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Apnea and life insurance - Spaaarkz - 06-07-2017
I have recently been diagnosed with sleep apnea and have been using a CPAP machine (philips) for about a month - which is going great.
However, I applied for an increase in my life insurance cover and was refused based on the apnea. Is this common? They will review in 12 months following another sleep study (at my expense).
Is it worth going to another life insurance company or will.it be the same across the board?
Any advise appreciated!
Cheers,
RE: Apnea and life insurance - holden4th - 06-07-2017
Which company? The reason I ask is that a medical test is usually not a requirement for life insurance from the majority of companies in Australia. The only thing I could see as a constraint is age.
RE: Apnea and life insurance - Spaaarkz - 06-07-2017
Thanks for the reply, it is with Qsuper. I am 42 years old if that makes a difference.
RE: Apnea and life insurance - OMyMyOHellYes - 06-07-2017
Life insurance companies are only interested in insuring immortals.
Or at least mortals that have NO medical condition that would increase the chance of mortality, even slightly, during the policy term. I don't think it's fair, but it is what it is. Smoker? No get policy. Take BP meds? No get policy. Significantly overweight? No get policy. Routinely get headaches? etc .... At least without further examination to rule out increased mortality during the policy term.
Insurance is not a right. I thnk of it like counting cards at the blackjack table. Counting cards is not cheating. It is every bit as legitimate as any other play strategy. It is using an organic mental factor to improve one's odds and erase the casino's structurally built in advantage. Without it, casinos are guaranteed to come out winners; players are guaranteed to come out losers. But when the odds are even, the Casinos want to walk away. And will throw out anyone suspected of counting cards.
So once the life insurance companies are not completely sure they'll make money on you, they walk away.
A few years back, the FAA had made preliminary rules that anyone that had a neck circumference equal to or greater than 17 inches would have to have a full blown sleep study to get/maintain a pilot's medical certificate.... Without any other indication of sleep apnea.
OMMOHY
RE: Apnea and life insurance - Jacinta - 06-07-2017
Hi, I recently changed my life insurance and I had to supply 3 - 12 months worth of data from my ResMed AirSense 10 sleepyhead data. I had 12 months to give them
RE: Apnea and life insurance - CardiacCrusher - 06-07-2017
Yet another reason I'm so glad that I bought as much life insurance as I thought I needed when I was still young.
Best advice I was ever given.
RE: Apnea and life insurance - TASmart - 06-07-2017
Seems kind of interesting that all the recent talk about the lack of data in xPAP decreasing mortality has not reached the life insurance companies yet, or maybe they are better at statistics and actuarial science than medical journal editors and contributors.
RE: Apnea and life insurance - justMongo - 06-07-2017
For a single issue without complications: such as treating OSA with CPAP or taking BP meds, there are companies that will write a term life insurance policy. But, the premiums will be higher; and there may be exclusions. Thing is: They will put that info into the MIB. It will then be available for any insurer to see. Medical privacy in the US really doesn't exist. You can request to see your MIB file.
RE: Apnea and life insurance - trish6hundred - 06-07-2017
Hi Spaaarkz,
WELCOME! to the forum.!
Good luck to you with CPAP therapy.
RE: Apnea and life insurance - holden4th - 06-08-2017
Is your life insurance part of your super fund? (which could be bit different than out and out life insurance).
I read Qsupers brochure
https://www.google.com.au/search?q=qsuper+life+insurance+pds&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&client=firefox-b&gfe_rd=cr&ei=bQM5WbiNKrTM8ge7u6SwBQ
...and it strongly suggests that you can change your level of cover at any time.
Have a look at this
https://www.choosi.com.au/
It may or may not answer your question.
A final point. I bought travel insurance for my trip to London and declared my OSA and the fact that I used a CPAP machine. This did not addto the quote in any way whatsoever.