| What if you are applying for term life insurance and | | | | heart attack, stroke, and heart disease. This is a main |
| you have no health issues...but...you are overweight for | | | | concern for term life insurance carriers as it pertains to |
| your height? Can this affect your ability to qualify for | | | | height/weight. |
| coverage and/ore the rates offered by the carrier? | | | | There are other issues that are affected by height |
| Yes. Let's find out why and by how much so you go | | | | weight ratios. For example, Diabetes can be a function |
| into the process with correct expectations for your | | | | of a higher weight for a given height. Although |
| given situation. | | | | Diabetes can be treated these days, it is a systemic |
| First, why is height and weight a consideration in your | | | | break-down at a basic level that impacts all parts of |
| process of applying for term life insurance? There is a | | | | the body. |
| significant amount of data that shows a link between | | | | How does height/weight affect term life rates and |
| height/weight ratio and other health issues. Some of | | | | eligibility |
| these issues do not impact the basis for life insurance | | | | The carriers have rate charts that they look at. For a |
| while others are pretty obvious. The most obvious and | | | | given height (different for male and female), an ideal |
| probably most critical is cardio vascular health. | | | | rate would fall into a range. For example, if you are a |
| Cardiovascular is essentially the system comprised of | | | | 5'9" male, the maximum rate a given carrier might |
| heart, lungs, and the vein/artery network throughout | | | | have for their best health class and rate could be 190. |
| the body. Heart attacks, strokes, and heart disease | | | | For the next tier down, Preferred, it might be 205. |
| are major causes of death and disability in the United | | | | Finally, for the Standard tier, it might be 235 pounds. |
| States. The simplest tie between height/weight ratios | | | | This means, it will be difficult if not impossible to qualify |
| and cardiovascular health is the fact that more weight | | | | for life insurance with this particular carrier if you are a |
| means more work for the heart. We have even had | | | | 5'9" male that weighs more than 235. This is without |
| professional body builders with a very low fat | | | | looking at our health or risk issues that you may have |
| percentage declined coverage or offered higher rates. | | | | separate from height and weight. |
| When discussed with the underwriter, she said even | | | | The tier offered for term life insurance directly impacts |
| though the applicant was in superior health, the extra | | | | the rates you are ultimately offered. For $500K of |
| weight (in this case muscle) puts a strain on the heart | | | | term life over 20 years for a 49 year old, the best rate |
| which must support all tissue in the body. | | | | average might be around $65/monthly; for Preferred |
| A higher height/weight ratio usually corresponds with | | | | Plus around $79/monthly; for Preferred - around $109 |
| other medical signatures of poor cardio-vascular health. | | | | monthly, and for Standard - around $138/monthly. This |
| Blood pressure and elevated cholesterol can both be a | | | | is a significant jump in premium. Some carriers may not |
| function of genetics and lifestyle decisions (sometimes | | | | be competitive at different classes as well. This dollar |
| reflected in height/weight ratio). All of these can be | | | | difference is the ultimate effect of how height and |
| contributing issues to heart-related risk as it pertains to | | | | weight affects your options for term life insurance. |