| It's common knowledge that having a heart attack in | | | | yourself - good cardiogram readings, for example, |
| your medical history is a red flag when it comes to | | | | and low cholesterol, the less of a risk you will seem |
| applying for life insurance, but even with a heart | | | | to be. |
| condition, you are not necessarily precluded from | | | | Stay in Treatment: While you're waiting, you need to |
| being insured, nor will you automatically have to pay | | | | be proactive about improving your health. Work with |
| exorbitant premiums. Depending on the steps you | | | | your doctors to change your diet, increase your |
| have taken to treat your heart disease, and the | | | | exercise and take the proper medications to keep |
| severity of your condition, you may well be able to | | | | your blood pressure stable. |
| get a life insurance policy with affordable rates. | | | | Document Everything. When you do apply for |
| According to Christopher Graham, vice president and | | | | insurance, be sure to provide documentation for |
| chief underwriter for Hartford Life, "We are able to | | | | everything you've been doing. It's not enough for |
| offer an insurance policy to the vast majority of | | | | YOU to know. The insurer must know. Be specific: it |
| people with a history of heart disease." | | | | will reassure the underwriters buy into your case. Dr. |
| Dr. Robert Gleeson, a medical underwriter and vice | | | | Gleeson explains why: "If someone tells me that they |
| president at Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance | | | | have high blood pressure but doesn't give me any |
| Company emphasizes the same thing. "We spend our | | | | more information, I don't feel very good about |
| lives underwriting diseases," he says, "And, as an | | | | issuing a policy without getting more information." |
| industry, we've had a lot of experience with coronary | | | | Underwriting procedures vary from insurance |
| disease." | | | | company to insurance company and are often |
| While your heart attack will likely disqualify you from | | | | updated as medical knowledge changes and different |
| getting the very best life insurance rates, you may | | | | treatments become standardized. If one company |
| be able to qualify for the second-best tier ("standard" | | | | rejects your application for post-heart-attack life |
| as opposed to "'preferred") even so. | | | | insurance, try another. Sometimes you have to shop |
| What can you do to ensure that you pay the lowest | | | | around. |
| possible premium for life insurance after a heart | | | | Having a heart attack is frightening enough, but it |
| attack? Here are a few tips: | | | | doesn't have to leave you without life insurance. If |
| Wait a While. You may be able to save money if you | | | | you document your treatment process, and are |
| wait a year or two after having a heart attack | | | | patient with the system, you should be able to find |
| before you buy life insurance, because the longer | | | | affordable life insurance coverage despite your heart |
| you can demonstrate that you are taking care of | | | | condition. |