Jason Fisher Cushing’s syndrome is a rare medical condition which affects everyone in different ways.
It stems from a hormonal imbalance associated with cortisone. It’s usually caused from excessive levels of cortisone in the body. For this reason, Cushing’s syndrome is also known as hypercortolism.
Cushing’s syndrome varies widely in terms of severity.
- It some cases, it comes with relatively minor symptoms.
- In other cases, it actually causes other health problems like high blood pressure.
This why it’s so important to get a better understand of both Cushing’s syndrome itself and how it affects your life insurance eligibility if you hope to buy life insurance.
Here is our overview on the most important information to know about buying life insurance after being diagnosed with Cushing’s syndrome.
How To Get Life Insurance With Cushing’s Syndrome
Buying life insurance starts with filling out an application for each provider you’re interested in.
When you have any medical condition which could potentially affect your longevity, life insurance carriers need to know more before they can approve you.
Let’s see what this might look like for someone with Cushing’s.
Common Application Questions
The bulk of the application consists of questions. These range from questions and about lifestyle to questions about your medical health and impairments.
Make sure to answer all these questions honestly.
Most life insurance providers also require a current medical exam alongside your application, so there’s no reason to lie or stretch the truth.
Even if you have been diagnosed with a medical problem like Cushing’s syndrome, it’s important to be honest and upfront from the beginning.
Note that because you have a Cushing’s disease diagnosis on your application, you’ll be asked several questions specifically about the condition on top of the regular questions.
These will include:
- When were you diagnosed?
- What are your symptoms?
- How severe are the symptoms?
- What is the cause?
- What treatments are you using?
- What is your prognosis?
Life insurance companies aren’t asking these questions to be invasive.
Instead, they’re trying to learn as much as possible about your medical health, so they can adequately assess your risk to their company.
The carrier really does want to be able to make an offer of insurance to you; that’s how they make money. But they need to price it right.
After your application is complete and sent in, a team of underwriters at the life insurance companies will review it to decide on the rating class you’ll qualify for.
The Underwriting and Approval Process
The first step of buying life insurance is filling out the application, which actually is one of the easiest parts. The next stage, underwriting, is the more daunting part.
The exact way this works depends on the company and type of coverage you’re interested in.
Though some companies now offer electronic applications and expedited approval, this is generally available only for no exam life insurance.
No exam life insurance is a good option for some, but most people prefer to look into more traditional forms of life insurance first. This is especially the case for someone with a health impairment, like Cushing’s syndrome.
Traditional coverage types generally require an underwriting process of between 4 and 6 weeks before approval, but tends to be a cheaper option.
As mentioned above, your application is closely reviewed during this time.
The underwriters look at your health, particularly your Cushing’s syndrome, to see how risky it is for their company to insure you.
They may request clarification, more information, records from your doctor(s), and more.
Possible Outcomes
Most people with Cushing’s syndrome will be able to qualify for traditional life insurance coverage, as long as no other major factors are present.
Of course, the specific rate you receive depends on a variety of factors, including the severity of your Cushing’s syndrome.
Standard – Probably the Best
Those who have treated the problem successfully without it stemming into something more serious will receive the best rates, which will be Standard.
Those who were recently diagnosed and in the early stages of treatment still have the possibility of qualifying, but it will likely be at a higher rate, which would result in a Sub-Standard rating.
Another factor to keep in mind is the cause of the Cushing’s syndrome. This is particularly true if your case was caused by using steroids.
The underwriters will want to know why you were using steroids in the first place.
The medical condition which prompted this steroid use might have more of an effect on your life insurance eligibility than Cushing’s syndrome itself.
If something like this is the case, expect a very low Sub-Standard, or potentially a decline.
Denial – For Uncontrolled Cases
Those who are denied from traditional life insurance coverage, for whatever reason, will be happy to know coverage is still available in the form of a life insurance alternative.
The most common alternative is a guaranteed issue life insurance policy.
Why Cushing’s Syndrome Impacts Life Insurance Rates
Also known as hypercortolism, Cushing’s syndrome is a rare medical problem caused by excessive levels of cortisone in the body.
These excessive levels of cortisone have numerous causes, including both internal and external factors. The exact cause of your Cushing’s syndrome plays a big role in your life insurance chances.
Cushing’s syndrome is highlighted by several symptoms including:
- weight gain
- mood changes, and
- muscle and bone weakness
You might also notice chances in the appearance or texture of your skin.
Another common symptom is changes in your sex hormones. Men often have changes in their sex drive, including difficulty achieving erections. Women often experience irregular growth of facial hair.
These symptoms, while problematic in themselves, often lead to more serious issues, including:
Many of those with Cushing’s syndrome also struggle with depression and other associated mental illnesses.
These are the types of things the carriers are worried about! Even if you’re mostly healthy today, it’s the long-term affects they are most concerned with.
If you notice you’re experiencing the symptoms of Cushing’s syndrome, it’s important to visit a doctor as quickly as possible.
After a diagnosis, a doctor will be able to provide treatment in the form of a steroid medicine or even a surgery, depending on the specific cause.
Like most medical problems, starting treatment for your Cushing’s syndrome early on is one of the best ways to guarantee you still qualify for traditional life insurance.
Who Gets Cushing’s Syndrome?
Anyone can get Cushing’s syndrome, but certain people are at a greater risk than others.
Indeed, one of the number one causes is unhealthy lifestyle. It’s essential to eat well and take good care of yourself to avoid Cushing’s syndrome.
Eat Right
For instance, you should eat a balanced diet which is high in protein and calcium to minimize the risk of bone density loss.
Compliment this with calcium and vitamin D supplements as well as less salt in the diet.
Stay Fit
Exercise is equally important.
Exercise on a regular basis to keep your body strong. Pay particular attention to weight-bearing exercises which promote stronger bones.
Living a healthy lifestyle in this manner not only helps prevent Cushing’s syndrome, but it also helps those who already have Cushing’s syndrome.
Other Things
Yet the single most common cause of Cushing’s syndrome is actually steroid medicines.
Take steroid medicines for too long and you can develop the disease. The reason is most steroids act similar to cortisol in your body.
If your Cushing’s syndrome is caused by taking steroids for too long, the treatment is generally a little easier.
Natural causes of Cushing’s syndrome include tumors in your pituitary gland, lungs, pancreas, or adrenal glands.
Tumors in any of these areas can cause an increase in the amount of cortisol in your body.
If you can prove to the life insurance carrier you tend to eat right, exercise as best you can, and don’t require medications (especially steroids), than you stand a much better chance of approval.
Finding the Best Life Insurance with Cushing’s Syndrome
Not all life insurance providers assess the risk associated with Cushing’s syndrome the same way.
This why it’s important not only to research the friendliest companies towards this particular medical problem, but also to apply to several of them at once.
You’ll find the best life insurance rates after being diagnosed with Cushing’s syndrome by comparing the options offered by several different providers before making a final decision.
