Speak with an experienced advisor! If you have been diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma, you may be wondering about squamous cell carcinoma life insurance eligibility. Getting life insurance with squamous cell carcinoma is possible if you have the right insurance agent and insurance company.
Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is the second most common form of skin cancer in the United States. It is usually found on parts of your body damaged by UVA rays, either from the rays of the sun or tanning bed use.
What is squamous cell carcinoma (SCC)?
Squamous cell carcinomas are of abnormal growths or lesions that grow within the skin’s squamous cells. Your squamous cells are in the uppermost layer of your skin (your epidermis). SCC’s look like:
- Dome-shaped bump
- Scaly red patches of skin
- Rough or crusty skin areas that lead easily when scraped
- Large growths that may itch or hurt
Squamous cell carcinomas are often fragile and may bleed easily.
Squamous cell carcinoma’s result from sun exposure. SCC can result from cumulative sun exposure, intense sun exposure (sunburn), or even occasional some exposure.
Is SCC a tumor?
Yes. Squamous cell carcinoma can spread (metastasize) beyond the original tumor site. SCC should not be taken lightly, as it can spread to other parts of your body and become a life-threatening illness. SCC can be disfiguring if not treated correctly and promptly.
How common is SCC?
Squamous cell carcinoma is diagnosed in more than 1 million people annually in the United States, and up to 8,800 people die from SCC each year in the United States. SCC has seen a 200% increase in the last three decades within the United States.
What causes squamous cell carcinoma?
Ultraviolent (UV) rays from the sun or tanning beds are the most frequent cause of squamous cell carcinoma. When the skin is exposed to UV rays over time, the DNA within your skin is damaged. This DNA damage within the skin may cause cancer to form.
SCC is most frequently diagnosed in sun-exposed areas of your body. This would include your head, neck, and back of your hands. SCC is frequently diagnosed with women on their lower legs. SCC can be diagnosed on any part of the body, including the lips, inside of the mouth, and genitals.
People who have used tanning beds have a much higher risk of getting diagnosed with SCC. They also get diagnosed with SCC earlier in life.
What is the survivability of squamous cell carcinoma?
Although SCC is a cancer, it has high survivability rates if caught early and is highly curable. It can spread to other parts of your body, including tissues, bones, and lymph nodes. Once SCC spreads to other parts of your body, it may become more difficult to treat.
How is SCC medically treated?
SCC’s are treated in many different ways:
- Cutting out the tumor – the doctor will perform an “excision” to remove the tumor. This means the doctor will surgically remove the tumor while trying to leave the normal skin around the tumor. This will cause a scar, which your doctor will try to minimize.
- Dermabrasion – “sanding” the affected area of your skin to allow new skin to grow in its place.
- Mohs surgery – excision and then visually inspecting the excised skin with the microscope.
- Using electricity – your doctor will use a needle-like device to control bleeding and kill the cancer cells with the electric vehicle.
- Lymph node surgery – removing infected pieces (using general anesthesia)
- Freezing cancer cells – “cryosurgery” is where the doctor kills cancer cells on your body by freezing them with liquid nitrogen.
- Topical chemotherapy – a gel or cream is applied to the affected area of your skin.
- Targeted drug treatment
Preventing squamous cell carcinoma
There are many ways to help prevent SCC and minimize your chances of being diagnosed with SCC:
- Check your skin – be aware of what is going on with your body and check your skin frequently for any changes or growths.
- Avoid sun exposure – the more you are exposed to the sun, the higher the chance you will get SCC. Avoid sun exposure during the strongest daylight hours from 10 AM to 4 PM; this is when the sun’s UV burning rays are most intense.
- Use sunscreen – UVA rays from the sun are present all day. Wearing sunscreen daily will help minimize your chances of getting SCC.
- Wear protective clothing – a broad-brimmed hat and long sleeve shirts and pants help prevent unnecessary exposure to the sun’s UVA rays.
Will I be able to get life insurance if I have squamous cell carcinoma?
Yes, there are life insurance options with squamous cell carcinoma. Because any form of cancer is a serious medical problem, the life insurance companies will review your squamous cell carcinoma condition and the rest of your health information carefully before issuing a life insurance policy.
What kind of life insurance will I be able to purchase with squamous cell carcinoma?
Term Life Insurance – Most forms of cancer will eliminate your ability to purchase term life insurance. Squamous cell carcinoma is a treatable form of skin cancer that is looked at more favorably than other cancer types. Because squamous cell carcinoma can spread to other parts of your body, the insurance companies will be more cautious when issuing term life insurance policies when you are diagnosed with this condition.
You may be able to qualify for most term life insurance policies up to a standard health rating.
Guaranteed Issue Whole Life (GIWL) – This insurance is available to squamous cell carcinoma survivors. GIWL policies have lower death benefits (face value) and a graded period (1-2 years) before you are eligible for the guaranteed death benefit. During this graded period, most life insurance companies return your premium (with 8-10% interest) if a death occurs.
If the insured were to die of an accident in the two-year graded period, the life insurance policy would pay out the full death benefit.
Guaranteed Issue Term Life (GITL) – This insurance is available to squamous cell carcinoma patients and survivors. GITL policies come in two face amounts – $25,000 and $50,000. Just like GIWL, there is a two-year graded period before you are eligible for the guaranteed death benefit. If the death occurred during this graded period, either a return of premium or a percentage of the face amount would be paid to the beneficiaries.
Accidental death insurance (AD) – this insurance is also available to squamous cell carcinoma patients and survivors. Although this coverage is available and is very affordable, AD life insurance may be a secondary choice to any other life insurance options available.
In ages 18 through 45, accidental death is the number one cause of death. So, even though you have squamous cell carcinoma, you also have a statistically high chance of dying in an accident driving back and forth to the hospital for treatment of your squamous cell carcinoma.
Depending on your tolerance for risk, a GIWL, GITL, or AD policy may be an appropriate life insurance option for you with your squamous cell carcinoma diagnosis.
Who should I purchase my life insurance from?
Squamous cell carcinoma is a unique health condition that requires a life insurance agent to be knowledgeable in underwriting procedures and practices. Most life insurance agents have not written life insurance policies for squamous cell carcinoma patients and survivors.
You will want an agent who has worked with squamous cell carcinoma life insurance candidates, who has researched insurance company eligibility, and who has spoken with underwriters about this medical condition in the past.
At Life-Wealth-Win, we are uniquely qualified to help you purchase life insurance if you have squamous cell carcinoma.
What are my first steps to purchase life insurance if I have squamous cell carcinoma?
Your first step would be to call us so we can understand your entire medical history. We must know your age, height, weight, medical problems, prescriptions, and other items asked on your life insurance application.
After gathering all your information, we will approach insurance company underwriters with your information to see who will offer you the most life insurance coverage at the best rates.
When should I purchase life insurance for squamous cell carcinoma?
The earlier you purchase life insurance, the better.
As you grow older, you risk more medical complications, which will make your life insurance premiums increase or make you ineligible for life insurance in the future.
With squamous cell carcinoma, the sooner you get life insurance coverage, the better. Purchase as much as you can afford for the longest length of time you can afford it.
Conclusion
If you have been diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma, call us to help you understand your life insurance 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 squamous cell carcinoma.
We work with clients across the nation to get the best life insurance rates possible. If you have squamous cell carcinoma, we can help you get the best life insurance rates.
