Multiple Sclerosis Life Insurance yes (MS) sufferers can find and purchase affordable quality life insurance from top rated life insurance carriers!
Where do you begin
If you have Multiple Sclerosis and in search of affordable life insurance its important for you to know that after you have been diagnosed with (MS), life insurance policies can be unaffordable or unavailable. This happens because life insurance companies will rate or charge you a premium based of actuarial tales and mortality. Yes I know (not fair) but come on lets face it your not as health as the average person.
How do you obtain affordable life insurance if you have Multiple Sclerosis?
Even if you have (MS) it is still possible to obtain quality affordable life insurance. The important thing to know is where to look. Certain life insurance companies, or carriers, specialize in selling policies to people with chronic health conditions like MS.
To find the best life insurance policy for you, please consider the following and how some life insurance companies will consider your condition:
A major factor in the cost of life insurance for Multiple Sclerosis life insurance policies will depend on what medications you are currently taking and how your Doctor has diagnosed you (i.e.) Mild, Moderate, Severe or if you are currently having attacks.
Find an insurance agent that is experienced in obtaining policies for individuals with "impaired risk" - they will know what carriers may offer you a policy and which one's may not.
Apply for a policy with a life insurance carrier that uses "clinical underwriting"- a process that looks at your total health, not just what health conditions you may have.
Shop around – on the internet, by phone, or through referrals from family and friends. Becoming your own advocate will help you to find a life insurance policy that best fits your needs.
Never take no for an answer! Just because one company rates or declines your application does not mean that another company will not look at you more favorably. Click here to learn more about life insurance and life insurance for Multiple Sclerosis Sufferers.
Below is a quick guide as to how a Life Insurance Company make look at your current health situation!
Diagnosis | Common Symptoms | Onset of Symptoms 2 years or less
| Onset of Symptoms 3 to 5 years
| Onset of Symptoms 6 years + |
| Mild | Infrequent attacks, long periods of remission, no disability. | Table 6 | Table 2 - 4 Standard | Table 2 |
| Moderate | Attacks with increasing frequency/ duration with some residual neurological impairment but individual is fully functional. | Postponed Possibly +/- Table 16 | Table 6 - 8 | Table 4 to Table 6 |
| Severe | Individual is wheel chair bound or bed ridden, incontinence, complete loss of independence. | Uninsurable | Uninsurable | Individual Consideration |
| Current Attack | Varies | Postponed | Postponed | Postponed |
In short the above table really reflects that MS sufferers will in general be table rated and what that means basically is you will pay more premium or money for your life insurance policy. But don't despair that does not meant that you wont necessarily be able to purchase or afford the premiums.
In recent years life expectancy has risen and the cost of life insurance especially for term life insurance has dropped significantly. So please just because you have Multiple Sclerosis does not mean that you can not afford good quality life insurance at affordable rates.
Life Insurance for Multiple Sclerosis sufferers can expect to answer the following questions in order for you to obtain a preliminary tentative quote from your broker or agent.
Please list date of first diagnosis:
Please indicate the number of episodes and date of last episode:
Is your client on any medications? If yes, please give details
Please note current neurologic status and/or symptoms:
Normal, Minimal Residual Impairment, Moderate Residual Impairment, Severe Residual Impairment,
Please provide all MRI brain scan reports:
Has your client smoked cigarettes in the last 12 months?
Does your client have any other major health problems (ex: heart disease, etc.)?
Multiple Sclerosis Life Insurance facts and how it affects obtaining an offer of Life Insurance
Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a chronic degenerative disease of the central nervous system. MS occurs in women twice as often as in men. Although the cause for MS is not yet certain, there is increasing evidence that a combination genetic, environmental, and immunologic variables play a role in the onset and development of the disease.
Recent studies suggest that an infectious agent of long latency, possibly the Human Herpes Virus, Type 6 (HHV-6) may play a role in the development of MS. This virus contains proteins that look similar to the molecular structure of myelin, the protein on the surface of our nerve cells that provides electrical insulation and allows proper functioning.
As our body’s immune system fights the virus, it may inflict unintended damage to the structurally similar myelin, leading to the development of MS. MS affects the nerve cells primarily in the brain, the optic nerve, and the spinal cord. Affected cells experience a process called “demyelination” - referring to the removal of the protective covering of a nerve cell.
