Life insurance for those 50+ with Diverticular Disease {Quick Guide}

Are you a 50, 60, 70, or 80 year old person that has Diverticular Disease? Are you growing worried as you busily research online how to find the best life insurance policy you can find.

STOP! 

You found the right place for help. No need to keep searching. 

I’m an experienced agent that has discovered affordable life insurance for many individuals with Diverticular Disease. 

So you aren’t alone or unusual in your quest. In fact, your chronic condition is extremely common and is often considered a typical part of aging. 

It’s been reported by various sources, including NIDDK, that 58 percent of Americans aged 60 years or older have Diverticulosis

This means a whopping 41 Million U.S. citizens have abnormal pockets (called diverticula) in their digestive tract, predominantly appearing in the colon. 

Of those 60+ Americans with Diverticulosis, as many as 5 Million people will eventually develop Diverticulitis or an infection, abscess, or blockage within their diverticular. 

Here’s the thing…maybe your Diverticulitis or Diverticulosis has caused you some pain and discomfort, as well as adversely affected your life from time-to-time. 

Nonetheless, your Diverticular Disease is NOT life-threatening. 

Life insurance companies know this and so they usually aren’t very concerned about issuing you a great insurance policy. 

In fact, many applicants are able to secure a Preferred Rating with the lowest premium possible or a Standard Rating with the average premium amount, as long as they meet other lifestyle and medical guidelines. 

Read on for more details about applying for life insurance in your 50s, 60s, 70s and beyond with Diverticulosis or Diverticulitis. 

Overview: Insurance Ratings with Diverticulosis/Diverticulitis 

I put together the below overview of common insurance ratings for applicants with Diverticular Disease. Let’s take a look! 

·         Impact on Application: Typically Minor

·         Best Rating: Preferred (Premier Premium)

·         Worst Rating: Substandard/Table Rating (minimum of 25% rate up)

·         Common Rating: Standard (Average Premium)

·         Main Factors: Severity and Medical Treatments 

Always remember, the life insurance rating you’re assigned isn’t just about your Diverticulosis/Diverticulitis. 

In order to determine your final rating, insurance companies will evaluate multiple aspects of your life such as other chronic conditions and any risky lifestyle choices.

Let’s dig a little deeper and find out more about insurance ratings with Diverticular Disease

What Are Life Insurance Ratings? 

A big portion of my clients tell me they have no idea how many different rates and premium categories there are for life insurance. 

So the first thing we need to do is go over what exactly life insurance ratings are and how they work. 

My chart below is a great way to better understand the four different rating classes, the reason a life insurer will pick a particular rating, and how the ratings affect your pricing.

RatingReason For RatingPremium Pricing
Preferred PlusHealthiest, Lowest Risk ApplicantsBest Pricing Possible
PreferredVery Healthy, Low RiskBetter Than Average
StandardControlled Medical ConditionAverage Pricing
Sub-Standard (aka Table Rating)Chronic Illness (Moderate to Severe)Below Average Pricing, about a 25% rate up per Table

Insider Tip: Each insurance carrier may have a slightly different view of your condition. As a result, Insurance Company A might give you a Prefered Rating and Insurance Company B may give you a Standard Rating. 

Well, I’ve been doing this a long time and know all the top life insurance companies for people over 50 and how they will look at your particular application.

So don’t sweat it! Give me a call now and I’ll find you the life insurer that will be most lenient when reviewing your Diverticulosis/Diverticulitis diagnosis. 

Ratings for People with Diverticulosis and Diverticulitis

Insurance ratings for those with Diverticular Disease are relatively uncomplicated. 

I promise, figuring out your rating isn’t nearly as complex as for applicants with other diseases such as Migraines or Meningitis

Preferred Rating

You may receive the Preferred Rating if you experience a mild case of Diverticulitis more than one year ago. 

Life insurers will want to be sure you did not require ongoing medical treatments or prescription medications. 

You may also receive a Preferred Rating if you have Diverticulosis without any complications like an infection or bleeding. 

A few traditional life insurance policies will require you have a colonoscopy or CT scan performed that will confirm there is no infection or blockages. 

If you don’t have the diagnostic test done then some insurance companies may be too nervous to put you in their very best rating category. 

So you may end up being bumped down to a Standard Rating which is still pretty good and comes with the average premium. 

Finally, to get a Preferred Rating, you’ll need to be in good overall physical and mental condition to be considered for the very best rating class. 

