2024 Guide on Affordable Life Insurance with Sleep Apnea
Written by Daniel Ray, Life Insurance Expert |
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Fact Checked by
Lisamarie Monaco |
Editorial Disclosure
The post provides the reader with information about how sleep apnea impacts life insurance rates and offers a solution. It is important to ensure that you are properly insured in case of an event like this. This blog post will help you understand more about your own needs or those of the people closest to you.
If you feel that it is too late for you, don’t worry! The article also includes tips on how to find affordable life insurance if there are any symptoms present such as sleep apnea or snoring.
Sleep apnea affects nearly 12 million Americans, so it’s very important that we talk about ways in which we can take care of ourselves and our loved ones now and into the future because no one knows what tomorrow may bring.
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Can I Get Life Insurance If I Have Sleep Apnea?
Yes, you can!
When shopping for sleep apnea pre-existing condition life insurance it’s important to understand who and what carriers specialize in this.
Going to the wrong agent can cause you to spend a lot more than you should. In addition, an in-experienced or captive agent can cause you to have a declined policy on your record.
Having a declined policy will put you behind the 8 balls every time you apply for health and/or life insurance. In fact, every time you apply the results get uploaded into a MIB database.
Will Sleep Apnea Affect My Life Insurance?
That is a great question! The answer is, it may!
When you are diagnosed with sleep apnea it is because of the results of a sleep study, or the medical term polysomnography.
For instance, this test will record the oxygen levels in your blood and how your brain reacts. In addition, this test will monitor heart rate and breathing as well as leg and eye movements.
The results of this test will determine whether or not you have sleep apnea or mild, moderate, or severe sleep apnea. This will determine the best life insurance for sleep apnea available.
Finally, you bring these results to your independent national agent life us at PinnacleQuote. We will then match you up with the right carrier.
Sleep Apnea Insurance Issues, The Battle For Affordable Life Insurance
Sleep Apnea can have an adverse effect on life insurance premiums.
Above all, life insurance is a necessity for anyone wanting to protect their family. You need to make sure coverage is available if something unfortunate were to happen to you so that they don’t inherit your debts or final expenses. Affordable life insurance is achievable.
Most people understand this already. However, for some, getting insurance can be difficult. As we continue we will discuss insurance companies, and how they determine the rating.
Purchasing life insurance is made easy by talking with your independent life insurance agent. He/she will be able to answer all your questions as they are knowledgeable about what the insurance companies will look for in underwriting.
I Have Sleep Apnea, What Is It?
Prior to diving into life insurance options for those with apnea, let’s talk a bit about the condition.
Whether moderate or severe, about 18 million people live with this awful sleeping disorder in the U.S. alone.
That’s a large chunk of the population.
People with apnea stop breathing periodically while they sleep. This causes carbon dioxide to build up in the bloodstream.
Once this happens, a receptor causes the brain to wake up so that they begin breathing again. This cycle tends to continue throughout the night.
Many people do not realize that they have it. However, if untreated it can cause several major issues, such as high blood pressure, heart problems, etc. On top of this, those who suffer from sleep deprivation, already do not sleep properly throughout the night as it is.
How Does Sleep Apnea Affects You?
How to know if you have sleep apnea can be as easy as your weary spouse awake all night because of your snoring. However, it is not the sole result of the condition.
When breathing stops, carbon dioxide accumulates in the blood. A receptor from the blood flow takes the mind then indicated to wake up the sleeping person and breathe.
Breathing again will restore the oxygen levels, and also the person falls asleep. It’s uncommon that the person understands they were experiencing trouble breathing.
You may ask if it is a mild case, does it require treatment? When not treated, may result in hypertension, obesity, heart problems, kidney disease, lack of endurance, and also a higher risk of driving mishaps.
It’s due to these probable situations the life insurance business takes an additional look at applicants who have it.
Sleep Apnea Companies, What Exactly Do The Underwriters Search For?
Many clients ask, What is a sleep study considered for insurance? What is the risk factor? When reviewing a candidate’s sleep study evaluation underwriters Search for two Important things:
- Apnea/Hypopnea Index, or AHI
- Oxygen Saturation
The oxygen equilibrium is the balance of oxygen from the blood. Regular blood sugar levels are regarded as 95-100 percent.
Though your physician may notice that you have a case that is “moderate”, this identification is subjective that’s the reason why underwriters will examine the sleep research evaluations.
A lot of people who have this condition can purchase cheap life insurance. PinnacleQuote will assist by evaluating your situation and place you with the right life insurance providers.
This will ensure your loved ones are financially protected should you die.
Furthermore, having little time to conduct term life insurance quotes immediately without the fear of being bombarded with phone calls and also e-mails. You don’t have to provide your own personal contact info to observe quotations.
Simply take the first step into financial reassurance now.
Premiums and Ratings
When having a sleeping disorder, the point of diagnosis will have a lot to do with the sleep apnea rating you get. If being diagnosed with mild, well some life insurance companies will almost disregard this and will not rate you.
However, if diagnosed with moderate sleep apnea then the life insurance carrier is going to want to know your saturation and AHI.
