By Brandon D. Sears, CLU® (Chartered Life Underwriter)
Yes. A cardiac history — coronary artery disease, a past heart attack (myocardial infarction), stents, or bypass surgery — does not automatically disqualify you from life insurance. Many applicants who assume they’ll be denied are approved every year, often at better rates than they expect. The key is applying to the right carrier, because underwriting for heart conditions varies dramatically from one insurer to the next. Applying blindly is the single biggest reason people with heart disease end up with a denial or an overpriced policy.
For heart disease and heart-attack history, underwriters focus on how serious the event was and how stable you’ve been since. The factors that move your offer the most:
High cholesterol on its own is one of the most approvable “high-risk” flags there is. If your cholesterol is treated and reasonably controlled — even with medication — many applicants still qualify for Standard, and sometimes Preferred, rates. Underwriters look at your total cholesterol, your HDL ratio, and whether the numbers are trending in the right direction. Being on a statin is not a penalty; it shows the condition is managed. High cholesterol only becomes a larger factor when combined with other cardiovascular issues, which is why it pays to review your full picture before you apply.
Outcomes range widely depending on your history. Mild, well-controlled high cholesterol or high blood pressure often lands Standard or better. A single heart attack with good recovery and normal follow-up testing frequently qualifies for a Standard or Table-rated offer. More significant cardiac disease may be Table-rated (a set percentage above standard) or best served by a guaranteed-issue or simplified-issue policy that asks no medical questions. We’ll tell you honestly where you’re likely to land before you apply.
Three things make the biggest difference: applying to the carrier whose guidelines fit your exact history, presenting your medical records in their best accurate light (recent favorable test results help), and not firing off scattershot applications that leave a trail of declines. That’s what we do — we pre-screen your case with multiple carriers so you only formally apply where you’re likely to be approved at the best rate. If you’ve already had a denial or been denied by one company, don’t give up; a decline with one carrier is often an approval with another.
A heart condition should not keep you from protecting your family, and you should not accept an overpriced offer before your case has been compared across carriers. As an independent agency comparing more than 80 carriers, with 27 years of experience and 17,000+ clients served, we will tell you honestly where you are likely to land and shop the insurers most comfortable with cardiovascular history. Get My Rates Now → or call us directly at (888) 819-4750.
Prefer to start online? Our free, easy-to-use quote tool lets you see numbers in minutes, and because it is linked directly to our agency, most people reach us before they finish applying so we can route a cardiac case to the carrier that actually fits. Start your free quote →
This article is general information, not financial, tax, or medical advice; underwriting outcomes vary by carrier and individual circumstances.
Living with a heart condition, a past heart attack, or high cholesterol? We specialize in high-risk life insurance and compare carriers that approve applicants with cardiovascular and other conditions. Explore high-risk life insurance by state and situation:
States we serve:
Specialized situations:
By Brandon D. Sears, CLU® (Chartered Life Underwriter)
Yes. A cardiac history — coronary artery disease, a past heart attack (myocardial infarction), stents, or bypass surgery — does not automatically disqualify you from life insurance. Many applicants who assume they’ll be denied are approved every year, often at better rates than they expect. The key is applying to the right carrier, because underwriting for heart conditions varies dramatically from one insurer to the next. Applying blindly is the single biggest reason people with heart disease end up with a denial or an overpriced policy.
For heart disease and heart-attack history, underwriters focus on how serious the event was and how stable you’ve been since. The factors that move your offer the most:
High cholesterol on its own is one of the most approvable “high-risk” flags there is. If your cholesterol is treated and reasonably controlled — even with medication — many applicants still qualify for Standard, and sometimes Preferred, rates. Underwriters look at your total cholesterol, your HDL ratio, and whether the numbers are trending in the right direction. Being on a statin is not a penalty; it shows the condition is managed. High cholesterol only becomes a larger factor when combined with other cardiovascular issues, which is why it pays to review your full picture before you apply.
Outcomes range widely depending on your history. Mild, well-controlled high cholesterol or high blood pressure often lands Standard or better. A single heart attack with good recovery and normal follow-up testing frequently qualifies for a Standard or Table-rated offer. More significant cardiac disease may be Table-rated (a set percentage above standard) or best served by a guaranteed-issue or simplified-issue policy that asks no medical questions. We’ll tell you honestly where you’re likely to land before you apply.
Three things make the biggest difference: applying to the carrier whose guidelines fit your exact history, presenting your medical records in their best accurate light (recent favorable test results help), and not firing off scattershot applications that leave a trail of declines. That’s what we do — we pre-screen your case with multiple carriers so you only formally apply where you’re likely to be approved at the best rate. If you’ve already had a denial or been denied by one company, don’t give up; a decline with one carrier is often an approval with another.
A heart condition should not keep you from protecting your family, and you should not accept an overpriced offer before your case has been compared across carriers. As an independent agency comparing more than 80 carriers, with 27 years of experience and 17,000+ clients served, we will tell you honestly where you are likely to land and shop the insurers most comfortable with cardiovascular history. Get My Rates Now → or call us directly at (888) 819-4750.
Prefer to start online? Our free, easy-to-use quote tool lets you see numbers in minutes, and because it is linked directly to our agency, most people reach us before they finish applying so we can route a cardiac case to the carrier that actually fits. Start your free quote →
This article is general information, not financial, tax, or medical advice; underwriting outcomes vary by carrier and individual circumstances.
Living with a heart condition, a past heart attack, or high cholesterol? We specialize in high-risk life insurance and compare carriers that approve applicants with cardiovascular and other conditions. Explore high-risk life insurance by state and situation:
States we serve:
Specialized situations:
