As a life insurance agent, I often have to tell clients they have some medical issue that we found in the life insurance exam and they were not aware of it. Many times people have conditions that they are unaware of that we detect for the first time. 
Often referred to as 'the silent killer', high blood pressure affects 40% of adults over age 25. Today is World Health Day, sponsored by the World Health Organization, and this year's theme is High Blood Pressure.
For millions of americans, untreated and uncontrolled high blood pressure will cause heart attacks, strokes, chronic heart and kidney disease - and ALL of it is preventable. Despite high blood pressure being a very treatable condition to control, it has grown from affecting 600 Million people globally in 1980, to 1 Billion people today. Here are some things you can do to spread awareness and possibly help save the lives of loved ones.

Getting Life Insurance with High Blood Pressure, Cheaper

If you are looking to get a life insurance with high blood pressure, this blog post will discuss what your options are for getting approved for life insurance. I will also discuss what type of health rating you can expect to get. Before discussing the type of health rating you can expect to get, I will provide a brief overview of the health ratings that insurance companies issue. This will provide a better understanding of how life insurance companies rate individuals for life insurance.

Life Insurance Health Ratings

Life insurance ratings can be divided into two categories. There are standard ratings, and then there are “rated” categories. So let’s break it down: For most people who are not dealing with a pre-existing health condition, they will fall into one of four health ratings.
Non Smokers will fall into:
Preferred Plus Non Tobacco
Preferred Non Tobacco
Standard Plus Non Tobacco
Standard Non Tobacco.
Smokers who don’t have pre-existing health conditions are limited to 2 health ratings:
Preferred Tobacco
Standard Tobacco.
A better health rating will result in you getting a cheaper price for life insurance with high blood pressure.

The second category of health ratings that you might get if you have a pre-existing health condition would be getting a “rated” policy. When you don’t qualify for Standard Non Tobacco, or Standard Tobacco for Smokers because of a pre-existing condition, you might get a “rated” health rating.
Rated Health Ratings range from a Table A-J. The higher the letter, the higher the price will be for your life insurance policy. Some examples of the types of conditions that might lead to a rated health rating might be Diabetes, Multiple Sclerosis, Crohn’s Disease, etc.
Now that you have a better understanding of life insurance health ratings, let’s get back to discussing life insurance with high blood pressure.

What Kind of health rating can I expect for Life Insurance with High Blood Pressure?

Life insurance companies break up guidelines for blood pressure based on age. What that means is that they will generally allow for a bit higher reading the older you are, and still allow you to qualify for the best life insurance rates.

Under 50

If you are under 50 and want to qualify for the best rates you can have a blood pressure up to 135/80.

Over 65

At over age 65, life insurance companies will give you a bit more leeway, and you can qualify for the best rates with a blood pressure of 145/90.
Here are some others:

• If your blood pressure is well controlled with medication then you should not get a rated policy – that means that you can even get a Preferred Plus health rating.
• If you blood pressure is only moderately controlled with medication then you can expect to get a health rating of between table A-C.
• With poorly controlled blood pressure you can expect to get anywhere from a table D rating and higher, or possible even a decline.

The key to having your high blood pressure not affect the price of your life insurance policy is having your blood pressure well controlled with treatment – typically medication.

Tips for Life Insurance with High Blood Pressure

Life Insurance companies like to see that your blood pressure reading has been stable over the past year,and that you are also controlling your high blood pressure with medication. Some life insurance companies will restrict you from getting the best rates for life insurance if you are taking medication.
If you do have high blood pressure and are looking to get life insurance quotes, fill out our quote form below or on our homepage and we can help you get affordable life insurance rates for life insurance with high blood pressure.
Looking to lower your own blood pressure before buying?

Tips for Lowering High Blood Pressure:

• Quit smoking
• Use less salt
• Eat a balanced diet and exercise
• And if lifestyle changes don't help, medication can help
• Make sure your friends and family get annual physicals.