Was your life insurance policy approved at a more expensive rate than you expected due to high cholesterol?
According to the CDC, elevated cholesterol is a very common condition that affects nearly 1 in 3 adults in America. However, for many people, elevated cholesterol levels go unnoticed until they have lab work completed for a life insurance exam.
If you apply with our agency and your cholesterol levels are higher than you expected, we can reuse your exam results to reapply with the company that will offer you the lowest rates. This will save you time and money, and prevent you from having to take another exam.
If you currently take a medication for your cholesterol, no problem! We can help you find the lowest rates available! Our agency works with 63 top-rated life insurance companies to make sure we always match our clients with the most lenient and least expensive company for their situation.
Continue reading to learn what life insurance companies consider when approving your policy, and how they determine your rate class based on your current cholesterol levels. We’ve also provided some sample rates by age and gender to help you estimate the cost of your coverage.
Quick Article Guide:
1. How Do the Life Insurance Companies Evaluate My Cholesterol Levels?
2. What are Some Common Medications for Cholesterol?
3. Actual Rates by Age and Gender for an Applicant Taking a Cholesterol Medication
4. How Can I Save Money on My Life Insurance if I Have High Cholesterol?
5. Still Have Questions? We Can Help!
How Do the Life Insurance Companies Evaluate My Cholesterol Levels?
Every life insurance company has their own guidelines for evaluating an applicant’s cholesterol levels. However, most life insurance companies are fairly lenient with an applicant’s total cholesterol score. Your doctor may have advised you that your cholesterol levels need to be under 200, but this is not the case with the majority of the companies we represent.
With many life insurance companies, an applicant can still qualify for “preferred best” rates as long as their total cholesterol is under 275!
Instead of focusing on your total cholesterol, the life insurance companies are primarily concerned with your total cholesterol to HDL ratio. In fact, many life insurance companies will offer a health applicant preferred best rates as long as their ratio is 5.0 or less.
Here’s how you can calculate your cholesterol to HDL ratio:
To calculate your cholesterol/HDL ratio, divide your total cholesterol by your HDL score. As an example, if your total cholesterol is 280 and your HDL is 70, then your cholesterol ratio is 4.0. (280 total cholesterol / 70 HDL cholesterol = 4.0)
If you already know your cholesterol numbers or ratio, make sure you provide this to your agent so they can match you with the best company available. If you are under the age of 50 and need $500,000 of coverage or less, you should be able to qualify for coverage without an exam. To learn more about purchasing life insurance without a medical exam, please see our article,”The Ten Best No Exam Life Insurance Companies in 2018.”
What are Some Common Medications for Cholesterol?
Most life insurance companies will offer their top rate class to applicants who take a cholesterol medication as long as their cholesterol is considered well-controlled. We often work with clients who take a medication for their cholesterol and blood pressure, but they are not sure which medication is which.
Below, we’ve identified some of the most common cholesterol medications we encounter.
- Atorvastatin
- Crestor
- Fluvastatin
- Lipitor
- Livalo
- Lescol
- Lovastatin
- Niaspan
- Nicoar
- Pitavastatin
- Pravachol
- Pravastatin
- Rosuvastatin
- Simvastatin
- Zetia
- Zocor
Remember, most life insurance companies will not penalize an applicant for taking a cholesterol medication as long as the medication is keeping your cholesterol ratio in an acceptable range. If you have been prescribed a cholesterol medication or any medication, make sure you follow your doctor’s advice and complete check-ups as recommended. In addition, keep a healthy diet and regular exercise routine if possible.
Actual Rates by Age and Gender for an Applicant Taking a Cholesterol Medication
Below, we’ve provided some actual life insurance rates by age and gender for an applicant who is taking a medication to control their cholesterol. As long as your cholesterol to HDL ratio is 5.0 or less, some companies will offer you a preferred best rate regardless of any medications you may be taking to keep your cholesterol in control.
