Changing Your Lifestyle Improves Your South Carolina Life Insurance Premiums
South Carolina physicians are always telling us the same thing: Lose weight, lower your cholesterol, stop smoking and other changes to make us healthier. Some South Carolinians follow the advice; some don’t. However, if you want to purchase life insurance to protect the financial future of your family your physical condition is a major part of what South Carolina life insurance companies review when they consider offering you a life insurance policy. Here are some of the biggest health factors that insurance companies consider when determining if you can buy a life insurance policy.
Underwriting factors for life insurance
Although there are a number of different underwriting factors that South Carolina life insurance companies will consider when deciding whether or not to offer life insurance coverage (dangerous occupations or hobbies, miles traveled everyday, exposure to dangerous devices or situations) the largest single item that will make or break your chances for life insurance are all health-related. A number of conditions that can be affected by a lifestyle changes are the conditions that can kill you if left unchecked. The major health issues are:
- Alcohol abuse—Alcohol's impact on your life insurance costs is a little harder to determine because there are both heavy drinkers and actual alcoholics. These are not conditions that are easily identified on a standard life insurance application. Heavy drinkers are at a greater risk because they consume too much but alcoholics cannot consume any alcohol. This is due to the fact the body of an alcoholic cannot process alcohol in the same fashion as 90 percent of the population. Both conditions carry the possibility of higher life insurance costs.
- Asthma—Asthma, a long-term inflammation of the airways that makes breathing difficult, affects an estimated 17 million people in the U.S. If your asthma is brought on by common triggers such as dust, pollen, smoke and pollution, even strenuous exercise, this could be a red flag for future problems. Adults with asthma present more of a problem for South Carolina life insurance companies because complications can set in later in life. How you respond to treatment is the key in terms of life insurance premiums if you can obtain coverage. Other breathing disorders that can halt coverage include: chronic bronchitis, emphysema and sleep apnea.
- Blood pressure and high cholesterol—At least one in three Americans has high blood pressure. Almost 75 million Americans have a problem with high cholesterol. One is considered hypertensive (high blood pressure) if their blood pressure is at or above 140 over 90. A high cholesterol count is considered anything 200 or above.
- Obesity—With stricter standards now in place for many life insurance underwriters, even a mere 10 pounds is considered suspect. However, anything 20 pounds or over will hinder your chance to obtain life insurance coverage.
Life insurance companies reward good health and good health is also rewarding in many other ways. Remember, it is always important to shop around before you purchase any life insurance policy. Since underwriting factors can vary from insurance company to company, make sure to compare quotes and find out which policy is best for you.
