See A Liver Specialist
Ask your primary doctor for a referral to a liver specialist, if you arent already under the care of one.
Depending on your insurance company, it might cover the cost of hepatitis C medication only when prescriptions come from a liver specialist.
Note that the copay for a liver specialist is typically higher than that of a primary care physician.
Life Insurance With Cured Hepatitis C Is Possible
Sooo, problem cured should mean approvals for life insurance at the best rates, right? Sooo, maybe! There is no doubt that being Hep C free, cured and not just in remission, gives you a much better shot than you used to obtaining life insurance with Hepatitis C. But, there are two other factors that the underwriter needs to consider. The first one is very straight up- you cant have contracted Hep C from IV drug use and you cant be HIV positive .
The other is just a matter of testing that youve probably already had done. They will want to know when your most recent biopsy was and if the biopsy showed any significant damage. You may have also had Fibrosis testing done to determine your Metavir Fibrosis score, a number from 0 to 5. A score of 0-1 means there is little to no fibrosis. If this is the case you could well be in line for preferred rate quotes. A score of 1-2 or 2-3 may not get you preferred rates but will be the best rates youve seen since being diagnosed with HCV. When your score gets up to 4, damage is significant enough that underwriters will shy away from offering life insurance with Hepatitis C as a diagnosis.
The good news is that our livers regenerate and healing from a 4 down to a 1 is not unheard of. It may take some years but you may go from un-insurable to insurable. A score of 5 means you have cirrhosis and is an automatic decline. At that point most agree that the liver is damaged beyond its capability to regenerate.
Appeal Your Insurance Companys Decision
Some people give up when their insurance provider denies treatment for hepatitis C. But you can fight their decision by writing an appeal letter.
Keep in mind, though, that the appeals process can be lengthy. And you might have to appeal the decision more than once.
Insurance companies vary, so contact your provider for information on its appeals process.
If possible, get your doctor involved, too. They can write a letter explaining the need for treatment.
Don’t Miss: What’s The Difference Between Hepatitis B And C
Need Help Getting Life Insurance Coverage
If you have a preexisting medical condition and want to buy life insurance, you will need help from an expert. This person can help make sure that you get coverage so that you dont get declined.
Warning: Applying for life insurance without a medical exam can be risky. If you are declined coverage, it could be at least two years before you are able to get any life insurance.
Risk Of Hcv Infection
Hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver that can lead to decreased liver function. Hepatitis can be caused by toxins, including alcohol and certain medications, or it can be caused by a virus. HCV is the virus that causes hepatitis C, or hep C. It is one of the most common hepatitis viruses.
HCV is transmitted through blood-to-blood contact. Before we had a screening test for hep C in 1992, most people got infected through blood transfusions. This explains why baby boomers, those born between 1945 and 1965, are five times more likely to have the virus.
Today, most people with the virus get infected by sharing needles or other equipment for injecting drugs. Recent research has shown that the growing opioid epidemic is driving up rates of hep C infection, especially among young people. In addition, the prison population is at high risk for infection because of the high number of injection drug users who enter correctional facilities who are already living with hep C. Inside prisons, hep C is transmitted through injection drug use and unsafe practices for tattoos and piercings. It is estimated that one in three people in U.S. jails and prisons have HCV.
Hep C can be transmitted through sexual activity however, this is rare and most likely to happen if a person is already living with HIV or another sexually transmitted infection. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 25% of people living with HIV also have HCV.
Also Check: Where To Get Hepatitis B Test
Don’t Miss: Hepatitis C Non Reactive Means
Life Insurance Companies For Hepatitis C
Some companies are more strict and some are more lenient when it comes to approving Hepatitis C applications.
We work directly with top insurance companies that are much more understanding and favorable to people with risky medical conditions like Hepatitis C. You can leverage our network and our experience in this field to get the coverage you need for you and your family.
Pro Tip: The best and fastest way to get coverage is to get a customized quote based on your specific health and Hepatitis C details. Get started here.
Life Insurance With Hepatitis
Talk to one of our experienced advisors, today!
10 minute read
Originally published: July 28, 2022
Talk to one of our experienced advisors today!
10 Minute read
Originally published: July 28, 2022
Being diagnosed with a health condition may drastically affect your quality of life. While having hepatitis may increase your life insurance premiums, it is still possible to find a policy at a reasonable rate. If you know what to look for in a life insurance company and how to best present your application, getting life insurance with hepatitis can be simpler than you may think. This blog on life insurance with hepatitis will explain how having hepatitis can affect your life insurance, what factors are considered when it comes to hepatitis, and more!
When clients reach out to us about life insurance with hepatitis, they have many concerns. Since there are various kinds of hepatitis and each one varies in severity when it comes to liver damage, each case is treated differently. All these concerns are valid and we understand the anxiety of not being able to protect yourself and your loved ones. One recurring question is Can I get life insurance if I have hepatitis?
