Understanding the Costs of Life Insurance for High Blood Pressure

The Risks of High Blood Pressure

According to a recent report issued by the CDC (Centre for Disease Control), approximately half of American adults suffer from high blood pressure. Sometimes called hypertension, high blood pressure poses a risk to overall health and should be treated seriously.

Those with high blood pressure are more likely to experience cardiovascular diseases, heart attacks, strokes, aneurysms, and kidney failure.

Free Life Insurance Comparison - Save up to 30%

No junk mail. No spam calls. Free quotes.

No Signup required

Life Insurance for High Blood Pressure

High blood pressure can be a dangerous condition to live with, but it doesn’t necessarily prevent you from getting life insurance unless it’s combined with other health risks. High blood pressure may cause your rates to increase, but you can help keep them down by proactively working on your health or by choosing a less expensive policy.

Because life insurance providers must assess your level of risk to determine your rate, having high blood pressure will likely result in a more expensive life insurance plan. But exactly how your life insurance is affected will vary depending on a few different factors.

The Cost of Life Insurance for High Blood Pressure

Generally speaking, high blood pressure will raise your rates to some degree. How much, will be determined by other factors such as:

Blood pressure range: The closer your blood pressure is to the standard 120/80, the less expensive your life insurance will be.
Age: Because high blood pressure is more common in adults around 60 years of age, insurance companies are more lenient towards these individuals.
Time of diagnosis: The longer you’ve had high blood pressure, the more your rates will increase.
General health: If your high blood pressure is combined with other illnesses or risk factors such as smoking, then you will likely have to pay more for your life insurance.

The better that you can demonstrate you are taking proactive measures to improve your health, the more your insurance company will thank you for it by lowering your rates.

Free Life Insurance Comparison - Save up to 30%

No junk mail. No spam calls. Free quotes.

No Signup required

Qualifying for Life Insurance with High Blood Pressure

In most cases, high blood pressure alone will not prevent you from qualifying for life insurance unless it is accompanied by other risk factors.

Most life insurance plans will ask for medical underwriting in order to approve you for insurance. Medical underwriting consists of documents such as:

Physician reports
Hospital records
Life insurance medical exam
Medical Information Bureau documentation
RX report (for prescription drugs)

For those unable to qualify for standard life insurance, guaranteed life insurance is a valid, but more costly, option.

Types of Life Insurance Available to Those with High Blood Pressure

In most cases, a person with high blood pressure will have a choice of life insurance plans. There are three main kinds of life insurance policies, each with its own pros and cons:

Whole life insurance: These policies last your entire lifetime and there is no need to requalify. Though they are more expensive, they come with stability. They can also come with a cash value component, which allows you to accrue value over time.
Term life insurance: With this type of life insurance, you are covered for a set period of time (usually 5, 10, or 20 years). These policies are less expensive than whole life and can easily be renewed up until the age of 95. Some are able to convert to whole life at the end of term.
Final expense life insurance: The death benefit in these policies is designed to help cover funeral costs and other end of life expenses. These plans do not provide much coverage, but they tend to be less expensive and easier to qualify for.

Even with high blood pressure, you can usually qualify for life insurance and have your pick of insurance plans depending on your needs.

Free Life Insurance Comparison - Save up to 30%

No junk mail. No spam calls. Free quotes.

No Signup required

Saving Money on Life Insurance with High Blood Pressure

As is the case when looking for any kind of insurance, shopping around for the best-priced policy is the way to go. Compare quotes and assess your needs to ensure you are finding the best plan for your situation.

There are also some healthy lifestyle tips you can follow to demonstrate to your provider that you are improving your health:

Consuming a well-balanced diet
Limiting sodium intake
Performing regular physical activity
Managing/reducing stress
Maintaining healthy weight
Quitting smoking

The better shape that you are in, the better your life insurance policy can take care of you!

Margaret Huntley Margaret Huntley is a creative writing and philosophy student at Western University. She has been working as a freelance writer for over two years and has written about everything from insurance, to poker, to health and wellness for international businesses.