Actual Life Rates for a Healthy Male and Female on a Cholesterol Medication – 10-Year Term
| Current Age | Male – $500, 000 | Female – $500,000 |
|---|---|---|
| 35 | $18.81 | $14.00 |
| 40 | $23.19 | $17.28 |
| 45 | $29.61 | $25.79 |
| 50 | $44.62 | $36.75 |
| 55 | $72.80 | $54.69 |
| 60 | $119.00 | $79.62 |
| 65 | $202.98 | $153.90 |
| 70 | $357.88 | $254.70 |
| 75 | $666.22 | $464.40 |
*Monthly rates are from an A+ rated company and are accurate as of 03/15/2017. Applicant must be in excellent health with a cholesterol/HDL ratio of 5.0 or less with or without medication to qualify for these displayed rates. **Applicant’s total cholesterol score must be 300 or less.
It’s important to note that not all life insurance companies are as lenient with cholesterol medications as top-rated companies like Prudential, John Hancock, and Lincoln Financial are. As an example, State Farm will not offer an applicant their preferred best rate class unless the applicant has a total cholesterol score of 180 or less!
If you would like to obtain an accurate quote based on your age or health, please feel free to call us directly at: 855-902-6494 or request a free quote online. Within a few minutes, one of our experienced agents will be able to compare rates from dozens of top-rated life insurance companies to find your best options.
How Can I Save Money on My Life Insurance if I Have High Cholesterol?
If you have elevated cholesterol and do not take a medication, or if your cholesterol is considered high despite your medication, there are some ways you may be able to improve your approved rates.
When applying for life insurance, make sure you work with an independent agent that works with at least a few dozen life insurance companies. Every life insurance company has their own rates and guidelines, and some companies may be able to offer you a much lower rate than others. As an example, some of the top-rated insurance companies we work with will offer an applicant underwriting credits to help them save on the cost of their coverage.
We’ve explained how one Legal and General determines an applicant’s eligibility for underwriting credits in the next section.
Here’s How Underwriting Credits Work:
If you’re in overall good health, but have one health issue like elevated blood pressure or elevated cholesterol, some life insurance companies will overlook this health issue as long as you meet at least 3 of the 7 requirements below. Being eligible for underwriting credits could improve your health class from a “standard” risk to a “preferred” risk, saving you as much as 50% on the cost of your life insurance.
1. No tobacco use within the last 10 years. (One celebratory cigar per month is okay as long as you do not have nicotine in your system when you complete your exam)
2. Both of your parents survived to the age of 75 or later and none of your siblings were diagnosed with cancer or cardiovascular disease before age 60.
3. Complete regular annual checkups with your primary care doctor or have regular participation in an exercise or wellness program.
4. Have a GGT score of 30 or less. (GGT is measured to determine if the applicant is at risk of liver disease, usually caused by alcoholism)
5. Complete a cardiac test with normal results no more than 24 months before applying for life insurance. (Acceptable cardiac tests include: exercise stress test, echocardiogram, CT angiogram, or cardiac angiogram)
6. Cholesterol/HDL ratio of 4.5 or less, with or without a medication.
7. If you’re over the age of 60, and NT Pro BnP of 100 or less. (NT Pro BnP is measured to determine your risk of heart failure or heart disease)
Please note: Not all insurance companies offer underwriting credits. If you’re in overall good health, but believe you may have elevated cholesterol, make sure you apply with a life insurance company that offers underwriting credits.
If you’re not sure where to begin, feel free to give us a call. By working with more than 60 top-rated companies, we’re always able to match our clients with the most affordable options available. Toll-free: 855-902-6494
Still Have Questions? We Can Help!
At Term Life Advice, our primary goal is to provide our clients with outstanding customer service and the lowest-priced life insurance options available. By working with over five-dozen highly-rated life insurance companies, we’re able to shop the market to match our clients with the best life insurance options available.
Most importantly, our agency is owner-operated and our agents do not have sales quotas or daily sales goals to meet. All of our experienced agents have at least 5 years of experience and they take their time with every client to make sure all of their questions are answered. We offer a consultative approach to life insurance and we never pressure our clients into making a rushed decision. Best of all, our services are free and there is no cost to apply for coverage.
Give us a call today, toll-free: 855-902-6494, and within a few minutes we can provide you with accurate life insurance quotes from multiple companies.
If you don’t have time to talk now, you can also get a free instant online quote below to compare rates from dozens of life insurance companies in less than a minute. Our agency has over 60 years of collective experience and we specialize with helping applicants between the ages of 40 and 75.
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