The answer is yes! Regardless of the type of hepatitis that you have or the severity of your condition, you can get life insurance.
In this article:
Read Also: What Is Treatment For Hepatitis C
Getting Life Insurance With Hepatitis C
As is the case with any type of health-related condition, hepatitis can complicate the process of applying for life insurance. However, its important to understand that a hepatitis diagnosis does not mean that you cannot get life insurance. There are various types of hepatitis, that occur to different degrees, and when matched with the right insurance company, getting a life insurance policy is entirely possible.
Why Its Important To Disclose That Youve Had Hepatitis B Or C
When applying for life insurance, its extremely important to answer all the health questions honestly. If you dont disclose that youve previously been diagnosed with hepatitis B or C, you risk invalidating your policy and it not paying out in the future .
Let’s find life insurance suitable for you . First, how old are you?
- A previous hepatitis B or C diagnosis shouldn’t stop you applying for life insurance
- If youve ever been diagnosed with hepatitis B or C, you must disclose it during the life insurance application process, otherwise you risk invalidating your policy in the future
- If you disclose a hepatitis B or C diagnosis when applying for life insurance, extra medical information will be required from you during the underwriting process
- Depending on how well youve recovered from hepatitis B or C, or how well managed your condition is, insurers may accept your application as normal accept it but charge a higher premium postpone or decline your application
Read Also: What Are The Stages Of Hepatitis C
What Health Professionals Need To Know About Hepatitis C
The hepatitis C virus is transmitted primarily through parenteral exposure to infectious blood or body fluids containing infectious blood. Hepatitis C is not a vaccine-preventable infection.
Hepatitis C infection is reportable by laboratories and clinicians to local public health authorities in all provinces and territories.
Consult the national case definition for additional information.
In Canada, screening of the blood supply was implemented in 1992. This has virtually eliminated the risk of HCV transmission via transfusion. Prior to this, thousands of people contracted HCV through receiving blood or blood products.
You May Like: How You Know If You Have Hepatitis
Frequently Asked Questions About Life Insurance With Hepatitis
Can I get life insurance if I have hepatitis?
The answer is yes! Regardless of the type of hepatitis that you have or the severity of your condition, you can get life insurance. There are life insurance policies out there that will cover you no matter how severe your hepatitis might be. Contact us to find out more about your life insurance options!
Also Check: After Being Cured Of Hepatitis C
How Much Does Hepatitis Life Insurance Cost
Those whove been diagnosed with hepatitis and have made a full recovery often wont experience any loading to their .
This means it can be possible to secure cover on standard terms.
As well as information regarding your hepatitis diagnosis, insurers will also need the following information to calculate your premiums:
Life Insurance Underwriting For Hepatitis C
The primary questions to be asked of a proposed insured that presents with Hepatitis C history are:
- Age or date of diagnosis? Is there a known cause?
- What are the latest liver function test readings? Specifically ALT, AST and GGTP?
- If theres been a biopsy, what is the fibrosis stage?
- How is it being treated? Any interferon or ribavirin treatment?
- How frequently is there follow up with a physician?
- Current alcohol consumption? Type, quantity, and frequency?
- Any history of cirrhosis?
Underwriting for hepatitis C can be very involved. Typically, were looking at a minimum of a Table 4-6, although Standard approvals are possible in a very select number of cases that demonstrate ideal scenarios. This is a big improvement over past history, where a diagnosis of hep C was usually an auto-decline.
Give us a call or submit the questionnaire and let us help you assess your hep C case and give you a realistic idea of what to expect from underwriting.
As always, we’re here to help you answer questions, and provide the best underwriting services possible to help you place cases.
to contact our underwriter, Mike Woods, with specific underwriting questions about hepatitis C.
Also Check: Hepatitis C Antibody 0.1 Meaning
Exactly What Is Hepatitis
Hepatitis refers to inflammation of the liver. It is typically the result of a viral infection, however, alcohol, drugs, and other toxins may also be a contributing factor. Hepatitis can be either acute, viral or chronic but there are vaccines available depending on the type of hepatitis we are referring to.
Hepatitis generally presents several symptoms like fatigue, joint pain, muscle pain and loss of appetite. With some forms of hepatitis, symptoms may not be presented until years after the disease invades the liver and a lot of people do not realize they have the disease until it is revealed after a blood test for unrelated reasons. Currently, there are five forms of hepatitis that have been identified:
How Much Will Life Insurance Cost If You’ve Been Diagnosed With Hepatitis
For those that have recovered from Hepatitis and have no ongoing liver problems, life insurance should be straightforward to arrange. Finding the best quotes for your life insurance if you’ve been diagnosed with Hepatitis is sometimes complex but you’ll want to know that even if your cost has been increased, that this is the best outcome that you can expect. A life insurance expert can guide you so that you don’t waste your time applying to insurance companies that have less favourable guidelines around Hepatitis.
