Asthma Insurance Questions & Answers

How do life insurance underwriters view individuals who have Asthma?

Life insurance for people with asthma will largely depend on the degree and management of the asthmatic condition and the types of medication being administered to treat the condition.

People who suffer from asthma will be required to take a medical exam when they apply for a policy as the underwriter will need that medical information to determine how the person will be rated.

Although asthma is a treatable condition, some individuals require more aggressive treatment so the underwriter will likely want to acquire the following information:

• The age of the person
• The type asthma
• The severity of the asthma attacks
• When the condition was first diagnosed
• Whether the asthma triggers have been identified
• How often the person has experienced an attack over the previous 6 months or more
• The type of medications being administered
• Has the person received any diagnostic tests in the previous 6 months such as a chest x-ray, spirometry (measures the capacity of the lungs) or tested for allergens

Life insurance for people with asthma presents a variety of risk to a life insurer ranging from mild to severe.

What is Asthma?

Asthma is essentially a treatable medical condition which is caused by an obstruction or narrowing of the airway, and is often the result of some form of trigger mechanism. The cause may be due to an allergic reaction to anything from cat fur, pollen or mould and other causes. Some people have different triggers such as exposure to cold air, or an exercise regime.

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Consequently, asthma has two classifications which are 1) allergic asthma, or 2) non-allergic asthma. Identifying the trigger which brings on the onset of the asthma, and its severity, is crucial to how the condition will be medically managed.

Symptoms of asthma include shortness of breath wheezing, and coughing. There are a variety of medications used to treat the condition and they are sometimes referred to as first line, second line and third line therapies. These therapies can include anything from using bronchodilators, pill medications or oral/injected steroids and other form s of medication.

Finding life Insurance with an Asthma

Obtaining life insurance for people with asthma will depend on the severity and the type of medical management to treat the asthma. Individuals who have asthma should understand how they will be rated and assessed a premium can vary quite dramatically from company to company.

Life insurance companies use a variety of criteria in how they access the insurability of a person and each company will use different criteria. Some companies are much more liberal in how they assess the risk of insuring persons with asthma.

The availability of the types of coverage and the amounts of coverage may also vary quite substantially so care must be taken when shopping around for the most affordable policy and in finding the least expensive premium