The short answer to this question is “yes, you can.”
But the more detailed response is a little more complicated. The truth is that life insurance providers do sometimes deny people coverage for pre-existing conditions like heart murmur. You can greatly improve your chances of being approved by knowing more about the general process and what life insurance companies are looking at. Keep in mind that you can even request a quote today using the form right on this page. In the meantime, keep reading to learn more about buying life insurance that covers a heart murmur.
You probably already know the specifics about your murmur, but you should still make sure you know as much as possible before applying for life insurance. After all, insurance companies are not so much concerned with heart murmurs themselves, but more so with the fact that they can signify or cause more serious health issues. For instance, there are functional heart murmurs and organic heart murmurs. The functional ones are generally not of much concern to an insurance company, as they are often asymptomatic and without underlying health issues. Organic murmurs are more serious and are often a result of heart disease or congenital heart problems. These are the ones that cause alarm.
Remember that having routine checkups will help you keep tabs on your heart murmur, as well as keep your health information up to date. In fact, most insurance companies will require a medical exam and/or will request to view your medical records. Be aware that any future medical procedures you may need can affect your insurance rates.
You will come across general questions about your health when you first apply for term life insurance, but expect some more in-depth ones about your heart murmur. The exact questions will depend on the insurance provider, but you should be prepared to answer the following:
Your age, as well as your height and weight
Whether or not you use tobacco products
When your heart murmur was first diagnosed (how long you’ve had it)
Your exact diagnosis, including any underlying conditions
Your treatment, if any Your general health and stability of the murmur (is everything “under control”?)
It is always difficult to go into detail about insurance rates for this type of thing because they are going to depend on a lot of individual factors. However, you should be aware that your heart murmur will likely make your insurance rates (your monthly/annual payment) a little higher than for someone without this condition.
So, let’s say we have Joe, a 50-year-old non-smoker who was diagnosed with a heart murmur several months ago. His doctor has nevertheless labeled the murmur as functional, and more importantly, no underlying conditions have been found. Because he is stable and otherwise healthy, Joe will not face many issues in getting a life insurance policy. For $300,000 in coverage with a 20-year term, a top insurance company offers him a rate of $50.90 per month.
That is an ideal outcome, and many people will be offered even lower rates than Bill, depending on their situation. On the other hand, a 50-year-old man who has an organic heart murmur will have to pay more than Bill, especially if they have any underlying conditions that come with it. Depending on their current (and projected) health, they may be denied life insurance altogether.
In the event that you are not approved for term life insurance, know that this decision doesn’t necessarily mean you are out of options. Look at why you were not approved. Sometimes all it means is that you need to wait for a period of time and then apply again. If you have had surgery recently, valvotomy surgery for example, the insurance provider may just want to wait a little longer to make sure you have made a full recovery. If you are a smoker, you may get approved if you quit and then wait several years before reapplying.
If you are denied for other, non-reversible reasons like age, there isn’t much you can do aside from trying other providers. An insurance company can be subjective at times, and they may turn down someone who would be otherwise be approved by another company. The point is, don’t give up just yet.
If you are interested in getting a quote for life insurance with a heart murmur, please fill out the form on this page.