Here is a general rule of thumb when looking at the rating for life insurance.
- Mild – Standard Plus possible
- Moderate – Standard
- Moderate untreated – Table 2
- Moderately Severe – CPAP nightly – Standard – Table 2
- Severe, non-compliant – Decline
Pre-existing Conditions and Choices
Whenever someone has a preexisting condition, the insurer has three choices:
- To pay the individual who has full benefits instantly but at greater speed;
- To set a rider or some limit of policy on the requirement for a time period (subject, obviously, to security available under legislation such as the medical insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 or HIPAA);
- Or even to refuse coverage entirely. Whenever your sleeping apnea is suitably medicated and can be under management, it might not be an element in determining your premium. (Discuss some possible difficulties with the insurance representative when creating the first application.)
Do I have untreated Sleep Apnea?
How will I know?
As mentioned above, a lot of people go undiagnosed. This is because it occurs while you’re sleeping, so it can be difficult to spot. However, there are many common types of sleep apnea symptoms, such as snoring, fatigue, slow reactions, moodiness, and vision issues.
On top of being aware of these symptoms, tracking your sleep can help you with a diagnosis. Once the medical exam is complete, the physician can determine if you have anything that may be preventing you from breathing properly in your sleep.
How are sleep apnea and heart attack related?
Any breathing obstruction can increase your risk of heart attacks, stroke, or even A-Fib (atrial fibrillation.) If you incur many episodes of low blood oxygen this can cause sudden death because of the irregular heartbeat.
How is sleep apnea treated?
What is the treatment for sleep apnea? In the event you suspect you might have this condition, then the very first thing to do would be to see your doctor. Let the doctor know how you sleeping.
What your exhaustion levels, and some other symptoms you might be needing. Consult your spouse if he or she notices you heavy loud snoring, choking, gasping for air, or stop breathing during sleep.
Be sure to take an updated list of medicines, including over-the-counter drugs.
There are different types of sleep disorders, we are discussing throughout this article, besides the above, excess weight, soft palate conditions can be associated with soft tissue blockage of the throat.
Which Sleep Apnea Diagnosis Do I Have?
Are also considered a risk factor. Ask your Doctor about treating sleep conditions as soon as you notice symptoms.
The best way to find a diagnosis for your symptoms is a sleep evaluation, that might need an overnight stay in a rehab facility. This test is also used both to diagnose sleep apnea and to determine its severity.
Most often, treatment will start the first night in the sleep study center.
The treatment of choice for obstructive apnea is a continuous positive airway pressure device (CPAP). CPAP is really a mask that fits over the nose or mouth and gently blows air into the airway to help keep it open during sleep. This system of treatment is extremely effective. Employing the CPAP as recommended by your doctor is essential.
Other Symptoms for Sleep Apnea and their Effects
Additional procedures of treating this condition contain:
- dental appliances which permeate the lower jaw and tongue;
- upper airway surgery to eliminate tissue in the tooth;
- rectal expiratory positive airway pressure where an Amino valve covers the uterus;
- therapy utilizing hypoglossal nerve stimulation where a stimulator is implanted into the patient’s torso with leads connected to the hypoglossal nerve which controls tongue movement and to a breathing sensor. The detector screens breathing patterns during sleep and arouse the hypoglossal nerve to move the tongue to maintain an open air.
Lifestyle changes are effective methods of mitigating your symptoms. Like losing weight if you are overweight.
Also losing weight will lower your blood pressure and possibly your cholesterol which can prevent heart disease as well.
Sleep Apnea and Affordable Life Insurance
Now that we’ve gone over the basics, let’s talk about getting affordable life insurance for sleep apnea clients. For the most affordable life insurance, you’ll need to disclose your health conditions and take a medical exam.
However, no medical exam life insurance policies are always an option if you are having trouble getting covered.
Unfortunately, when it comes to sleep apnea life insurance companies often consider those with it, high-risk applicants, which means higher premiums.
This is because it’s associated with several potentially life-threatening health issues.
However, this is not always the case — just because you have this disruptive condition, it does not mean that you can’t find affordable life insurance. Furthermore, a diagnosis of sleep apnea and shopping for life insurance may vary by age.
Living with it, and can you die from Sleep Apnea?
Some might argue that you may not actually die in your sleep from apnea. After the body feels it is not getting enough oxygen during sleep, then it triggers an awakening.
At this time, the breathing airways start, and breathing continues. As a result of this mechanism, then you stand no danger of suffocating in your sleep.
Semantics does not alter the truth: mortality risks are shown in clinical research to be higher in those people who have it.
Sleep apnea disrupts adrenal glands, imbalances brain, and body chemistry, interrupts lymph and circulatory function, elevates blood pressure, also accelerates the heart’s rate, like Atrial Fibrillation.
When permitted to continue, untreated, it will cause higher mortality for people who don’t cure it.
