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Image of medical stereoscope for Quotacy blog National Kidney Month: Kidney Disease 101 and How It Affects Life Insurance.

How Kidney Disease Affects Life Insurance

March 09, 2020
Our goal is to educate and advise on life insurance options, so you can feel confident in making the right choice, whether that’s through Quotacy or somewhere else. To ensure we provide accurate and trustworthy information, our writers follow strict editorial standards.

Your kidneys are pretty important. They are the body’s blood filtration system. Kidneys filter your blood, help regulate blood pressure, and direct red blood cell productions. Unfortunately, these organs are also prone to disease. It’s important to keep them in check.

How do I get life insurance with kidney disease?

The short answer:

Depending on the severity of your kidney issues and your treatment plan, you may be able to qualify for life insurance coverage.

Work with a broker, like Quotacy, for your best chances. Brokers are not tied to one life insurance company and are able to shop the market. Here at Quotacy we can take your online application, review it, and advise you on which life insurance company will be most lenient with your kidney issues.

We have worked with many clients diagnosed with kidney disease and our agents are here to assist you every step of the way. We want you to get approved and will work hard to help you get coverage. Start the process by getting a free term life insurance quote.

If I have kidney disease, can I get life insurance?

The long answer:

There is not an easy yes or no answer to this question because there are many different health issues that can cause kidney disease. The severity and cause behind the kidney disease will affect how life insurance underwriters classify an applicant.

The following issues are some of the most common causes of kidney disease:

  1. Diabetes
  2. High blood pressure
  3. Glomerulonephritis
  4. Polycystic kidney disease

Applying for Life Insurance with Kidney Disease

If you have kidney disease and apply for life insurance, your kidney function test results will help to determine if you can be approved for coverage and what risk class you would be assigned. If the tests show evidence of a progressive decline in kidney function, applicant would likely be an automatic decline.

There are cases in which you can still be approved for life insurance even if you have kidney disease. With acute kidney disease, underwriters will look at your application favorably if you are managing the underlying cause well and have good physician follow-up.

With chronic kidney disease, the stage you are in (Stage 1 has best outcomes and Stage 5 is end stage) and your treatment plan will be evaluated closely. Applicants currently going through dialysis treatment are generally not insurable.

If you have received a kidney transplant, life insurance companies will typically want you to wait one year before applying so chances of organ rejection and complications are minimal.

With most kidney disease and transplant applicants, substandard ratings are likely. What this means is that your application does not fall within the life insurance company’s normal range of accepted risk and you will be required to pay extra to offset the risk the insurance company is taking by insuring you. So, instead of being classified something like “Preferred Plus” or “Standard” you will receive a table rating.  Depending on the insurance carrier, an alphabetical or numerical table is used. See the table below for reference.

Table Rating (alphabetical) Table Rating (numerical) Pricing
A 1 Standard + 25%
B 2 Standard + 50%
C 3 Standard + 75%
D 4 Standard + 100%
E 5 Standard + 125%
F 6 Standard + 150%
G 7 Standard + 175%
H 8 Standard + 200%
I 9 Standard + 225%
J 10 Standard + 250%

See what you’d pay for life insurance

Comparison shop prices on custom coverage amounts from the nation’s top carriers with Quotacy.

In our many years of experience, we have worked with many individuals whom have kidney disease – this isn’t a rare condition. We work with multiple life insurance companies and they all underwrite a little differently and have different “rules” in regards as to how they evaluate applicants with kidney disease. Your Quotacy team will work hard to get you approved for coverage.

If you are interested in buying life insurance, you can start by exploring your product and pricing options. Running a term quote on our website is easy and you see estimated prices instantly – no contact information required.

4 Comments

  1. Julie C Claus

    My mother has polycystic kidney disease that has no symptoms and not even on stage one or kidneys are fun she gets them tested monthly she’s trying to say that she can’t be insured is that so and how would she insure me if you have to have permission from the person if they’re over the age of 21 do you have to have the person’s consent and have them accessible to be able to insure them

    Reply
    • Natasha Cornelius

      Julie, your mother may be able to get approved. I can’t say for sure without knowing medical specifics. She will need to apply and a Quotacy agent will review her case. We work with many different life insurance companies and will try our best to find a carrier who is willing to offer coverage. There is no obligation to buy if she applies, so let her know she can apply and our agents will help find coverage.

      In regards to insurance on you, are you saying she bought coverage on you when you were an adult? Parents can buy life insurance coverage on their children. However, adult children typically have to give their signature as consent.

      Reply
  2. Debbie gouldsborouhh

    Hi i have ckd3a ive had it for about20 yrs it has stayed at the same level all the time i dont have treatment for it other than 6 month checks blood tests and urine . Im 56 yrs old female no other health isues non smoker never smoked non drinker will i get life insurance thanks

    Reply
    • Natasha Cornelius

      Hi Debbie, it looks like you’re in the U.K. We recommend you contact a life insurance broker in your country with your question. Laws and regulations are different here in the United States than the United Kingdom.

      Reply

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