Parkinson's Disease Insurance Questions & Answers

How do life insurance underwriters view people who have Parkinson’s disease?

Obtaining life insurance for people with Parkinson’s disease varies according to the degree of the disease and its progression.

It is a condition of the central nervous system and affects a person’s mobility. The disease may potentially a person’s cognitive function, and as such an underwriter will consider this condition more of a risk to insure.

The amount of risk which an insurer will assume varies according to the current state of the disease, the types of medication and how affective it is in controlling the symptoms of the disease.

An advanced stage of Parkinson’s can seriously impair a person’s daily activities. Other serious complications that can occur during the more progressive stage of the disease may also result in a decrease in a person’s cognitive abilities and in psychiatric disorders. Most insurers will likely decline an application for a person who is in the advanced stage.

Finding life insurance for people with Parkinson’s disease will not be too difficult for someone who has mild and controllable symptoms or those who are in the intermediate phase of the disease.

But those with more complicated symptoms will progressively be rated lower as the disease becomes more advanced.

What are the health risks of Parkinson’s Disease?

Parkinson’s disease is a medical condition that is progressive and occurs in the basal ganglia located in the midbrain. It results in a decrease in the levels of dopamine which is due to the degeneration and death of brain cells.

Parkinson’s occasionally affects young adults and is more common in people who are 50 years of age or older.

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The disease results in the loss of control of motor function such as tremors or shaking, and difficulty in walking or a person’s gait. It can also cause a variety of sensory abnormalities. More progressive forms of the disease can result in emotional, psychiatric, mental or even behavioral disorders.

Parkinson’s is not curable and can be treated with a variety of medications with moderate and varying results.

Finding life Insurance with Parkinson’s Disease

Finding life insurance for people with Parkinson’s disease varies according to the progression of the disease. Many insurers will issue an automatic decline if the disease is very progressive and especially if the condition results in mental disorders or severe physical symptoms.

A person applying for a traditional life insurance policy should keep in mind that insurers can vary significantly in the criteria they use to rate a person and that some companies are less punitive than others. These differences can affect how the person is rated and the amount they are charged for a premium.

Individuals with a more progressive form of the disease and who have been declined can seek alternative policies such as a Critical Illness policy or a no-medical exam Guarantee Issue policy. These policies can vary from carrier and should be sought through either a knowledgeable independent broker or a company that specializes in serious health risks.