Best Rates for Over 50 Life Insurance After Stent Surgery

Can you get over 50 life insurance if you have had stent surgery?  I will answer that and more in this article.

Look…here’s the deal…

It is estimated that nearly 600,000 people go through coronary angioplasty procedures each year. For most of those individuals, implantation of a permanent coronary stent is part of having a successful angioplasty.

The stent, usually made of mesh, is used to prop open the blocked artery and increase the blood flow going forward.

A stent may be inserted during an emergency procedure or used as a preventative measure.

The majority of cardiac patients find the stent surgery to be extremely beneficial. After all, a cardiac stent lowers the individual’s chances of heart attack and aneurysm, as well as reducing chest pain.  

Since the 1990s, Americans have routinely been treated with cardiac stents. There are plenty of people that receive multiple stents in various blocked arteries over time.

Nearly 30 years after the FDA first approved stents for use, they are considered a routine medical treatment.

Who doesn’t know an individual with at least one cardiac stent?

Are you someone that has received one or more heart stents?

Are you shopping for affordable over 50 life insurance after receiving a coronary stent?

Are you worried your cardiac stent will keep you from finding great life insurance for you and your family?

Why worry? Life insurance companies understand that stent surgery is common. So the carrier will not be fearful of insuring an individual that has a history of stents.

Instead, the life insurer will mostly be concerned about the effectiveness of the stent procedure, as well as what actually caused the need for a stent.

Give us a call for assistance in finding an insurance carrier that has a record of doing right by individuals with cardiac stents.

In the meantime, take a look at some of our advice on getting a great life insurance policy after stent surgery.

Biggest take-away from the pro tips below: best rating outcome for applicants with a stent is a Standard to Mild Substandard Rating.

Don’t stop reading there! I think all the pro tips below will put your mind at ease and help you feel more confident in applying for coverage. So let’s get started…

Your Life Insurance Rating After Stent Surgery

Cardiac issues can be complicated and stent surgery is no different. Insurance companies will review all the different nuances of your diagnosis, procedure, follow-up care, and current physical condition.

Of course, the cardiac stent is important but it isn’t everything. The carrier will also look at your overall medical history and lifestyle choices when evaluating you as a risk for over 50 life insurance.

Such a broad and in-depth analysis helps the life insurer decide if you may be a high risk individual and which rating level is fair.

Common Ratings for Applicants with Stents

Each life insurer is different in their guidelines and their rating decisions.

However, in all our years of helping applicants, we’ve found a standard pattern in rating outcomes for those who are 50+ seeking life insurance that have cardiac stents.

Standard Rating: If the insurance carrier is willing to approve you at a Standard Rating, it is normally expected that you:

• • Only had one affected artery

• • No complications resulting from the coronary stent

• • A significant amount of time (5 years or more) has passed since your stent surgery

• • No other underlying health issues exist
• • You completed all the required follow-up doctor visits and diagnostic testing

Mild Substandard (Table) Rating: This is the typical rating category assigned to individuals who have undergone a stent procedure.

If the insurance carrier is willing to approve you at a Mild Substandard Rating, it is normally expected that:

• • Two or less arteries were involved

• • No complications resulting from the coronary stent

• • You completed all the required follow-up doctor visits and diagnostic testing
• • Suffered a heart attack but currently have your Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) under good control

Moderate Substandard (Table) Rating: This rating is not uncommon if you meet any of the below criteria.

• • More than two arteries involved

• • More than four cardiac stents in place

• • Diabetes with A1C over 7

• • Diagnosed with diabetes before age 50

• • You experienced restenosis of the stent

• • You had a heart attack that caused the stent surgery

• • You have confirmed heart damage (ischemia)

• • You have a high BMI and/or are overweight

• • You have uncontrolled high blood pressure or high cholesterol

• • You suffer from sleep apnea
  • You were diagnosed with anxiety or depression

Postponed: Expect a delay in your application if you have any important diagnostic testing scheduled.

The insurance company will put your application on hold until they receive the cardiac test results.

Declined: It is rare that an applicant will be declined for life insurance because of a coronary stent.

