Annoyed by the prospect of paying more for life insurance because you have high cholesterol? You are not alone. However, it doesn't have to go that way.

In fact, if your cholesterol is well controlled with medication, and you are in good health otherwise, you may qualify for the best rates. The purpose of this review is to give you an idea about how to goa about finding the best offer.

Can I Be Approved For Life Insurance With High  Cholesterol?

All applicants for life insurance can high cholesterol are eligible to obtain a life insurance policy.

However, the policy type that you can purchase, and the rates you will have to pay will be dependent on your current condition, how well it is being handled, and your general health condition.

Since underwriting standards differ based on the type of insurance policy you’ve selected, this review for life insurance with high cholesterol has been divided into 3 sections (Click on the button below to jump directly to the desired section)

What Information Will  Life Insurance Companies Want To Know About My Cholesterol?

For underwriting your life insurance application, your insurance provider will ask you about your current symptoms, the treatments you’ve undergone, the medication you’ve used, and other medical information. To learn more about the life insurance underwriting process, take a look at the life insurance for dummies post.

Will I Need To Take An Exam For High Cholesterol Life Insurance?

To qualify for the best possible premium rates, you might have to complete a medical examination. High cholesterol cases that have been treated and controlled well are usually eligible for insurance policies without a medical examination. However, applicants whose condition is not in control will have to go through a medical examination.

It’s a paramedical examination where your urine and blood samples will be collected. The examination will be administered by a traveling nurse at zero cost at your time and place of choosing.

If it turns out that simplified issue or guaranteed issue policies are the best fit for your application, no exam will be required. See How Term Life Insurance Works for more on the exam. 

How Much Will My Life Insurance Cost And How Exactly Are My Rates Affected By My Cholesterol Levels?

Your term insurance premium rates will be dependent on the underwriting class that you’re categorized into by your insurance carrier. Applicants who have high cholesterol are generally rated standard (rare) or lower. We’ve discussed this issue further using pricing samples and rating guides. Sample pricing details for guaranteed issue and simplified issue policies have been provided in the links.

How Accurate Are The high cholesterol life insurance Quotes I Get From Your Quote Tool? 

Our website’s quote tool will generate 100% accurate life insurance quotes for your application, provided you’ve entered the right information. If you submit the right information, the quotes displayed by our tool will also be correct. A lot of people often believe themselves to be worse off or better off than they actually are, which affects the information entered and the results given by online quote tools.

If you’re not sure about your rate class, you can select a range to find the best results. You can also fill out our customized quote form. We’ll reach out to you at the earliest to discuss your application.

How Can I Improve My Underwriting Rating And Lower My high Cholesterol Life Insurance Cost?

The best ways to improve your insurance rating include using an agent who has inside access to companies that are likelier to view your application favorably.

When it comes to lifestyle factors, we recommend taking exercise and diet more seriously. Quit smoking and limit your alcohol consumption as well. This will reflect accordingly in your blood test reports.

Applicants with autoimmune medical conditions like high cholesterol are advised to document how well they’ve been complying with medical advice and whether they’ve been taking medication regularly. A letter from your physician acknowledging your improvement and compliance would also be helpful.

By doing these things, you’ll be able to improve your insurance rating and general health significantly.

What Are The Best Life Insurance Companies For High Cholesterol?

Every life insurance company has its own risk appetite for specific conditions. This is reflected in its underwriting standards and premium pricing. A simplified issue carrier is state-dependent. The three top term insurance carriers for high cholesterol applicants are Banner, Prudential, and American General (AIG).

But if you want to bag the best possible insurance policy at the lowest rates, we recommend working with a high-experienced independent agent. You can go through this case study to understand it better.

What Is The Application Process For Life Insurance With High Cholesterol?

Irrespective of your preexisting condition, the insurance application process tends to be mostly the same for all carriers. It’s an 8-step procedure that including selecting your terms, your carrier, undergoing a medical examination, and signing relevant documents (either physically or digitally). We’ve covered this 8 step process is laid out for you here.

Traditional Term Life Insurance With High Cholesterol

Although it’s rare for life insurance offers to be ‘table rated’ solely due to your cholesterol issues, the fact of the matter is that a high cholesterol level puts you at greater risk for other conditions as well. You may be given table rated insurance offers due to your high cholesterol condition and associated risks. However, do note that your rating’s severity may vary to a great extent, which is why we recommend using an agent who knows how to handle the applications of people suffering from cardiac issues and has greater access to insurance carriers that are receptive to their needs.

Obtaining term life insurance with high cholesterol is no different from obtaining it with Sleep Apnea,  Heart Attack, AFib, or other specific health conditions.

Term life insurance policies are usually available for a period ranging between 5 – 30 years. The most widely purchased insurance plans have a term period of 20 years. Their face value often starts at $50,000. The policies are subject to termination when the term period comes to an end. However, you can renew it again, albeit at vastly higher rates.

Possible Underwriting Ratings With High Cholesterol

Life insurance applications are usually evaluated on a case by case basis, meaning that 2 people who have the same condition and age may be quoted vastly different premium rates by the same insurance carrier, depending on the patient’s compliance history and time elapsed since the diagnosis.

