Can You Get Life Insurance After a Heart Attack?
- Are you wondering whether getting life insurance after a heart attack is possible? Get answers to your most pressing questions about life insurance after a heart attack.
According to the CDC, more than 800,000 people have heart attacks every year. This amounts to one person having a heart attack every 40 seconds. A heart attack can be frightening and have long-term effects even after recovery. If you're among those who have suffered from a heart attack, you may wonder if it affects your ability to purchase life insurance.
Life insurance is an essential financial investment that can help care for your loved ones if you pass away. Life insurance funds can also cover end-of-life costs such as expenses for a funeral or burial and any remaining debts after your passing. So, can you get life insurance after a heart attack for that peace of mind?
Can You Get Life Insurance After a Heart Attack?
Yes, you can get life insurance after a heart attack. However, having a heart attack can limit your life insurance policy options. For example, you may be subject to higher premiums and may not be able to choose from all possible life insurance policy options. In addition, what you're approved for can vary based on the life insurance provider you select and other health or lifestyle factors.
Is a Heart Attack a Preexisting Condition for Life Insurance Purposes?
The answer to this question is a little complicated. The heart attack itself isn't a preexisting condition for life insurance purposes. However, the chronic or acute heart disease that leads to a heart attack is a preexisting condition. For life insurance purposes, a heart attack is an aggravated condition showing how severe the heart disease is.
How Can I Get Life Insurance After a Heart Attack?
To get life insurance after a heart attack, your best option is to shop around and see what various life insurance providers offer you. You may find better premiums and coverage options with some providers than you would with others. It also helps to understand what policy options might be best after suffering a heart attack.
You might pick from two common types of life insurance policies. These include term life insurance and permanent life insurance.
Term life insurance provides coverage for a certain amount of time and can be more challenging to get than the alternative. If you apply for term life insurance following a heart attack, you'll likely face higher premiums and greater scrutiny, which could even result in you being denied a policy.
Permanent life insurance provides coverage for your lifetime, regardless of how many years you live after starting the policy. Generally, you need to be between the ages of 45 and 85 to qualify for this type of life insurance, but there aren't usually any medical exams required before starting your policy. This can be excellent news for anyone who has had a heart attack, because it increases the chances of approval and may also help you achieve a better premium.
However, it's important to understand that your chances of receiving either policy type increase the longer it's been since your heart attack. You'll have better approval chances and premiums if it's been 20 years since your heart attack versus if it's been 1 year, for example. If you're in relatively good health besides the heart attack, that can also help your search for a life insurance policy.