However, being declined for life insurance is very likely if you went through the stent surgery less than six months before applying for coverage.

This is because most complications of cardiac stents will happen within the six months following the surgery.

You may also be declined for an over 50 life insurance policy if you continue to experience chest pain since having the stent implanted.

This is because the life insurer will be concerned you are dealing with restenosis or possibly another blocked artery.

Are you in this situation? Do you fit any of the criteria for a decline?

If so, please give me a call to talk about your specific case and figure out how to best secure affordable life insurance when you are 50+.

There’s plenty of solutions for all different types of applicant problems – even yours!

6 Factors for Better Ratings After Stent Surgery

1. 1. Recent Test Results: You have a stress echocardiogram completed within the last 18 months and resting Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction (LVEF) is 55% or higher, no damage to the heart muscle found, and Metabolic Equivalent of Tasks (METs) of 12-15.
   2. Date of Stent Surgery: Better ratings are given to those applicants that received a stent 5 or more years ago. This is because the longer you’ve lived with a cardiac stent (and no complications) then the more stable your health appears to the carrier.
   3. Age During Stent Surgery: Better ratings are reserved for those applicants that were 60 years or older when going through the stent placement.  Younger people that go through a stent surgery may be viewed as higher risk. The life insurer will wonder if the younger person has a poor diet, sedentary lifestyle, or chronic medical conditions.
   4. Event Leading to Stent Surgery: If you had the cardiac stent procedure as a preemptive action then that will be in your favor (i.e. better rates).  Those individuals that had the stent placement during an emergency surgery caused by, let’s say, a heart attack – expect a lower rating with higher premiums. The life insurer will be focused on the riskiness of insuring someone that has already gone through a life-threatening event.
   5. Location of Stent: Distal branches of the cardiac artery are responsible for less blood flow and, therefore, a blockage in that area means less chance of heart damage. So if you have a distal stent then you’ll be viewed more favorably by the life insurer.  Also, better rates are available if your stent surgery was completed in the circumflex artery rather than the more serious left anterior descending artery (LAD), known as the “widow maker”.
   6. Positive Lifestyle: You diet, you exercise, you do not use tobacco or drink excessively.

Best Rate Tip: Quit Smoking! Some life insurers charge smokers over 300% higher rates than non-smoking individuals with stents. Make the change to not smoking for your overall health AND lower life insurance premiums.

Application Questions About Your Stent Surgery

Life insurance companies are likely to ask you plenty of questions about your coronary stent surgery. The carrier will use your answers to determine the most fair rating category.

Never leave out any important details because it could complicate your application process or possibly lead to a flat-out decline.

These are some of the most common questions insurance companies ask about stent surgery when considering you for over 50 life insurance:

• How many cardiac stents do you have?
• What was the reason for each of the stent surgeries? Did you have a stroke or heart attack?
• What was the date of your stent surgery?
• What medications did your cardiologist prescribe after surgery?
• What was the date of your last stress test? What were the results of the stress test?
• What, if any, diagnostic tests have been performed since the stent surgery? For example, did you have a stress test, ECG, or EKG?
• Have you made any lifestyle changes since the stent surgery? Have you stopped smoking, lost weight, or improved your physical fitness?
• Have you experienced any chest pains since receiving the stent?
• Do you have any chronic medical conditions such as AFib, diabetes, high blood pressure, or high cholesterol?

Common Complications of Stent Surgery

Insurance carriers will also look closely at your medical records to spot any risky complications following your stent surgery.

The complications they will be most curious about include:

• • Infection

• • Bleeding

• • Allergic reaction

• • Irregular heartbeat

• • Blood vessel damage

• • Blood clots
  • Restenosis

All of this information can be very helpful but somewhat overwhelming. We totally get that!

Therefore, the best thing to do is simply give us a call today.

We can discuss your particular concerns, coverage needs, and budget limits. We’ll help you figure out the best life insurance policy and then carefully walk you through the application process.

So if you had stent surgery and are looking for 50+ life insurance, we’re here to help. Give us a call or run a free online quote now!