Last Updated: March 2021
People dealing with Atrial Fibrillation (AFib) understand how difficult it can be to find an affordable life insurance policy. Finding a policy with affordable rates is possible.
Working with an independent life insurance agent can ensure that you find the right company that will view your risk the most favorably.
In this article, we will cover what underwriters are looking for in regards to your atrial fibrillation, how to apply, and more:
- Can You Get Life Insurance with Atrial Fibrillation?
- Underwriting: What Life Insurance Companies Will Ask About Your Atrial Fibrillation
- Consider Guaranteed Issue Life Insurance with AFib as a Secondary Option
- How to Apply for Life Insurance with Atrial Fibrillation
Life Insurance is Boring. Let’s Get To The Root Of It! Here are the key takeaways…
It is possible to obtain life insurance with Atrial Fibrillation, but it is scrutinized by life insurance companies due to the health impacts it can have on individuals. AFib is known to cause secondary health concerns such as stroke or heart disease. Work with an independent agent to help you secure the lowest rates possible.
Can You Get Life Insurance with Atrial Fibrillation?
Yes, you can still qualify for affordable life insurance rates with Atrial Fibrillation. Where most life insurance agents cringe when they hear anything to do with your heart, we welcome this risk and help those with AFib protect their families with affordable protection.
Life insurance with a heart condition can be more pricey, but if you shop around, compare carriers, and find the one that views your risk the most favorably, affordable rates can be possible!
If you tried to find a plan on your own, as an applicant with AFib, it could be in for a long journey. One way to shorten your search is to partner up with an independent agent. We know what companies offer high risk life insurance and how to present your risk to them.
AFib takes place when the upper chambers of the heart quiver out of beat or in a non-coordinated manner. Most often, this will cause issues such as heart palpitations or shortness of breath.
The AFib itself is often not the most alarming factor that life insurance companies are examining when determining your eligibility for life insurance coverage. Typically, the concerns of other health conditions developing in the future are more of a concern for the life insurance companies such as stroke and heart disease.
When it comes to applying for coverage with AFib, it is imperative that you work with an experienced life insurance agency that is experienced underwriting this condition. This is ultimately going to help you find the best life insurance company for your situation and secure the best rates.
Underwriting: What Life Insurance Companies Will Ask About Your Atrial Fibrillation
Life insurance rates with Atrial Fibrillation will focus primarily on the level of control over your AFib. The better control you have, the better your health class rating will be.
Your health class is determined by several factors, most of which come from your physician’s or cardiologist’s medical records. Specifically, underwriters will be looking at the following:
- Any treatments completed helping with Atrial Fibrillation such as ablations or cardioversions and how you’ve reacted to them. To be labeled “successful”, you’ll need your heart back in rhythm for at least 12 months.
- Medications you’ve taken, like Digoxin, Metoprolol, Warfarin, Amiodarone, Dronedarone, Propafenone, Sotalol, Dofetilide, and Flecainide.
- Taking regular medications over a two-year period can be seen as a positive sign of control over your condition. On the other hand, medications prescribed recently and in large doses could be seen as an unstable condition.
- Age of diagnosis and when your Atrial Fibrillation was caught. If your condition was diagnosed early on, your chances of avoiding heart muscle damage will be substantially improved. The sooner the diagnosis the better from a life insurance company standpoint.
- Recent EKG testing – EKG tests performed over the past months will determine if there have been any changes in your condition. If there are no changes in the last 12 months, you may be considered stable and could then meet the criteria for the best rating.
- How often, if ever, do you experience symptoms of chest pain or palpitations? If you have frequently experienced any of these conditions over the past six months, these may be signs of an unstable condition of the heart.
- Do you visit your cardiologist regularly? It is extremely important to see your cardiologist on a regular basis. Not only is this good for your overall heart health, but it is also taken as a positive display of good compliance.
- Do you smoke? If you do, you’re most likely looking at a decline. Only in a few instances are we able to secure life insurance and it was very expensive.