Standard Rating

You could receive a Standard Rating if you have been diagnosed with the more advanced illness, Diverticulitis. Yet you do not have bothersome ongoing symptoms like irregular bowel movements, bleeding, or abdominal pain. 

If you are someone with such a moderate case, it’s certainly possible to secure a Standard Rating with average premiums. 

Keep in mind, those more traditional life insurers (some but not all) might ask you to have a CT scan or colonoscopy to verify your situation really is moderate. 

Substandard Table Rating

You’ll usually get a Substandard Table Rating if you are living with a very intense case of Diverticulitis that:

  • requires you to regularly take painkillers
  • you’ve had multiple surgeries (such as a colon resection) but still have symptoms
  • you experience left lower quadrant pain, fever, bleeding, and leukocytosis
  • any sign of hemorrhages, perforations, obstructions, or malabsorption

You’ll usually get a Substandard Table Rating if you are living with a very intense case of Diverticulosis that:

  • You needed surgery even though you’re technically in the first phase of Diverticular Disease 
  • You’ve had complications like fibulas or abscesses 
  • Also has other chronic medical conditions

I will tell you that the carrier will take a closer look at the seriousness of your surgery, how significant your complications or symptoms are, and how long since your last flare-up. 

Each of these details will help the life insurer figure out which Table Rating to assign. 

As you recall, for each level of a Table Rating there is a 25% mark-up in the base premium. Basically you’re paying extra because you are a higher risk. 

Usually I see the Table Ratings for serious Diverticulitis and Diverticulosis cases beginning around a Table 2 or 50% premium rate-up

Possible Decline

If the life insurer decides you should be rated at a Table 8 Rating or higher (200% rate up or more) then you’ll most likely be a decline for that particular carrier. 

Some insurance companies may decline your application if you have any signs of internal hemorrhaging because of your Diverticulosis. had signs of internal hemorrhaging due to their Diverticulosis.

Insider Tip: Did your doctor recommend Diverticulitis surgery to help with your symptoms? If so, you’ll need to have the surgery done and then wait a minimum of 6 months before applying for most traditional life insurance policies. 

Now that you read through all the Insider Information I’ve provided, you may still be wondering what will happen to YOUR application. How will YOU be rated? 

Just pick up the phone and call me! Let’s talk about YOU and figure things out. 

We’ve had a ton of experience working with intestinal and digestive issues including IBS, Crohn’s Disease, Ulcerative Colitis, Colon Polyps…..and Diverticular Disease too. 

The Application: Diverticulosis and Diverticulitis Questions

I thought you’d find the below list of frequently asked Diverticular Disease questions very helpful. 

By going over them now, you won’t be surprised when they pop up on your application. 

  1. What date were you originally diagnosed with Diverticulosis or Diverticulitis? 
  2. What steps did your doctor take to figure out you had Diverticulosis or Diverticulitis? 
  3. Do you have scleroderma which is causing the Diverticulosis or Diverticulitis? 
  4. How many flare-ups have you had? How frequently do they occur? 
  5. What was the date of your last flare-up? 
  6. What type of symptoms do you experience? 
  7. bloating, abdominal pain or gas buildup
  8. How did your doctor treat your Diverticulosis or Diverticulitis?
  9. Have you gone through surgery to treat your condition? 
  10. Did the surgery resolve your symptoms? Or do you still deal with symptoms? 
  11. What, if any, prescription drugs are you taking because of your Diverticular Disease?  
  12.  Have your diverticulosis led to any complications like abscesses, fistulas, or internal bleeding?
  13.  Do you go to regular visits with your gastroenterologist? 
  14.  Does your doctor recommend you follow a particular diet such as high fiber?  If so, do you follow that diet or not? 
  15.  Do you have a family history of colon cancer?
  16. What, if any, other chronic health conditions do you manage? 

Now that you know what will be asked on your application and how your application may be rated, the only thing left to do is give me a call! 

Let Me Help You & Your Family 

Most of your peers also have Diverticulosis or Diverticulitis…it’s really just a fact of life and part of the aging process. 

So why worry that you might be someone that will be denied an excellent life insurance policy? 

Don’t go another day without the right coverage for your family. After all, they are counting on you to do the right thing. 

Let me help you and your family insure the future…..today. Give me a call in the office right now! 

Or if you’d like, go ahead and complete an online form to get 50+ life insurance quotes