Chronic Back Pain Life Insurance

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

If you have been diagnosed with chronic back pain, you may be wondering about chronic back pain life insurance eligibility. Getting life insurance with chronic back pain is possible if you have the right insurance agent and insurance company.

In this article, we will offer some background on chronic back pain, the underwriting process for life insurance for chronic back pain, and if you can get approved for life insurance with chronic back pain.

WHAT IS CHRONIC BACK PAIN?

When back pain lasts for less than 3 months, it is called acute pain. The bad news is back pain impacts your life in your daily activities of living. The good news is that you will heal, and the pain will go away.

Chronic back pain is back pain that lasts longer than 3 to 6 months or beyond the time at which tissue healing has occurred.

If you’ve had back surgery in the past due to chronic back pain, and you are still experiencing chronic back pain, the medical definition for this is “failed back surgery syndrome”.

Failed back surgery syndrome means your chronic back pain continues after the surgery has healed.

Chronic pain may show symptoms in many ways; chronic pain often falls into two major categories:

• Pain with an identifiable cause – if you’ve injured your spine, have had spinal discs injured, or have structural back disorders (stenosis, spondylitis, spondylolisthesis, or other back disorders), the pain caused by these disorders may not go away after surgical and nonsurgical treatment.
• Chronic pain without an identifiable cause – when pain is still present after the tissue has healed from injury or treatment and the cause of the pain cannot be identified – is often called “chronic benign pain”.

CAN I GET LIFE INSURANCE WITH CHRONIC BACK PAIN?

If you have chronic back pain, you can get favorable rates on life insurance. If you have chronic back pain and have been denied life insurance by an insurance company, it is most likely because you had an inexperienced life insurance agent who recommended the wrong life insurance company and policy.

Most life insurance agents have not trained adequately in high-risk life insurance insurability.

By working with a company like Life Wealth Win, who specializes in high-risk life insurance cases, you will improve your chances of getting approved for the chronic back pain life insurance coverage you need. Usually, the premiums will be very competitive and affordable.

WHAT IS CHRONIC BACK PAIN LIFE INSURANCE ELIGIBILITY?

Insurance companies will want to understand why you are experiencing chronic back pain. They will want to understand the risk you present to them if the claim is filed.

The life insurance underwriters will want to know more about your chronic back pain diagnosis. Common questions will be:

• How was your back injured?
• What is the medical diagnosis or injury?
• Is your back pain constant or intermittent?
• When did you first experience chronic back pain?
• How long have you experienced chronic back pain?
• How long do episodes of back pain occur?
• Are you limited in any way due to your chronic back pain?
• Are you taking any medications for chronic back pain?
• Have you had any surgical procedures to alleviate chronic back pain?
• Does your back pain interfere with your daily activities of living or restrict your life in any way?

The questions above help the life insurance company understand the nature of your chronic back pain, the severity of your chronic back pain, and the impact that your chronic back pain has on your activities of daily living.

ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS THE INSURANCE COMPANY WILL HAVE?

Life Insurance companies will also want to know your:

• Age
• Gender
• Height and weight
• Other health history or family health history
• Occupation and income
• Dangerous hobbies like paragliding or handgliding

WILL I HAVE TO TAKE THE MEDICAL EXAM TO PURCHASE CHRONIC BACK PAIN LIFE INSURANCE?

Your chronic back pain life insurance eligibility will be determined by the factors listed above.

There are medical and nonmedical options available for life insurance purchasers. Nonmedical life insurance policies are often issued within 24 hours to one week. Medical life insurance policies are often issued within 6 to 8 weeks.

Depending on the severity of your back pain and the nature of your chronic back pain, life insurance companies may want more medical information to make a proper chronic back pain life insurance eligibility determination.

To do this, they would request an attending physician statement (APS) to determine your chronic back pain history and medical treatment plan.

All medications you’re taking are considered before a life insurance company issues a life insurance policy. Depending on your medications, your rates will not be affected, or your rates may increase.

Because people with chronic back pain are sometimes prescribed narcotic medications for pain control, the life insurance companies will want to know what medications you are taking. Narcotic pain medications pose a higher risk of addiction, which can affect mortality rates.

Some chronic back pain sufferers experience so much pain they may accidentally overdose on pain medications. Although rare, life insurance companies are aware of this possibility.

Chronic back pain may lead to depression in some patients. This may cause the need for additional medications to ease depression severity.

Some medications may also have negative side effects that can affect your health. The life insurance companies must know your current and past medical prescriptions to evaluate your life insurance eligibility and premiums.

WHAT TYPE OF LIFE INSURANCE PLANS WILL I BE ELIGIBLE FOR?

Depending on the severity of your injury and the level of chronic back pain, you may be eligible for all types of life insurance protection. Term life insurance, universal life insurance, and whole life insurance are options available for most chronic back pain life insurance candidates.

If your life insurance needs are for a specified period, term life insurance is the most cost-effective and affordable choice.

If you’re concerned about future life insurance eligibility and want permanent life insurance protection, universal life insurance or whole life insurance policies are available. While these two plans are more expensive than term life insurance, they allow for lifetime insurance coverage and additional living benefits.

WHAT’S THE GOOD NEWS ABOUT CHRONIC BACK PAIN LIFE INSURANCE ELIGIBILITY?

If you are experiencing back pain, you’re in good company. The life insurance companies are familiar with assessing life insurance eligibility for individuals with chronic back pain.

Some life insurance companies look more favorably on chronic back pain and the medications prescribed for chronic back pain patients.

If you apply to the wrong insurance company, your application may get denied. If you apply to the correct life insurance company, you increase your chances of getting approved and getting the best life insurance rates available.

SHOULD I GET LIFE INSURANCE NOW OR LATER WITH CHRONIC BACK PAIN?

Each chronic back pain patient’s situation is different. If you have just had back surgery, the life insurance company will want to wait and see if you are medically cleared by your physician.

If your surgery succeeds, once you’re cleared by your doctor, it would be an ideal time to apply for life insurance.

Because many patients experience chronic back pain in the years following the surgery, purchasing life insurance after your surgery is complete (and you have no chronic back pain) is a smart financial decision.

If you are experiencing chronic back pain, our general recommendation would be to purchase life insurance right now.

If your chronic back pain gets better over time due to further treatments (surgery, physical therapy, exercise, etc.), then we can always help you apply for life insurance later to secure lower life insurance premiums.

CONCLUSION

If you have been diagnosed with chronic back pain, call us to help you understand your chronic back pain life insurance eligibility options.

At Life Wealth Win, we specialize in healthy to high-risk life insurance cases. We can help you understand your life insurance options with chronic back pain.

We work with clients across the nation to get the best life insurance rates possible. If you have chronic back pain, we can help you get the best life insurance rates.