- Any other underlying health issues? Have you ever been diagnosed with other medical conditions such as coronary artery disease or left ventricular hypertrophy? If yes, these diseases may be the cause of your Atrial Fibrillation and you’ll be rated on the severity of your condition.
Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation
If you have Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation (intermittent AFib) and are free of any known heart disease and show some normal EKG’s records, you could qualify for a “Standard” health class with several companies.
To be classified as Paroxysmal AFib you will experience less than 10 episodes of Atrial Fibrillation for less than 30 seconds, in a 12-month period.
Chronic Atrial Fibrillation
Individuals who experience 10 or more episodes of Atrial Fibrillation in any given year will be considered chronic or persistent.
These risks likely result in getting a life insurance policy between a “Table 4” and “Table 8” health classification. Which means your rates will be roughly double to triple standard rates.
This rate only applies if there is no underlying heart disease. If you are shown to suffer from underlying heart disease, you will be declined coverage and can only qualify for a graded death benefit policy.
Those that have permanent Atrial Fibrillation will only qualify for graded death benefit policies.
Consider Guaranteed Issue Life Insurance with AFib as a Secondary Option
If you are declined for life insurance with AFib, for whatever the reason may be, be sure to check out the secondary coverage options that you have.
Other coverages are available for individuals ages 50-85 and can be obtained in coverage amounts up to $35,000.00.
Companies such as the following offer excellent guaranteed issue life insurance coverage:
- Great Western Life Insurance Company
- American General Life Insurance (AIG)
- Gerber Life Insurance
Guaranteed issue life insurance will not require your AFib to be a determining factor in your journey to obtain life insurance.
They do not require any health questions to be asked but do need certain stipulations to be met for the coverage to be in force.
Be sure to inquire about these options with your agent if you are having trouble securing traditional life insurance coverage with AFib.
How to Apply for Life Insurance with Atrial Fibrillation
Most agents in our industry have trouble accurately assessing Atrial Fibrillation cases. At Rootfin.com, however, we have a lot of experience under our belt. If you can provide the information above, we can provide you with quotes based on your risk.
The big thing to understand is every life insurance company has unique AFib standards, some more favorably than others. We know what carriers on the market are giving the best rates based on Atrial Fibrillation history.
Choosing the wrong carrier can mean the difference in saving thousands of dollars a year, or even qualifying for coverage at all.
We help people find affordable life insurance with Atrial Fibrillation all the time. We’ve turned previously declined cases into approvals and have replaced coverage for people who were paying too much.
Call us, we’d be happy to provide you with quotes based on your AFib history.
Also, be sure to check out our other guides below to learn more about how different types of heart conditions can affect life insurance approval and rates:
Hello, I had my colon rupture 2 1/2 years ago, and developed A-Fib on the operating room table, I was placed on Amiodarone 200 mg once daily for a year, I went back to cardiologist and he did EKG and Echo cardiogram, he said it looked good so he cut my med from 200 mg to 100 mg daily and just has me on 1 baby aspirin a day. I have had NO episodes since I left the hospital 2 1/2 years go, I am a nurse so I check my heart rate 2 times a week along with blood pressure 2 times a week, my average BP is 114/78 for 2 1/2 years and heart rate is 76 to 78 BPM for 2 1/2 years, I walk fast 2 miles every morning and ride bikes and workout with weights 3 times a week. I take no orther meds at all. I have been turned down 2 times for life insurance, I am 65 years old, no other problems. Any Help?
James, We can definitely help. Sounds like you’re just using the wrong companies. Lets connect and see what we can do for you.
Jeff, Do you work with clients in Florida? If so, I have had two experiences with AFib in the last 3 1/2 years. Currently I am taking a daily dose of 50mg of Metoprolol and a baby aspirin at night for the prescribed blood thinner part. I have a 500,000k policy with AIG for almost 3 years at a D rating. I re-applied 6 months ago and they told me yesterday that my Rating went to a B but it costs more because I aged several years. The premium is $449/month. Can you help me find a lower premium?