consider your occupation to determine the amount of risk you face on a daily basis. Some examples of high-risk jobs are underground miners, steelworkers, construction workers and commercial fishers. The deadliest career field in 2019 was fishing and hunting, with 145 deaths per 100,000 workers, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
• Hobbies: If you consider yourself to be a thrillseeker, you are most likely in the high-risk category. Insurance companies want to know if you participate in potentially dangerous hobbies like scuba diving, mountaineering, skydiving and motorcycle racing.
• Nicotine use: Smoking has a number of health risks, and it can lead to other medical issues like certain types of cancer and COPD. If you smoke cigarettes, vape or use chewing tobacco, life insurance companies will likely consider you to be high-risk. If you’re a previous smoker who has quit, you may not be considered high-risk, but may still have to pay high premiums. Importantly, life insurance for smokers is typically available, but you should be prepared to likely pay more.
• Alcohol consumption: If you drink more alcohol than the recommended serving amount, life insurance companies will likely consider you to be high-risk. Overconsumption of alcohol can trigger other health complications and increase the risk of accidents.

How do high-risk life insurance rates work?

To calculate rates, most of the largest life insurance companies place applicants into one of the following rating categories, based on their level of risk. Note that not every company uses the same classes during the underwriting process. However, it is common for life insurance companies to place applicants in one of the following underwriting classes:

• Preferred select or preferred plus: The healthiest applicants who have a clean bill of health and no family history of genetic illnesses, no high-risk occupation or hobbies, and no bad habits like smoking will likely fit into this rating group.
• Preferred: Preferred applicants are typically healthy individuals who may have one or two marks against them. For instance, they may have a small medical issue or a slightly risky hobby.
• Standard: If you have a few medical issues or a risky lifestyle, you may fit into the standard category, and will likely pay higher rates than those in the preferred plus and preferred groups.
• Substandard: Applicants who are considered high-risk to the insurance company likely fit into this category. These applicants may have a dangerous job, a risky hobby or medical issues.
• Preferred tobacco: Applicants who have quit smoking or are otherwise healthy may fit into the preferred tobacco rating group, and will likely pay lower rates than those in the standard tobacco group.
• Standard tobacco: Most smokers likely fit into the standard tobacco group. Since smoking can cause cancer and other health issues, those in the standard tobacco group will likely pay steep premiums.

How to find high-risk insurance

Life insurance rates are usually determined by the table rating system, which is a risk factor assessment based on numerous personal factors. The higher the category you qualify for, the lower premium you will pay. An individual who has recovered from cancer and is no longer smoking may qualify for life insurance coverage with a standard rating, which means that they would be eligible for a standard life insurance rate.

If you are considered a high underwriting risk, you may not qualify for standard underwritten coverage. If you are unable to get standard underwritten coverage, guaranteed acceptance life insurance may be an option. The policy requires no medical exams or lifestyle questions, and the rates are based on your age, location and gender. Guaranteed acceptance policies typically have a two-year waiting period before your beneficiaries can access the death benefit.

To find the most affordable policy for high risk life insurance, it may be helpful to research your options and get quotes from a few different providers. It may also benefit you to talk with an independent life insurance agent who can guide you through the process of choosing the best carrier to meet your needs.

Frequently asked questions