Funeral Insurance with Cystic Fibrosis: NO WAITING PERIOD

This condition is completely genetic and causes the forming of thickened mucus in the lungs and other organs.

Thankfully advancements in medical treatments and care have come a long way in increasing both quality of life and life expectancy.

This inherited condition affects 30,000 Americans with about 1,000 new cases diagnosed every year.

In this article we will discuss why this rare condition might matter to the top funeral insurance providers, company recommendations, and the basics of what this coverage is all about.

Now the question you have been wondering…

Can I get Funeral Insurance with Cystic Fibrosis (CF)?

YES! The truth is that even with this chronic condition you will still be able to qualify for immediate coverage.

What you will need to be aware of is which provider will accept this diagnosis and which will not.

But first, lets get a good understanding of insurance for burial and the basics it entails.

Coverage Basics

Funeral Insurance was designed specifically to provide seniors with an affordable way to pay for end-of-life expenses without leaving a burden behind for their loved ones to deal with.

All policies come with the following benefits:

• No Expiration
• Coverage Lock
• Price Lock
• Builds Cash Value
• No Medical Exam
• No Waiting Period Options

These policies are a type of Simplified Issue Whole Life coverage.

Simplified Issue means that you will never be asked to get a medical exam. This process can be done 100% over the phone.

Whole Life refers to the length of the policy, it lasts for the ENTIRE LIFE of the insured.

Not only does it not expire, but the monthly cost and coverage amount will never change. They are LOCKED IN.

One of the features is that it builds a cash value. What this means is that overtime you will have the opportunity to borrow against your policy should the need arise.

As mentioned above, you must qualify in order to get coverage with no waiting period. However, this is possible for the majority of people seeking this coverage.

These are all amazing features, most of which come standard with large Traditional Whole Life policies. Since these end-of-life policies come in smaller coverage amounts, it makes these benefits much more accessible by allowing for lower premiums costs.

Why CF Matters to Carriers

It is of interest to the carrier providing coverage that you are in good health.

This condition affects many parts of the body including the lungs, kidneys, liver, pancreas, and intestines. These are all vital organs that your body needs to function properly.

Aside from the issues that this progressive condition presents it can also lead to an increased risk of diabetes, liver disease, depression and other diagnoses.

Diabetes will additionally affect your ability to qualify for coverage depending on the age of when this diagnosis occurred and how you manage it.

Liver disease is another thing that applications for coverage will ask about. Depending on the treatment schedule and time of diagnosis could play a role in acceptance.

Depression will not affect coverage quite as much unless you are taking certain medications that are considered “knock-out” prescriptions by specific providers.

To learn more about how diabetes, liver disease, and depression can affect coverage options visit the “blog” section.

The treatment of your CF could also play a role.

The majority of medications used for treatment will not be of consequence however there are a few things to note.

If you have received or been recommended to have an organ transplant

This is something that will rule you out of being able to obtain immediate coverage. You will be able to get coverage but there is going to be a waiting period imposed.

If you are on continual oxygen to assist with breathing

This will greatly limit your ability to qualify for no waiting period coverage as well.

It is imperative that you let your agent know this information so they can make the most informed recommendations for coverage and submit an application that will not be denied.

Underwriting

Underwriting is the process that your application will go through to determine if you qualify for coverage.

Each company sets its own underwriting standards.

Some companies will accept certain health concerns that others will not. This is true of most diagnoses but is especially true when dealing with a CF diagnosis.

Good news though!

Most companies will not ask directly about this condition on the application.

There are, however, a few ways that you could see this question asked by the companies that do care about this condition.

“Have you ever been diagnosed or treated for cystic fibrosis?”

This could knock you out of immediate coverage and put you into a waiting period, or could be a complete denial.

“Within the last 24 months have you been diagnosed with or treated for cystic fibrosis?”

This will depend on your timeline of diagnosis and treatment for this disease. The inquired timeline could differ from carrier to carrier.

No mention of it at all

Some applications will not address this condition at all, essentially treating you as though you do not have it.

The application questioning could refer to this diagnosis as a Chronic Lung Condition rather than outright referring to it by name. You will see examples of this later in this article when we make policy recommendations.

There are multiple ways companies will react to your answer to the questions.

1: Immediate coverage and low cost

This is referred to as a LEVEL plan. There will be no waiting period and you will essentially be able to qualify for the pricing that people who do not have CF get.

2: Immediate coverage and slightly higher prices

This would still be considered a LEVEL plan because of the immediate coverage, however, due to your health you will be charged a slightly higher monthly premium.

3: Coverage with a high cost and waiting period

This would be considered either a GRADED or MODIFIED plan. The difference between these two plans would be the payout structure during the waiting period. Each company will set its own payout structure for this.

4: Denial of coverage

As it sounds, this would rule you out of being able to receive coverage from the company.

This is why it is important to work with an agent that represents multiple companies in order to get you the best plan and to not be denied.

Best Companies

Let’s define what “best company” really means.

The best company for someone will give the most coverage for the lowest price and provide protection as soon as possible – all from a reputable company.

Please keep in mind that the best company for you could be vastly different from your friend, cousin, or even spouse. Remember, each company has different qualifying standards.

With this in mind, the recommendations below are for those who have CF only. No other medical concerns are taken into consideration when detailing these plans.

