Last Updated: September 2020
According to the American Heart Association, roughly one in three (78 million) American adults currently have high blood pressure. Though plenty of people with high blood pressure still live very long lives, the condition itself is statistically correlated with a shorter life expectancy.
Consequently, the prevalence of high blood pressure in any given individual is something that most life insurance companies are actively concerned about.
Fortunately, having high blood pressure alone will almost never disqualify you from getting a life insurance policy. Life insurance is an incredibly valuable financial asset that can help you provide your family with the sort of financial security they deserve.
In this article, we will discuss how high blood pressure affects life insurance rates, what the best companies are for people with high blood pressure, what to expect in the medical exam, and more.
- Life Insurance Rates for High Blood Pressure: What to Expect
- How High Blood Pressure Affects How Much You Pay for Life Insurance
- How to Get Life Insurance with High Blood Pressure
- What Questions You’ll Be Asked about Your Blood Pressure in the Medical Exam
- What Insurance Health Class Will My Blood Pressure Put Me In?
- How Much Does Life Insurance Cost with High Blood Pressure?
- What if I’m taking Medicine to Control My Blood Pressure?
- Best Life Insurance Companies for People with Hypertension
- Life Insurance for People with High Blood Pressure: Bottom Line
Life Insurance is Boring. Let’s Get To The Root Of It! Here are the key takeaways…
High blood pressure is common and can result in higher life insurance premiums. Living a healthy lifestyle, keeping your high blood pressure in check, and doing your research can help you secure the lowest rates possible. Compare multiple carriers and policies to find the company that will look most favorably on your situation.
Life Insurance Rates for High Blood Pressure: What to Expect
High blood pressure (HBP) can cause the amount of money you will be asked to pay each month, referred to as your premiums, to be higher than they would otherwise be. There are many different variables that will be considered during the underwriting process. Your blood pressure levels are just one of the things that most insurance companies will take into consideration.
Other things that will be looked at include your age, your sex, your general health, your status as a smoker, and numerous others. If you are young and otherwise healthy, the impact of having high blood pressure will likely be minimal.
The impact of having high blood pressure will vary tremendously between any two life insurance companies and even between two policies offered by the same company.
Though predicting what your monthly premiums might be can sometimes be rather difficult, it is still very important to thoroughly do your research and consider each of the different options you currently have available.
Using a website or an independent agent that can help you objectively navigate your choices will make it significantly easier for you to find the policy that will be best for you.
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How High Blood Pressure Affects How Much You Pay for Life Insurance
As stated, there is a significant amount of variation between the ways life insurance companies determine how much you will pay each month for a policy. While some life insurance companies will consider your health to be the most important variable, others will place a greater emphasis on your age or your sex.
Most life insurance policies will fall into one of two categories:
- Term life insurance policies are the most affordable (often costing less than $20/month) and the most common. Term policies will only provide you with coverage for a specific amount of time (typically 10, 20, or 30 years).
- Permanent life insurance policies cost more to own, but they will provide you with coverage for your entire life and also offer other attractive benefits such as a tangible cash value.
Generally speaking, having high blood pressure (also known as hypertension) will have a larger impact on permanent life insurance policies than it will on term life insurance policies.
This is because while permanent life insurance policies need to consider your life expectancy as a whole, term policies are only concerned with your probability of passing away within a specific period of time.
Additionally, life insurance companies recognize that having high blood pressure is something that takes place along a spectrum. Underwriters will also usually consider your specific blood pressure level, rather than just your status as someone with hypertension.
How to Get Life Insurance with High Blood Pressure
Most life insurance companies want to have you as a customer and are usually willing to be quite flexible in order to attract your business. Because the existence of hypertension in the United States is so particularly high, getting life insurance is still something that is generally well within reach.
The best way to find a high-quality life insurance policy, whether you have HBP or not, is to take the time to compare as many different policies as you possibly can.
Instead of simply signing up for a policy because it was the first you looked at, you should use that policy as a baseline to which all other options can be compared.
Using an independent agent or website will make it significantly easier to view multiple different policy options at once. Even if you do end up going with the first company you consider, you will at least be able to be significantly more confident in your final decision.
What Questions You’ll Be Asked about Your Blood Pressure in the Medical Exam
Unless you are applying for a guaranteed issue life insurance policy, the underwriting component of the life insurance process will usually require you to have a medical exam and answer a series of questions. This way, the company will be able to estimate the amount of time you can be expected to live and adjust your rates accordingly.
If you want to skip it, you can skip the medical exam.
There will likely be several questions during the medical questionnaire that will specifically relate to having high blood pressure:
- What is your current blood pressure?
- How long have you had high blood pressure?
- Are you an active smoker?
- Are you taking any medications? What are you doing to control your hypertension?
- What is your current weight? BMI?
- What is your family medical history?
During this portion of the underwriting process, it is very important to answer these questions honestly. You will still likely be able to qualify for a life insurance policy and the impact of having high blood pressure may be less than you initially assumed.
What Insurance Health Class Will My Blood Pressure Put Me In?
After looking at your health, age, and other relevant variables, most life insurance companies will assign you to a specific risk “class.”
