Buying Life Insurance After a Hysterectomy

If you’ve had a hysterectomy, you might wonder if you’re still eligible for life insurance, and the short answer is yes.

However, depending on the reasons for the procedure, and any associated health issues, you might receive a higher premium than normal.

In very few cases, you’ll be denied life insurance coverage, especially for standard term life or whole life insurance. This usually only happens if your hysterectomy was linked to uterine cancer.

No matter the reason for your procedure, we’re here to help. Below we break down how to find the best life insurance after a hysterectomy.

What Is a Hysterectomy?

If you’ve had a hysterectomy and been turned down for life insurance, it will be helpful to understand more about why this procedure might have been the determining factor in your denial.

First, let’s break down what a hysterectomy is, and why it impacts life insurance.

A hysterectomy is a surgical procedure occurring when a woman is experiencing problems with her uterus.

The procedure aims to cure uterine symptoms by removing the uterus. Sometimes the entire uterus is removed, while other times only a portion is removed.

The goal of removal is to avoid future medical problems. Removal of the uterus can also prevent associated pain, discomfort, or other complications.

Luckily, a hysterectomy is normally not a big deal in the eyes of most life insurance providers. In fact, you still might be able to qualify for a preferred rating.

But, there’s more to it than this.

Types of Hysterectomy

The type of hysterectomy you had plays a big role in the life insurance rating you’ll receive.

The three main types are:

• Partial hysterectomy: just a part of the uterus is removed
• Total hysterectomy: the entire uterus is removed
• Hysterectomy and Salpingo-Oophorectomy: the uterus, ovaries, and fallopian tubes are removed

Those with a partial or total hysterectomy receive better life insurance rates than those with a hysterectomy and salpingo-oophorectomy.

However, those who’ve had a hysterectomy and salpingo-oophorectomy can still receive preferred ratings, depending on certain factors, and the type of policy applied for.

Why the Reason for Your Hysterectomy Matters

The most important element when it comes to qualifying for life insurance with a hysterectomy is the reason you needed the procedure.

For example, a hysterectomy due to cancer comes with higher risk. You’ll probably be placed into the high risk life insurance class and be required to pay a much higher premium.

The main reasons for a hysterectomy and their associated life insurance risk are:

• Uterine prolapse: not considered a big factor by most life insurance companies’ a traditional rating is likely.
• Uterine fibroids: also not considered a big deal by most life insurance companies, unless accompanied by the risk of cancer.
• Endometriosis: although this is a painful condition (it’s when endometrial tissues grow outside of the uterus), most life insurance companies won’t let it seriously influence your rating.
• Cancer: any cancer is a major red flag for life insurance companies.

Having cancer doesn’t mean you won’t qualify, though. Sometimes you’ll still receive a solid rating, especially if you’ve had cancer in the past and beat it.

Depending on the severity of the cancer associated with your hysterectomy, you might need to look into a guaranteed life insurance policy instead of standard life insurance.

Questions You’ll Be Asked on Your Application

Those applying for life insurance after a hysterectomy should prepare themselves to honestly answer a series of questions.

Your life insurance underwriter uses your answers to these questions, along with your application, to judge the best insurance class for you. This directly impacts how much you’ll pay.

A few of the questions you can expect include:

• When did you have your hysterectomy?
• What was the cause of your hysterectomy?
• What kind of treatments or medications did you or do you take?
• Did you experience any complications from the procedure?
• What is the overall prognosis after your hysterectomy?

The purpose of these questions is to gauge your medical risk. If you received an all clear from your doctor regarding your health, you have little to worry about.

Remember, your hysterectomy isn’t the only factor underwriters look at. They’ll also ask you about your overall health and any other medical issues you’ve experienced.

What Is the Application and Approval Process Like?

Applying for life insurance after a hysterectomy is much like applying for life insurance with any other condition. The same steps must be taken.

Depending on the company, the first step is filling out the actual application in person, over the phone, online, or on paper.

Traditionally, it takes between 4 to 6 weeks for complete approval, start to finish. During this time, the underwriter reviews your application to determine your overall risk.

Several life insurance companies now offer expedited approval. Fill out an application online or over the phone, and you can expect approval in as little as one day to one week.

However, it’s important to note most of those with a medical issue, like a hysterectomy, won’t qualify for immediate approval.

It’s also important to remember every life insurance provider judges risk differently. Some will consider a hysterectomy a bigger deal than others.

This is why there’s no harm in applying to several different life insurance companies. 

Other risk factors your life insurance underwriter will look at are health issues like heart problems, diabetes, high blood pressure, and obesity.

Those with dangerous hobbies or careers, or who regularly travel to countries deemed dangerous, will also be judged a higher risk for life insurance.

Your Life Insurance Options After Hysterectomy

You have a lot of options when it comes to finding life insurance if you’ve had a hysterectomy in the past.

As mentioned above, the key is doing your research to find the companies most likely to insure you with the risk that you pose.

Start by targeting the companies you like best. Treat the search for the right life insurance the same way you would even if you didn’t have the medical procedure.

There are a lot of different life insurance providers out there. They all offer something different in the way of services, rates, and customer service. You should only select a provider that you’re completely happy with.

Along with this, you can also apply to multiple companies at once. This enables you to compare rates for the best deal possible.

If you don’t qualify for traditional life insurance, you have several additional options including a guaranteed issue life insurance policy.

These life insurance policies don’t offer as much coverage as a traditional policy, but are still an effective way to become insured for those deemed high risk.

What Type of Rate Can You Expect? 

You’ll likely receive a preferred rating if the hysterectomy wasn’t due to any problems deemed serious by life insurance providers.

Those that received a hysterectomy due to something that might cause future medical issues will likely receive a lower life insurance rating.

The only time where you probably won’t qualify for life insurance altogether is if your hysterectomy is linked to uterine cancer. The exception is if you’ve been in remission for a proven length of time.

Even those who still have cancer after a hysterectomy should apply for traditional insurance. There’s no harm in seeing what you qualify for.

Remember, a hysterectomy is only one piece of the puzzle. Other health issues, as well as your daily habits, also play into things.

Even if your hysterectomy went well and you had no complications, you’ll receive a lower rating if you’re a smoker, for example.