If you have another medical concern please speak with an agent to see what you are able to qualify for.

Royal Neighbors of America

This company has highly rated financial stability and lenient underwriting guidelines when compared to other carriers.

The reason this relaxed underwriting matters is because people with CF are able to qualify for immediate coverage at very affordable rates as though they do not even have this diagnosis.

There are 2 plans available to people 50-75 years of age:

Level – Low cost & immediate coverage

Graded – Higher cost & 2-year waiting period

During the Graded policy’s waiting period the payout structure is as follows.

• Death in year 1 – 30% of coverage paid out
• Death in year 2 – 70% of coverage paid out
• Death in year 3 or later – 100% of coverage paid

Out of the 9 health questions on the application, none of them ask about CF or chronic lung conditions.

The only potential issue you could come across in regards to this diagnosis is if you have been advised to receive or have received an organ transplant or liver disease.

Otherwise, the Level plan from Royal Neighbors of America is your best option.

To see the full list of 9 medical questions visit the “blog” section under the main menu.

Quotes:

Foresters Financial

This provider offers great options for coverage and has a highly rated financial status.

Foresters Financial will offer immediate coverage to those with a CF diagnosis aged 50-85.

The 3 plans offered are:

Preferred – Low cost & immediate coverage (Level)

Standard – Slightly higher cost & immediate coverage (Level)

Basic – High cost & 2-year waiting period (Modified)

To determine which plan you are eligible for, see the requirement below as it relates to CF.

Health Question:

1. Have you ever been diagnosed with, or received or been advised to receive treatment or medication for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), chronic bronchitis, emphysema, or any other type of chronic lung disease or ongoing respiratory condition (excluding asthma or sleep apnea)?

If you answer “YES” to the above question you could qualify for the Standard plan.

If you answer “NO” to the above question you could qualify for the Preferred plan.

Each of these options offer coverage with no waiting period, Standard is slightly more expensive than Preferred, but they both offer the same great coverage.

Similar to Royal Neighbors, if you have had a lung transplant you will be ineligible, however, if you have been diagnosed with liver disease you are eligible for Standard coverage with no waiting period.

To see a full list of qualifying health questions visit the “blog” section under the main menu and search for the Foresters Financial review.

Quotes:

Guarantee Trust Life

This company offers one policy option, The Heritage Plan, that offers coverage with extremely lenient guidelines in order to qualify.

This policy asks a total of 5 health questions, none of which ask about a CF diagnosis.

Another positive thing about this plan is that it is offered to people from 40 to 90 years of age. This is one of very few carriers that offer coverage to this wide of an age range.

Due to the leniency this plan allows, there is a 2-year waiting period before full coverage can be awarded, however there is partial coverage after just one year.

Waiting period payout structure:

• Death in year 1 – return of paid premiums +5%
• Death in year 2 – 50% of policy amount paid
• Death in year 3 or later – 100% of policy paid

This is an extremely liberal payout structure for how accepting this policy is with medical conditions.

This policy would be right for someone who has had other medical concerns in addition to CF and is unable to qualify for the prior two plans.

Liver disease is not mentioned on the application however, if you have received an organ transplant within the last 2 years you will be unable to qualify and should move forward with a no-questions-asked guaranteed acceptance plan. (If this is you, we recommend AIG’s Guaranteed Issue policy.)

For more information on The Heritage Plan from Guarantee Trust Life and to see all 5 health questions please visit the “blog” section under the main menu and search for this company’s review.

Quotes:

Captive vs Independent Agencies

These two types of agencies are both held to the same standards and are both able to provide plans to the general public. However, what they represent is very different from one another.

A captive agency is able to sell coverage from one carrier only.

This essentially handcuffs the agents to specific policies and does not allow them the freedom to choose the plans that they represent. Often times these agencies sell coverage over multiple lines including home, life, and auto. These agencies have high brand awareness with several Superbowl commercial slots.

An independent agency is able to provide coverage options from many carriers.

This allows the agents to offer a much wider variety of plans within an area. This gives the client more options as not every person is looking for the same exact features in their coverage, nor are they able to qualify for the same exact plan.

Working with an independent agency opens up more possibilities but doesn’t take up any additional time.

If you wanted to price check between multiple captive agencies you would have to call around and do the work yourself. With an independent agency, you make one phone call and let the agent do all the work for you.

Rely on the expert with the resources.

Why Willamette Life

Willamette Life is an independent agency that specializes specifically in finding coverage for end-of-life expenses.

We offer several plans from many companies. By doing this our agents are able to place each unique individual with the plan that meets their wants and needs.

Our agents take tremendous pride in their responsibility of helping you to understand the process, your plan options, and making you feel comfortable along the way.

From Tennessee to Arizona, Willamette Life is here to assist you and your family.

Final Thoughts

a. It is easy to get affordable Funeral Insurance with cystic fibrosis if you apply for coverage with a company that will accept this condition.

b. There are several companies that will provide coverage to those with this condition and several that will not, it is in your best interest to find one that will. We recommend Royal Neighbors of America to get the lowest rate.

c. Working with an independent agency like Willamette Life will give you the best options to choose from. This will save time and money by relying on help from the expert.

Give Willamette Life a call at 844-576-0019