How do life insurance underwriters view individuals who have skin cancer?

Finding life insurance for people with skin cancer is considered as a higher risk to insure by underwrtieters because of the nature of the disease and the increased risk to a person’s health and life expectancy.

Fortunately, as skin cancer is one of one of the more treatable cancers, many afflicted individuals can obtain life insurance even while they are still receiving treatment.

Not all individuals will immediately qualify or be approved for a life insurance policy as there is a variety of criteria that will be used by the underwriter. How this criterion is rated will vary from insurer to insurer.

Some of the key criteria factors used by underwriters will include whether the cancer is “in situ” which means that it hasn’t spread to adjoining tissue areas. The underwriter will require that the person be medically examined and will want to know when how long the person has had skin cancer.

Other criteria include the size of the lesion and the type of skin cancer as there are several varieties. The type of treatment and medication will also be crucial.

Most individuals will likely only be rated up to the Clark level IV or V classification. Those beyond those levels may have to postpone applying for a period up to as long as 4 years.

Obtaining life insurance for people with skin cancer is possible but will vary from individual to individual.

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What are the health risks involving skin cancer?

Skin cancer is also referred to as skin neoplasm. The cancer is similar to many other types of cancer in that it entails an abnormal growth of malignant cells but is located in the epidermis or layers of the skin.

There are 3 main types of skin cancer known as basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma and melanoma. The first two varieties of skin cancer are the most common. Although melanoma is a rarer version of cancer, it is considered as the most serious type.

Skin cancer is very treatable using of variety of therapies with a good success rate for curing the cancer. However, if the skin cancer is left untreated there is a higher risk that the cancer could metastasize and spread to other adjacent tissues and eventually to other organs such as the lymph nodes for example.

Finding life Insurance with skin cancer

Finding life insurance for people with skin cancer is very possible for some with milder versions of the cancer. Others with more progressive types of this cancer may be required to wait for a period of several years before an insurer will process an application. Some others with a more advanced of the cancer may be declined altogether.

The life insurance rating application criteria for those who qualify for a policy will vary quite substantially which can affect the amount the person is charged for their premium. The reason for these rating differences is because every company has its own unique criteria standards which vary from company to company.

Some insurers are definitely more liberal than other companies because they may allot a more substandard rating, or even decline a person and won’t issue a life insurance policy.


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