Once stripped of protective ,coating, electrochemical functions that facilitate nerve conduction are gradually diminished and eventually lost. The onset of MS can be sudden. An attack may be brief, lasting as little as a few weeks. Early symptoms include inflammation of the optic nerve, weakness of the eye muscle, or tingling sensations or numbness experienced in hands and arms.
What is Multiple Sclerosis?
The classic definition of MS is “two or more central nervous system events, separated in time and space (i.e. anatomic location)”. However, modern medicine, including the use of MRI, together with a series of tests that measures electrical activity in response to sensory stimuli (Evoked Potentials), now allow for a firm diagnosis during the first “event”. The only predictable variable in MS is the unpredictable nature of the condition. MS frequently does go into remission. For some, remission can last a lifetime. For others, MS progresses quickly, leading to death in a few months or years. For the majority of individuals with MS, the degree of disease progression falls between the two extremes.
How does Multiple Sclerosis affect my ratings for Life Insurance?
The extra mortality caused by MS mainly evolves from debility and infections caused by the neurological deterioration. With modern medicine, the years of survival following diagnosis continues to increase; the median rate of survival post diagnosis has now increased to almost 40 years. Suicide is also a significant risk factor, especially for the very young.
Ratings for MS are determined by: the age of onset; the frequency, duration, and severity of attacks early in the disease and any subsequent changes in the frequency, duration, and severity of attacks; the sex of the proposed insured; the type of symptoms experienced, and the degree of neurological impairments. As MS follows an unpredictable course, the longer the condition has been observed, the more favorable are underwriting results.
Underwriting is most favorable for individuals with MS who have minimal disability 5 years after onset; who show complete and rapid remission of initial symptoms; who are under age 35 during the first attack; who only experience one symptom during the first two years; who have only a single episode during the first year; and whose event episode is of short duration.
Underwriting is less favorable for those who present with many symptoms during the first attack (i.e. are “polysymptomatic”), have five or more attacks during the first two years, and whose symptoms appear to have a cerebral origin, such as ataxia or tremor vertigo. After becoming bed-bound, life expectancy is between 2 and 7 years; such cases are uninsurable. As the rate and severity of disease progression in an individual can be determined only over time, many underwriters will encourage postponement of a formal application for life insurance until at least one year following initial diagnosis or one year after the date of remission of the most recent attack to qualify for the best rates. Premiums will be higher for a recent diagnosis. Severe cases with permanent total disability are declined.
Typical underwriting guidelines, absent other impairments are as follows: “Suspected” MS or a single, mild attack with full recovery will be rated Table C if within 2 years of the attack, Table B if 3 - 4 years from the attack, and non-rated after 4 years. Multiple attacks of definite MS with minimal residual impairment will be rated Table G if within 2 years of the last attack, Table E if 3 - 5 years from last attack, Table C if 6-10 years from last attack,
and non-rated after 10 years. If the degree of severity is more than minimal, the rating will increase
and decline likely on the most severe cases.
Common Tests for Multiple Sclerosis
Common tests done in evaluation of MS include: brain MRI, spinal tap to study spinal fluid proteins and immunoglobins, and measurement of sensory nerve conduction (called evoked response). Classically, MS has a relapsing-remitting pattern. There are periods of remissions and exacerbations that occur at unpredictable intervals over a period of several years with initial episodes tending to resolve completely. It is the accumulated burden of multiple attacks that causes persistent symptoms. There is no cure for MS. Treatment is directed against the underlying disease process and toward alleviating symptoms. Common medications are steroids, interferon, and glatiramer acetate. Drugs to control bladder function, spasticity, and depression may
be necessary. The course of the disease is remarkably variable, but overall, MS is a progressive disorder. The median time from onset to difficulty with ambulation is about 15 years. 15% have primary progressive disease from onset; 30-50% start with relapsing remitting pattern and then enter a secondarily progressive phase. The remaining 15% have “benign multiple sclerosis” which is slowly progressive with no disability 20 years after onset. Click Here to learn more about multiple sclerosis life insurance and life insurance related products.