Read Also: How To Cure Hepatitis Naturally
Can You Arrange Life Insurance If You Have Hepatitis E
Hepatitis E is the most common form of Acute Hepatitis in the UK and is caused by eating certain types of raw or undercooked meat and shellfish. The symptoms are similar to those of other Hepatitis viruses but can be much milder. As with all types of the Hepatitis virus, life insurance companies will focus their attention on any ongoing symptoms and may apply an increase to the cost of your insurance if there are lasting effects.
If you are still experiencing ongoing symptoms, any life insurance application is likely to be postponed, however, if you are fully recovered then it is likely that the insurance company will accept your application without the need to increase your monthly premiums. Again, we would recommend that you speak to an in order to ensure that you get the best value life insurance for your unique circumstances.
Pregnancy And Hepatitis C
The new hepatitis C medicines have not been tested in pregnancy.
You should not become pregnant while taking treatment as it could be harmful to unborn babies.
If youâre pregnant, you must delay treatment until after your baby is born.
Speak to your doctor before starting hepatitis C treatment if youâre planning to become pregnant in the near future.
Youâll need to wait several weeks after treatment has ended before trying to get pregnant.
Women taking ribavirin should use contraception during treatment and for another 4 months after the end of treatment.
If you become pregnant during treatment, speak to your doctor as soon as possible to discuss your treatment options.
Read Also: How To Test For Hepatitis B And C
Choosing The Right Life Insurance Company Is Critical
Insurance industry insiders know that there are certain insurance companies that will take a more favorable view of certain chronic health conditions, such as hepatitis C. They are companies that specialize in high risk life insurance, and they consider issuing such policies to be a significant part of their business.
Simply applying to a well-known insurance company is not a guarantee of getting approval if you have hepatitis C. Unless that company specializes in writing policies for hepatitis C patients, your application will almost certainly be declined.
The other advantage to applying with insurance companies that take high risk clients is that the policies are likely to have lower premiums. A company may have a deeper understanding of hepatitis C, and be willing to approve more policies at lower premium rates than most other companies will.
Term Life Insurance Quotes
Lately, there has been a lot of talk about Hepatitis C because of new treatments that are being marketed. Part of the advertising points out that many baby boomers should be tested for the disease because many people who are infected are unaware since symptoms may not appear for up to 20 years or more.
Why are they targeting baby boomers? Because Hepatitis C is a blood-borne virus, it is easily transmitted through unprotected sex, needle sharing, transfusions, and any other type of activity where infected blood might be transmitted from one person to another.
Does sharing a cocaine straw or rolled-up dollar bill sound familiar? Its interesting that baby boomers are being targeted. Maybe its because this is the age group that went through the party days before they knew of the dangers? Those of us who were young adults in the sixties and seventies spent a lot of our evenings partying in a manner that wasnt even considered dangerous back in the day.
But I digress. Hepatitis C is a dangerous disease that is easily spread, and most people that have it dont even know it.
Read Also: How To Test For Hepatitis
Whats The Best Insurance For Someone With Hepatitis C
If you have Hepatitis C, your best option is to shop around for life insurance coverage. If you are young and your case is acute, you may be surprised to find that youre able to purchase a standard term or permanent life insurance policy for a reasonable price.
Compare free quotes online and speak to multiple independent insurance agents to figure out what your best option might be. Do not purchase the first life insurance policy youre offered, as you may be able to find better coverage or cheaper rates with another company.
Enter your ZIP code below to view companies that have cheap insurance rates.
Secured with SHA-256 Encryption
Editorial Guidelines: We are a free online resource for anyone interested in learning more about insurance. Our goal is to be an objective, third-party resource for everything insurance related. We update our site regularly, and all content is reviewed by insurance experts.
|
I started Insurance Blog by Chris because I have a passion for insurance. Here at the blog, our job is to educate and inform people about the best insurance for them.Since then, we have grown into national brands with a large team of researchers helping people understand all forms of insurance. |
Related: Senators Demand Answers About Federal Prisons Scant Use Of Covid Therapeutics
Even seemingly basic tasks, like setting up an interactive dashboard to provide publicly available data on HCV and progress toward elimination and an online provider directory for people seeking hepatitis C treatment havent been finalized.
Washington also hasnt fully embraced one of the best options for tackling hepatitis C widespread testing and treatment in jails despite its previous pledges to do so. Huriaux, the Washington Department of Health employee, told STAT she couldnt pinpoint a jail thats routinely testing for hepatitis C, though the original plan suggested 30 jails around the state should start doing so.
Experts say these facilities, in particular, are invaluable resources for catching infections, because so many people cycle through their facilities while awaiting trial.
Even King County Jail, the largest jail in the state, doesnt test everyone booked into its facility for hepatitis C. Instead, people who have certain risk factors, like history of IV drugs, will be referred for medical provider review for order placement for any necessary testing, including HCV testing, a spokesperson for the jail told STAT.
Recommended Reading: Cost Of Hepatitis C Test