Yes, it is possible to get insurance if you are overweight. Most companies have height/weight charts that they used to determine the"ideal weight" for standard insurance. If you are outside those guidelines then the company will look to rate you or possibly decline.
There are guaranteed issue policies available with graded benefits in the first 2 to 3 years. In addition some companies offer short form applications.
The recommended route is to work with an experience insurance broker.
If you have further questions, or feel that I could be of assistance, please do not hesitate to contact me.
If you would like to work with a local life insurance broker, you could start with a Google search. For example, if you search for: life insurance broker Halifax or life insurance agent Halifax, my name, along with several others, will come up. You can use the same method to find a life insurance broker in your community.
President | Founder, CLM Insurance Group, Delray Beach, FL
Yes, you can get life insurance if you're overweight, but there are different types of policies you can apply for. Fully underwritten plans will take your body mass index (BMI) into account and may cause your rate to increase or possibly decline your application.
A popular route for overweight applicants are non-medical or rapid issue life insurance plans that have lenient height and weight guidelines.
Co-Founder, TermInsuranceBrokers.com, Goldenzweig Financial Group, Las Vegas, Nevada
Yes, you can get life insurance if you're overweight. The height/weight profile is one of the biggest factors in the underwriting process - it's one of the first risk measurements used by insurance companies to determine what risk class the carrier will assign and what rates to charge. The acceptable height/weight range for each risk class can vary substantially from company to company.
If you are considered overweight, life insurance companies will want to know the following information to make an accurate risk assessment:
1) What is your current height/weight?
2) Have you gained or lost more than 20 pounds in the past year? Is your weight stable?
3) Are you a smoker or use tobacco products?
4) Are you being treated for high blood pressure or cholesterol?
5) Have you had any abnormal lab results?
6) Any history of cancer or heart disease in the immediate family before age 60?
7) Do you have any co-morbid conditions, such as diabetes, heart disease, sleep apnea, tobacco use, etc?
Obesity is a condition which can receive favorable underwriting – a few companies may also be able to offer a standard rate even when a “table” rating would normally apply if you purchase permanent insurance instead of term insurance through a table reduction program. Table ratings require an extra premium compared to a standard rate. An example would be a Table D / Table 4 rate would be approximately two times the standard rate.
If you are overweight, you should NOT apply with multiple companies at the same time. The more companies that give you a table rating or decline coverage on a formal application, the less likely you are to get a better offer!
You need the help of and independent life insurance agent that can shop your medical profile informally (no personal information is revealed to the insurance companies, just a general medical profile).
Yes, most people can get some type of life insurance policy if overweight, even if you are morbidly obese (don't you hate that label).
There are a handful of companies that will provide first day coverage (no graded period) without any weight requirement at all. Most policies that disregard weight will have a graded period, where the death benefit paid during the first couple of years would be reduced for death due to natural causes.
Some simplified issue polices (no exam needed) have very liberal weight charts. These can be a good choice, especially if you have not had your blood tested for a while.
There are also some fully underwritten policies that have much more lenient weight charts than others. If you are applying for a large policy, certain companies can save you thousands of dollars.
Be sure to contact an impaired risk or overweight life insurance expert for your life insurance if you are significantly overweight. Not only do you need a variety of choices, you need the experience of someone who knows how to maneuver the factors involved: weight changes over the past year, health conditions that can be associated with build, etc.
Absolutely! And at www.lifequotes.com you can instantly compare rates of 35 leading life insurers and view actual acceptable weight tables and underwriting guidelines. This way, you can know in seconds which U.S. life company will offer the best price for your situation. Life insurers vary wildly in the way they price policies and in their weight-height charts, so it pays to shop around and deal with an experience agency when you obtain advice or go to buy. LifeQuotes.com is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year and we've sold over 300,000 life policies by using this low-key approach. Good luck!
President, Lane Independent Agency, Southern California
You most certainly can, unless your weight not only affects your health, but is so obese that it affects your ability to get around. It will affect the rate you pay however. In the worst case, you may be limited to guaranteed issue policies. The critical factor is how is it affecting the rest of your health? Gary Lane. Thank you.
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There are guaranteed issue policies available with graded benefits in the first 2 to 3 years. In addition some companies offer short form applications.
The recommended route is to work with an experience insurance broker.
If you have further questions, or feel that I could be of assistance, please do not hesitate to contact me.
If you would like to work with a local life insurance broker, you could start with a Google search. For example, if you search for: life insurance broker Halifax or life insurance agent Halifax, my name, along with several others, will come up. You can use the same method to find a life insurance broker in your community.
A popular route for overweight applicants are non-medical or rapid issue life insurance plans that have lenient height and weight guidelines.
If you are considered overweight, life insurance companies will want to know the following information to make an accurate risk assessment:
1) What is your current height/weight?
2) Have you gained or lost more than 20 pounds in the past year? Is your weight stable?
3) Are you a smoker or use tobacco products?
4) Are you being treated for high blood pressure or cholesterol?
5) Have you had any abnormal lab results?
6) Any history of cancer or heart disease in the immediate family before age 60?
7) Do you have any co-morbid conditions, such as diabetes, heart disease, sleep apnea, tobacco use, etc?
Obesity is a condition which can receive favorable underwriting – a few companies may also be able to offer a standard rate even when a “table” rating would normally apply if you purchase permanent insurance instead of term insurance through a table reduction program. Table ratings require an extra premium compared to a standard rate. An example would be a Table D / Table 4 rate would be approximately two times the standard rate.
If you are overweight, you should NOT apply with multiple companies at the same time. The more companies that give you a table rating or decline coverage on a formal application, the less likely you are to get a better offer!
You need the help of and independent life insurance agent that can shop your medical profile informally (no personal information is revealed to the insurance companies, just a general medical profile).
There are a handful of companies that will provide first day coverage (no graded period) without any weight requirement at all. Most policies that disregard weight will have a graded period, where the death benefit paid during the first couple of years would be reduced for death due to natural causes.
Some simplified issue polices (no exam needed) have very liberal weight charts. These can be a good choice, especially if you have not had your blood tested for a while.
There are also some fully underwritten policies that have much more lenient weight charts than others. If you are applying for a large policy, certain companies can save you thousands of dollars.
Be sure to contact an impaired risk or overweight life insurance expert for your life insurance if you are significantly overweight. Not only do you need a variety of choices, you need the experience of someone who knows how to maneuver the factors involved: weight changes over the past year, health conditions that can be associated with build, etc.