I had a heart attack; can I still buy life insurance?

An estimated 2500 Americans die every day from coronary heart disease. That makes it the number #1 killer in the United States.  As a result, surviving a heart attack can be a life-changing experience.

Since it is so common, life insurance companies deal with heart attack survivors and their renewed respect for mortality on a daily basis.  Survivors are often inspired to purchase a life insurance policy soon after their close call but are sometimes confused by the process.

Life insurance providers begin the process of determining the type of policy to offer by monitoring the heart attack patient’s medical treatment and recovery process. The issue is predicting life expectancy depending on how the is recovering six to twelve months after the heart attack, and also depending on the patient’s age and the number of arteries that were affected in the patient.  While the survivor will likely not get a preferred-priced, “standard” life insurance premium, they might qualify for “substandard” rates.

“Timing is everything and the secret to a better rate lies in when you apply for that policy,” says Eugene C. Gordon, Founder of LifeQuote™, an online life insurance brokerage.  Insurance underwriters say it is best to wait about six to twelve months after a heart attack of successful medical treatment, lifestyle changes and good follow-up with your cardiologist before applying for a policy.

Insurance specialists recommend you use this time wisely – work hard to improve your results in all areas that could indicate heart disease risk; lowering risk factors such as elevated cholesterol, high blood pressure, smoking or being overweight.  A healthcare provider can work with you to design a plan to help you achieve these goals.  The American Heart Association, www.americanheart.org provides resources, such as risk assessment tests to make you an educated patient. 

Contact a licensed life insurance agent at LifeQuote™ and they will help you obtain a lifequote for your special needs from among the nation’s most competitive companies.  It might just be a matter of shopping around for the best price.

The process of getting a life insurance quote is simple. No exam is required for an initial quote; medical records and information can be sent confidentially from your doctor to the insurance companies, where LifeQuote™ can obtain tentative life insurance quotes from various companies. Surprisingly, the best offers often come from the biggest and best-known life insurance companies. Since these cases might require special handling, call a LifeQuote™ agent directly at 1-800-521-7873.  The final decision to offer coverage is from the life insurance company, based upon completion of your medical requirements.  Underwriting requirements vary by company.  A preliminary quote is not a guarantee or offer of coverage.