Jason Fisher Find yourself looking for a cheap alternative for life insurance after prostate cancer, but keep coming up short? Well, you’re not alone. Many men are in the same position as you are, and we’re here to help you get the coverage you need at affordable rates.
Among the many kinds of cancer we help insure, prostate cancer is one of them. Not every applicant is eligible, but we’re happy to walk you through our unique process which has worked for many, many others. The key is working with an independent, impaired risk agency who knows the risk well.
That’s what we are, and that’s what we do.
Is Cheap Life Insurance After Prostate Cancer A Myth?
Prostate cancer is a type of cancer which will typically affect older males who are in the age range of 65 and over, though it can occur at any age. This form of cancer will begin in the tissues of the prostate, which is a gland located in the male reproductive system, just below the bladder.
Second only to skin cancer currently, prostate cancer is the next most common type of cancer diagnosed in men in the U.S., and it is the second leading cause of death from cancer for males. Unfortunately, because this type of cancer does not have any early warning symptoms, it can be difficult to prevent. It also tends to grow fairly slowly, and taking notice of the symptoms over time is harder, as well.
Once it has been diagnosed, the staging of prostate cancer is a way for a patient’s cancer care team to indicate just how far the disease has spread. In doing so, a system is used which is based on various information, including:
- T Category – This represents the extent of the primary tumor;
- N Category – This represents whether or not the prostate cancer has spread to other areas of the body, such as the individual’s nearby lymph nodes;
- M Category – This represents the presence or the absence of distant metastasis. Some of the most common sites of prostate cancer spreading can include to the bones and to more distant lymph nodes. It can, however, also spread to other bodily organs, including the liver and the lungs.
These will be the first indicators to both your agent and the underwriter of your level of insurability.
There are also other categories, which include the individual’s PSA level at the time of his cancer diagnosis, and the Gleason score, which will be based upon the prostate biopsy (or surgery). But first, here is the break down of each category:
T Categories
If the prostate cancer is being described by the T categories, it will be broken down as follows:
T1 – The doctor is not able to either feel the tumor, or see the tumor with various imaging devices.
T2 – The doctor is able to feel the tumor or lump of cancer cells by using a digital rectal exam, or it can be seen using imaging devices such as a transrectal ultrasound. However, the cancer is still confined to the area of the prostate gland.
T3 – The cancer has appeared to have grown outside of the prostate and it may have even grown into the seminal vesicles or other genital tissue.
T4 – The cancer has grown further into the tissues next to the prostate.
Beneath each T Category are several sub-categories, such as T1a, T1b and T1c, which describe the different methods the doctor’s finding is based from.
N Category
To determine whether or not the cancer has spread into the nearby lymph nodes, it may be described as follows:
NX – The lymph nodes have not yet been assessed.
N0 – The cancer has yet to spread to any of the closest lymph nodes.
N1 – The cancer does appear to have spread to at least one (or more) of the nearby lymph nodes closest to the origin of the tumor or cancer cells.
M Category
In order to determine if the cancer has spread even further, then it may be described by using the following:
M0 – The cancer has not spread beyond the lymph nodes.
M1 – The cancer has spread past the nearby lymph nodes.
M1a, M1b, and M1c describe where it has gone, such as lymph nodes far from the prostate, bones, or major organs.
Although prostate cancer is a serious health issue, due to advancement in treatment options, this condition does have a very high survival rate. On average, those who live for at least five years after being diagnosed with prostate cancer have more than a 9 in 10 chance of a normal lifespan.
Going Through the Application Process
When you’re applying for life insurance after prostate cancer, you will need to complete a standard application for coverage once your agent has determined the right company. This will ask you for your age, health history, family health history, smoking status, and current life insurance you may already have in force, in addition to beneficiary information, and general contact info.
Because of your prostate cancer, you will also be asked for some additional condition specific information such as:
- What age were you diagnosed with prostate cancer, or elevated PSA?
- What is your current PSA level? Has it increased or decreased in the past year?
- What stage was your prostate cancer at diagnosis, and at its worst??
- What is your Gleason score? Has it changed over the past year?
- What type of treatment did you receive for your prostate cancer?
-Cryosurgery or Cryoablation
-Chemotherapy
-Immunotherapy
-Prostectomy (Partial/Radical) - Did you take any type of prescription medication for your prostate cancer (typically via hormonal therapy)? If so, what medication were your prescribed and what was the dosage?
–Testosterone Prohibitors: Eligard, Lupron, Trelstar, Vantas, Zoladex, Zytiga
–Testosterone Blockers: Casodex, Flutamide, Nilandron - Do you have a history of cancer in your family?
- Do you (or have you) use any type of tobacco?
- Do you have any other health issues not related to prostate cancer?
You will also be required to undergo a medical examination. The typical medical exam consists of your blood pressure being measured three times, your height and weight being measured, and samples of both blood and urine being taken by the examiner. In some cases, EKG’s might be necessary.
In addition, the insurance underwriters will want to review your medical records from your primary care physician and from your oncologist or other medical provider you have visited recently. This will help them in better assessing your overall health condition and risk profile. Once all of your information has been received, a decision can be made regarding your coverage.
Possible Outcomes for Your Policy
Because of the large number of variables, it’s hard to get an exact estimate for a risk class up front, though, we can generalize what a particular case may look like for each rating. This would assume no complications or other negative underwriting factors.
Standard
The best possible rating for a prostate cancer survivor, Standard is reserved for those who had a localized, non-metastasized, or low grade case. The treatment was successful, and there was no evidence of recurrence. There would be no other negative correlation, such as positive family history and no tobacco use.
Mild Sub-Standard
If the prostate cancer had metastasized and spread to multiples areas or tissue within the prostate, one could expect a Mild Sub-Standard, with the possibility of an additional flat extra fee for a period of time. Treatment would need to be successful, and be limited to simple surgeries and hormonal balance medication. If radiotherapy was required, a longer period of time from the date of last treatment will be necessary, up to 5 years.
Moderate Sub-Standard
Where prostate cancer had spread outside of the prostate gland, and/or radical treatment was necessary, expect a minimum of 2-5 years of postponement and no better than mid range Sub-Standard rating. Flat extra fees are common here.
High Sub-Standard or Postpone
There are several reasons one might see a High Sub-Standard rating or Postpone. Often, it’s radical surgeries, distant spread of cancer cells, complications of treatment or chronic periods of treatment. But, perhaps the most common, is either not enough time from the last reported positive test for cancer, or not enough information present for the carrier to make an informed decision.
Because there are so many elements of prostate cancer, it’s not always clear to a carrier what the long term risk is, so they may decide to not offer based solely on the unknown of the applicant.
Contact Us
While prostate cancer is a serious health issue, it does not mean you won’t ever be able to apply for life insurance coverage. However, it may mean you will have to take a different route to finding the right type of policy.
We work with high risk life insurance cases, and we can assist you in finding a carrier who may best fit your coverage needs even if you have been turned down in the past. The best way to get started is to fill out the quote form on the sidebar.