People with Sleep Apnea Should Not Neglect Treatment
People untreated:
- More likely to have a heart attack
- Have a 2 to 3 times higher risk of having a stroke
- Face more than 3 times the risk of premature death
In addition, those who have had apnea for as much as 5 years have a 30% increase in their risk for having a heart attack or dying, based on research conducted at Yale University.
The acute person’s condition, the greater the danger of either an assault or death. In reality, 42 percent of the deaths in people with severe sleep apnea have been because of heart disease.
Intense, in clinical conditions, is defined as using an apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) score of 20 or more respiratory events per hour.
The danger of cardiac-related departure was 5 times higher among those with untreated acute sleep apnea compared with those who didn’t have it.
Quotes: How To Get Affordable Life Insurance With Sleep Apnea
Often, life insurance companies will want to know how serious your sleep apnea is so that they can assess your level of risk.
The good news is that there are some things that you can do prior to applying that can help you get lower life insurance rates. Life Insurance rates and being overweight also is a cause of it.
Taking measures to treat your apnea can reassure insurance companies that you have your condition under control. This includes using a CPAP machine, losing weight, and other lifestyle changes that your doctor may recommend.
As long as you show that you are making an effort to improve your condition, life insurance companies will be more confident in providing you with affordable coverage
Tips On How To Get Affordable Life Insurance
- Improve Overall Health — Eating healthy and exercising regularly can go a long way. The better physical condition you are in when you apply for life insurance, the lower your rates will be.
- Cut Out Tobacco Products — Life insurance for smokers is usually 2-3 times more expensive than for nonsmokers. If you already have it, you don’t want to give life insurance companies any more reasons to raise your rates.
- Hire An Independent Insurance Agent — Hiring an agent can save you a ton of money in the long run. An expert will connect you with the top life insurance companies, and they’ll have an idea about which companies have the most lenient medical underwriting for people with apnea. Comparing quotes is the number one rule for those looking to get an affordable life insurance policy.
Pre-Existing Medical Conditions Connections With Apnea
Depriving your body’s oxygen as you are sleeping, may aggravate symptoms of asthma along with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). You may end up short of breath or have more difficulty working out compared to normal.
- Endocrine system
Whenever your cells do not take in insulin as though they need to, your blood glucose level increases and you’re able to create type 2 diabetes.
- Digestive system
In case you have sleep apnea, then you are more inclined to possess fatty liver disorder, liver problems, along with higher-than-normal levels of liver enzymes.
Apnea may also aggravate heartburn and other symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disorder (GERD), which may disrupt your sleep much more.
- Circulatory and cardiovascular processes
Sleep apnea has been associated with obesity and higher blood pressure, which raise the strain on heart disease.
Heart failure can be more prevalent in individuals with it Consult with your independent life insurance agent for the top-rated companies available to you.
Other Considerations
Now that we’ve gone over how to get affordable life insurance with sleep apnea, let’s address some other things to consider before deciding on a life insurance policy.
You’ll need to choose what kind of life insurance you want (term life insurance vs. whole life insurance).
You’ll also need to calculate how much life insurance you’ll need to provide the proper coverage. Find the right life insurance on your own can be difficult, so please feel free to contact us at PinnacleQuote (855)380-3300.
FAQs
Can individuals with sleep apnea get affordable life insurance?
Yes, people with sleep apnea can find affordable life insurance. The key is to shop around and compare policies from different insurers.
How does sleep apnea affect life insurance premiums?
Sleep apnea, particularly if untreated or severe, can lead to higher premiums because it is often linked with other health risks like heart disease and stroke.
What types of life insurance are available for people with sleep apnea?
Both term and whole life insurance policies are available. The choice depends on individual needs, the severity of sleep apnea, and overall health.
Is a medical exam required for life insurance if I have sleep apnea?
While many policies require a medical exam, some no-exam policies are available. However, no-exam policies might be more expensive.
What information about sleep apnea must be disclosed when applying for life insurance?
Applicants should disclose the diagnosis, severity, treatment methods (like CPAP usage), and any related health issues.
Will using a CPAP machine affect my life insurance rates?
Effective treatment of sleep apnea with a CPAP machine can positively impact insurance rates, as it shows the condition is being managed.
How can I reduce my life insurance premiums if I have sleep apnea?
Demonstrating effective management of sleep apnea, maintaining a healthy lifestyle, and avoiding smoking can help reduce premiums.
Are there life insurance policies specifically designed for individuals with sleep apnea?
While there are no specific “sleep apnea life insurance” policies, many insurers are familiar with the condition and can offer competitive rates.
What should I consider when choosing a life insurance policy with sleep apnea?
Consider the coverage amount, premium cost, policy term, and how the policy accommodates your health condition and treatment.
Can improvements in my sleep apnea lead to lower insurance premiums?
Yes, showing medical improvements in your condition can lead to a re-evaluation of your premiums.
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Conclusion
If you’re in the market for sleep apnea pre-existing condition life insurance, it’s important to know that not all carriers specialize in this. We have a variety of quotes available and can help find an affordable option with coverage tailored specifically to your needs. Don’t waste time shopping around when we’ve got what you need right here! Get started today by getting a quote from us.