We’ve provided the following premium pricing scenarios here based on our own experience:

Best Case Scenario – Applicants whose high cholesterol is being controlled well – total cholesterol < 250 and LDL/HDL ratio < 5 – may be able to qualify for Preferred Plus ratings, even if they’re using a statin. Just use the premium quote tool given to the right.

Mid Case Scenario – If you’ve managed to get your high cholesterol down to acceptable levels but it still falls short of your carrier’s standards for preferred rates.

Read more about table ratings.

Worst Case Scenario – Applicants whose high cholesterol hasn’t been controlled effectively but are undergoing active treatment may be quoted substandard premiums in the range table 2/B – 4/D, based on how severe their case is.

Pricing For Term Life Insurance with High Cholesterol

We stated in the beginning that any person could obtain affordable life insurance with high cholesterol. However, it is important to note the distinction between ‘affordable’ and ‘low cost’ or ‘inexpensive’. That’s because life insurance with high cholesterol levels isn’t always cheap.

You may find it difficult to find the best term life insurance policy with high cholesterol. That’s because different insurance carriers have different risk appetites, which makes this process slightly more taxing and complicated. We’ve discussed this further in a case study given below.

Why You Should Use An Independent Agent When Shopping For Life Insurance With High Cholesterol

We’ve already covered how 2 people suffering from the same condition and circumstances could be quoted vastly different premium rates from the very same insurance carrier. But did you know that insurance companies also employ different standards for different conditions?

For instance, Prudential Financial might have more lenient underwriting standards for RA compared to SBLI. The premiums quoted here would reflect such an increased risk appetite.

Some agents represent only a single carrier. Most people don’t find out until late that they could’ve brought their premiums down by 35% or 45%, had they gone for a different insurance carrier.

Selecting an independent insurance agent who works with multiple carriers can help you stay away from such woes.

Case Study Pricing Policies With High Cholesterol

Please see the case study below . it will show why it is in your interest to have as many options as possible available when shopping for life insurance with High Cholesterol or any other impairment.

Gender: Male Age: 43

$500000 20 Year Term

Tobacco: No

Fairly well controlled  High Cholesterol

HDL/LDL ratio of 5  & total cholesterol 275

Statin use  (crestor) No Other Health Concerns

This looks like a standard/preferred case that might get a better rating with one or two carriers. depending on the insurers appetite for a cholesterol risk.. Let's take a look at the rates.

This table provides information on the premiums quoted by a few major life insurance carriers and can be used for comparing the prices. For a standard rating, Prudential happens to be 12.5% costlier compared to Lincoln.

At first glance, Lincoln might seem like the best choice you have. If both carriers assign you the same underwriting grade, it really is that simple.

However, the process is more complicated if the applicant is suffering from high cholesterol.

Since life insurance carriers have different risk appetites and may be more stringent or lenient with their underwriting grades, it is important to know what grades these companies might assign you.

In the above case, Prudential will assign you Preferred Plus rating whereas other competitively priced companies will only assign a Standard rating, making Prudential the better option despite its higher cost.

You won’t know this unless you’re familiar with the ins and outs of the insurance industry. Using independent agents in this scenario could help you save over 50% in premiums (the prices difference between Lincoln’s Standard plan and Prudential’s Preferred Plus plan).

Your Next Step

Now that you know the information you will need to receive the most accurate quote possible, it's time to gather the information and speak to an independent Agent (raising my hand).

Simply give us a call or shoot an email over and we can get you started.

We are committed to totally transparent pricing (we'll even share our computer screen with you if you'd like), and making the application process as painless as possible.

If you have any questions, We'd like to hear them.

Fast Facts About High Cholesterol

While LDL or "bad" cholesterol can lead to heart disease, some cholesterol is essential.

Fast facts from the Centers for Disease Control :

People with high LDL are twice as likely to develop heart disease.

71 million adults- or a little more than a third of the adult population in the U.S.- has high LDL cholesterol.

Only half of the people with high cholesterol get any treatment, and only one third have it under control.

What Is Cholesterol?

Cholesterol is a waxy substance that's found in all cells of your body.

Cholesterol is needed in the formation of hormones, vitamin D, and helping  you digest foods. The human  body makes all the cholesterol it needs. However, cholesterol also is found in some  foods.

Cholesterol traverses  the  bloodstream in  lipo-proteins made up of fat (lipid) on the inside and proteins on the outside.

Llipo-proteins come in two forms: LDL or  low-density lipoproteins  and HDL or high-density lipo-proteins . Healthy levels of both types of lipo-proteins is essential.

LDL cholesterol is often referred to as "bad" cholesterol. An elevated LDL level leads to a buildup of cholesterol in your arteries. 

HDL cholesterol often referred to as  "good" cholesterol. This is because it delivers cholesterol from other parts of your body back to the liver. 

Drugs that are prescribed other than statins, are:

Nniacin- prescription strength Vitamin B complex.

Examples include:

• Niaspan
• Nicoar

Bile acid sequestrants - These drugs work at the intestinal level, stopping bile from being reabsorbed by the liver.

Examples include:

• Colestipol (Colestid)
• Cholestyramine (Prevalite)
• Colesevelam (WelChol)

The Red Carpet

Several well known personalities have suffered from high cholesterol. Among them are  former President Bill Clinton , singer Marie Osmond, Olympic swimmer Mark Spitz, actress Jessica Alba, and  television personality Regis Philbin.