Healthy and Turned Down for Life Insurance? Here's What to Do

You are in good health and you see your doctoralerting the applicants to serious medical problems.
regularly, so what should you do now that youEven if all tests come back negative, you may
were turned down for life insurance based on theface some challenges in buying life insurance in the
results of the medical exam?future unless the trouble area is cleared up.
The first step is not to panic. While it is possibleYou see, insurance companies have access to the
that a life insurance medical exam can revealresults of your previous insurance exam through
serious health problems of which you might notthe Medical Information Bureau (MIB), a
have been aware, in many cases you may beclearinghouse of medical information that insurers
denied insurance or charged higher premiumsshare, and while you can request your MIB file
simply because the medical underwriter foundand have outright errors removed, the results of
something troubling that he or she could notyour test, although unfavorable and perhaps
explain from your medical history.unexplained, may not be wrong.
Medical underwriters specialize in classifying risks,When you next apply for life insurance, you will
and when they find something abnormal  highprobably need to make an argument to the
levels of liver enzymes or blood sugar results thatinsurer as to why it should offer you a policy (or
are off the charts, for example  in many casesa policy at a better price), even if you apply to a
they will decline or postpone a decision rather thandifferent insurer. Fortunately this may not be hard.
make a guess as to the nature of the problemProviding the life insurance company with the
and the medical risks involved.results of tests that show you do not have
"We are in the risk-assessment business, not themedical conditions associated with the results of
diagnosis business," says Dr. Stephen Zimmerman,your insurance medical exam can go a long way
chief medical director for American General Lifetoward helping you go from no life insurance to
Cos.being able to buy an affordable life insurance
Your Next Stepspolicy.
First, ask the insurance company for the specific"The tests you've taken will allow the insurer to
details of your life insurance application denial. Allexclude some serious diseases," says Dr. Robert
states have laws requiring an insurance companyGleeson, a vice president and medical underwriter
to provide the specific reasons for any declination.at Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Co. "Each
Some states permit the information to be sentnegative result on a medical test would make me
directly to the applicant. In other states, anyfeel better and better about underwriting a case
medically related reasons must be sent to alike this."
physician of your choice. If the reason you wereIt is up to you, however, to make sure that the
denied life insurance was lab work done as part ofinsurer has that information because even
your application, a copy of the lab work will befavorable tests can sometimes slip through the
sent to your doctor. If the reason wascracks. So be sure that your doctors have sent
information contained in a physician's report, theall of the relevant tests to the life insurance
specific reason, and possibly a copy of the reportcompany, and that the insurer knows how to
from which the information came, can be sent tocontact all of the doctors who treated you.
a doctor to be reviewed with you.You should also make your case to your
Once you know why you were denied lifeinsurance agent. Life insurance agents can help
insurance, go to your doctor. You and youryou argue for a better-priced policy and can
doctor should find out if there is something wrongmake sure all of your medical information gets to
with your health, and stories abound about lifethe right people.
insurance applications that have saved lives by