Individuals who experience any medical conditions that could lower their life expectancy will be classed as higher risk individuals and will ultimately be expected to pay more each month in the form of higher premiums.
The risk class that you are assigned to will depend on many different variables. Some individuals with high blood pressure may be considered to be quite risky while others will not.
Additionally, it is important to note that the underwriting process will be quite different between any two life insurance companies.
How Much Does Life Insurance Cost with High Blood Pressure?
There is no way to be certain how much a given life insurance policy will cost for someone with high blood pressure without taking numerous other variables into account.
To give you an idea of some high blood pressure life insurance monthly rates you can expect, below is a chart that shows pricing information for a 40-year-old, non-smoker, male and female, with high blood pressure (130/90), who have both been on medication for 5 years, looking for a Term policy (10, 20, 30 years) with $500,000 of coverage:
| Term | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 10 Year | $23.65 | $20.64 |
| 20 Year | $37.35 | $31.82 |
| 30 Year | $61.60 | $50.48 |
Compare these monthly rates with that of someone with regular blood pressure:
| Term | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 10 Year | $18.06 | $15.84 |
| 20 Year | $28.38 | $24.94 |
| 30 Year | $52.46 | $42.49 |
Now, obviously, this information is not specifically tailored to your financial or health situation, but you can begin to see the types of life insurance rates you can expect with high blood pressure.
Generally speaking, you can expect rates that are about 30-50% higher than people with normal blood pressure. Though this can be even higher in extreme cases, depending on your health.
Life insurance agents may be able to give you general estimates regarding the price of a specific policy, but they will not be able to tell you with any degree of certainty until you have completed the medical exam and questionnaire.
What if I’m taking Medicine to Control My Blood Pressure?
Most life insurance providers will want to see that you are making an active effort to control your high blood pressure and will often reward you for doing so.
Contrary to popular belief, taking medicine to control your blood pressure does not create a red flag for life insurance companies that will cause them to deny your application. In fact, because your blood pressure is something that will inevitably be uncovered during the medical examination, choosing not to take your medication out of fear of premium increases is a bad decision.
Usually, life insurance providers will be willing to make changes to your monthly premiums if you are able to improve your health.
For example, if you are able to do things such as quitting smoking, losing weight, and lowering your blood pressure, you may be able to reclassify your risk class and lower the amount you will be expected to pay each month.
Best Life Insurance Companies for People with Hypertension
There is no single life insurance company (or life insurance policy) that will always be the right decision for a given individual. Things such as your health, your current financial situation, the number of dependents, and your long-term financial goals should all be actively accounted for.
However, there are some very prestigious life insurance companies that offer very low life insurance rates for people with high blood pressure.
The 5 Best Life Insurance Companies for High Blood Pressure are:
| Company | J.D. Power Rating | Customer Satisfaction |
|---|---|---|
| MetLife | 812 | 4.1 / 5 |
| Banner Life | N/A | 4.2 / 5 |
| Prudential | 777 | 4.3 / 5 |
| Transamerica | 780 | 4.0 / 5 |
| AIG | 751 | 4.2 / 5 |
Now that we have taken a quick look at some of the best life insurance companies for high blood pressure, let’s break down the companies, and find out what makes them so great.
1. MetLife
MetLife (also known as Brighthouse Financial) is consistently among the most highly-rated life insurance providers. The simplified issue of their term life insurance policy allows you to skip the medical examination. The Premier Accumulator Universal policy also increases in value as time goes on.
2. Banner Life
Banner Life is based in London, but currently operates all around the world. Their straightforward approach to underwriting and flexible term policy options consistently make them a popular choice among families.
3. Prudential 
Prudential has been operating since the 1800s and also offers applicants an incredibly wide range of policies to choose from. Some of the most desirable choices for individuals with hypertension are MyTerm, PruTerm Return of Premiums, PruTerm One, and numerous others.
4. Transamerica
Transamerica is popular among those with hypertension for several reasons. The company offers a term policy with up to $2 million in benefits, monthly premiums are quite low even for those with medical conditions, and there are also numerous different riders that make their policies quite flexible.
5. AIG
AIG also has many different policies that cater to the needs of those with hypertension and is also among the most established names in the insurance industry. Their guaranteed issue and variable universal life insurance policies are among their most highly reviewed.
These are just a few of the excellent life insurance options that are currently available on the open market. Taking the time to do your research and examine your current possibilities is something that can really pay off in the long-run.
Life Insurance for People with High Blood Pressure: Bottom Line
The notion that having high blood pressure, something that affects more than 30% of American adults, will make it impossible to find a good life insurance policy is entirely false. There are many different options available and there is almost certainly one that can satisfy you and your family’s long-term financial needs.
When looking for life insurance, we strongly recommend you seek professional help from a life insurance agent. The reason being, they can take an in-depth look at your finances, your needs, and your health history in order to find you the best coverage at an affordable rate.
Speaking with an insurance agent is entirely free and is at least is very informational. There is really no downside to it, and it is an essential step towards finding the best life insurance coverage for your needs.
Compare the Best Life Insurance Rates for High Blood Pressure
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