Can You Get Life Insurance After A Heart Attack?

If you’ve survived a heart attack and it’s open your eyes to the benefits of life insurance, then be rest assured that you can still get a life insurance policy. However, underwriters will ask you many questions pertaining to your heart attack and current state of health, and these results will help create your policy.

The good news is you won’t pay absorbent premiums if you’ve had a heart attack! Read on, and we’ll go over everything there is to know about getting life insurance after a heart attack.

Free Life Insurance Comparison - Save up to 30%

No junk mail. No spam calls. Free quotes.

No Signup required

Risk Factors Associated With Heart Attacks

Many risk factors can increase your risk of heart attack, all of which means you’ll pay a little more on premiums as compared to those with a lower risk of a heart attack. Some of the associated risks are:

Age: Typically, the risk of heart attack is seen in women over 55 and men over 45 years old.
High Cholesterol: If you have high cholesterol, high triglycerides, or hyperlipidemia, you’re at greater risk of a heart attack.

Some other known risks that can put you at greater risk of a heart attack are:

Diabetes
Obesity
Genetics
Chest Pain
Stress
High Blood Pressure
Sedentary Lifestyle

Free Life Insurance Comparison - Save up to 30%

No junk mail. No spam calls. Free quotes.

No Signup required

Life Insurance And Heart Attacks

The most important thing about getting life insurance after a heart attack is that not all insurance companies’ perceptions of heart attacks are the same. So rather than looking into each insurer, knowing how to approach providers is key to securing reasonable premiums.

For instance, if you state, “I’ve had a heart attack,” and provide no evidence of when it happened, the type of condition you have or changes you’ve made since your attack, then your rates will be high. Therefore, providing adequate information on your heart condition can help lower your life insurance rates!

Affordable Life Insurance Factors

To find affordable term life insurance, these are some factors you want to present to your prospective provider:

Age: For insurance purposes, the older you are when your heart attack occurs, the better for insurance. Either way, you want to be forthcoming with your provider about how old you were when the heart attack happened.
When The Heart Attack Occurred: The best time to contact your insurance company regarding life insurance is roughly 6 months after a heart attack, as you can better speak to your recovery and lifestyle changes. Be aware, many insurers say they’ll consider covering you in as little as 90 days after a heart attack, but this doesn’t equate to immediate coverage; often, these cases tend to get delayed.
Heart Attack Severity: Some heart attack survivors may still qualify for preferred ratings with only one blocked artery. However, if you have multiple blocked or damaged arteries, then it’s unlikely you’ll get standard rates.
Leading A Healthier Life: Insurance underwriters want to see that you’re taking the advice of your doctor. Are you taking your prescriptions, getting frequent stress tests (within 24 months) or going for echocardiograms? Additionally, these are some lifestyle changes you may want to implement:
- Quit smoking
- Frequent cardio exercise
- Limit fatty food intake
- Stress management
- Limit alcohol consumption
Ejection Fraction: Insurance companies want to see how efficient your left ventricle ejection fraction is (how much blood pumps per beat). Ideally, you’re looking for percentages above 50%.
Other Health Conditions: Your premiums will be lower if you don’t have multiple health conditions like diabetes or high blood pressure.

Free Life Insurance Comparison - Save up to 30%

No junk mail. No spam calls. Free quotes.

No Signup required

Types Of Life Insurance

Just because you’ve had a heart attack doesn’t mean insurance you’ll have higher rates. However, depending on your medical history, you can investigate these life insurance products:

Term: Term life insurance tends to have less expensive rates and only covers you for a period of time, like 20 years. However, term life requires a medical exam, so it may not be the best choice for those that have had a heart attack.
Guaranteed Whole Life: No matter the severity of your heart attack, you’re eligible for guaranteed whole life as it doesn’t require a medical exam. Guaranteed whole life will provide you with coverage for the rest of your life; you can even take money out against the cash value of your policy. The only hitch is this insurance comes with higher premiums.
Universal: A permanent life insurance product permits you to invest in your life insurance to increase your cash value. This product also allows you to make flexible payments, making this a great choice if you have medical expenses.
Critical Illness: When applicable, you can add critical illness insurance as a rider or its own insurance. Critical illness insurance gives you access to your coverage while you’re still alive as a way to help pay medical expenses.

Can You Get Life Insurance After You’ve Had a Heart Attack?

The answer is yes; you can get life insurance. However, the type of life insurance you’re eligible for boils down to your medical history and factors surrounding your heart attack. So the best thing you can do is shop around and ensure that you have all the prerequisites that insurance companies want, like proof you’re following the doctor’s guidelines so that you can have your pick of life insurance options.

Free Life Insurance Comparison - Save up to 30%

No junk mail. No spam calls. Free quotes.

No Signup required

Jessica Fox Jessica Fox has been a freelance writer for five years, with a specialty in health, wellness, and insurance. During this time, she’s written for some of the biggest B2B and B2C brands from around the world. Jessica is also the mother of two young daughters and loves coffee, writing, and working out.