Jason Fisher There is no reason to worry about securing life insurance with celiac disease. In fact, you may be eligible for up to top tier rates.
By far, the single most impactful way a person could expect to get the best life insurance rates is by using one of the life insurance carriers best suited to their past and current medical state.
Let’s discuss how celiac disease affects life insurance, and who you should buy your coverage through.
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How to Find Cheaper Life Insurance With Celiac Disease
You may have found yourself here because you’ve had an adverse rating from a recent application for life insurance, or maybe you’re just seeking information on how celiac disease affects life insurance.
The main reason celiac disease impacts life insurance is because an uncontrolled (or undiagnosed) case can lead to several acute symptoms, as well as more long-term health issues.
For example, left untreated, celiac disease can lead to things like Type I diabetes, Multiple Sclerosis (MS), and several other disorders or conditions.
According to the Celiac Disease Foundation (CDF), here are more related health concerns:
- Iron deficiency anemia
- Early-onset osteoporosis or osteopenia
- Infertility and miscarriage
- Lactose intolerance
- Vitamin and mineral deficiencies
- Central and peripheral nervous system disorders
- Pancreatic insufficiency
- Intestinal lymphomas and other GI cancers (malignancies)
- Gallbladder malfunction
- Neurological manifestations, including ataxia, epileptic seizures, dementia, migraine, neuropathy, myopathy, and multifocal leucoencephalopathy
Currently, other than partaking in a gluten-free diet, there is no other way to treat or cure celiac disease, an autoimmune disorder, which has several other names like coeliac disease, gluten-sensitive enteropathy, or celiac sprue.
It’s these long-term effects and health issues which are a concern for life insurance underwriters; not necessarily the celiac disease itself.
If a gluten-free diet is adopted, generally, a person can see both immediate relief and long-term health issue prevention benefits. In this case, celiac disease is almost a non-issue, depending on the carrier chosen.
What is Considered Controlled, by Insurance Standards?
There are actually different levels of disease control, and each will have its own corresponding rating, or classification of risk.
Each rating, of course, will correspond with different prices.
Like with all kinds of life insurance for those with health concerns ranging from very minor conditions up to the most severe diseases, you can estimate costs of coverage by first identifying which one of these you likely fall into:
- Complete Control: an applicant has been correctly diagnosed and represented in their medical records, adheres to all recommended diets or treatments, and is near fully asymptomatic. An occasional symptom can arise from time to time, but nothing out of the ordinary, so much as to require a doctor’s visit or trip to the hospital.
- Moderate Control: an applicant has been correctly diagnosed and represented in their medical records, adheres to all recommended diets or treatments, yet continues to suffer from light symptoms including, but not limited to, bloating, diarrhea, cramping, and very mild fatigue. Basic and infrequent over-the-counter medication may be necessary.
- Mild Control: an applicant has been correctly diagnosed and represented in their medical records, but may not adamantly adhere to strict diet or other recommended practices. Symptoms are frequent, varying in nature, and medication or treatment is often required or recommended by a physician.
- Uncontrolled: an applicant has yet to be identified as having celiac disease, or has been diagnosed very recently. Symptoms are consistent, unmanaged by normal treatments or medication, or have reached a point of complication that leads to other conditions.
With each level of control comes a different risk level attributed by the insurance underwriter, which affects the premium.
Here is a quick chart on what ratings a person with celiac disease might encounter when applying for life insurance, assuming all other factors are a non-concern (including health, family history, driving record, etc.):
| Control LEvel | Possible Rating |
|---|---|
| Complete | Preferred Plus |
| Moderate | Standard Plus |
| Mild | Standard to Table 4 |
| Uncontrolled | Postpone* or Decline |
Which Life Insurance Company is Best?
Level of control is one of the greatest determining factors of a final approval rating for most applicants seeking life insurance with celiac disease.
Choosing the best carrier can yield as high as Preferred Best ratings, whereas other, less liberal companies may offer no better than Standard, regardless of overall health and control.
Finding the right carrier is based on the following criteria:
- Requested coverage amount
- Overall health
- Level of control of celiac disease
- Medical exam preference
For those whose symptoms are uncontrolled, or who have a mild level of control at best, you will need to supply underwriters with additional health information before you will be able to fairly evaluate insurance companies.
For those of you who have attained, at minimum, a moderate level of control, there are many more options.
Depending on the level of control alone, many companies may not be a consideration at all. This can result in using Graded or Guaranteed products.
Buying a life insurance policy with celiac doesn’t have to be complicated – coming prepared with the information above and any supporting documentation you have will help you secure the rates you deserve.
