There are life insurance options for disabled seniors but few restrictions are also present.
Life insurance has become one of the most important things to have in life, especially when you are an adult and have dependents. But, is it that easy? We are not the same; getting an insurance cover means a different case for every person to an insurance company.
Insurance companies are doing business as much as they are offering you their services. Any insurance company has to be careful when providing cover to people to make sure they reduce their risks as much as possible.
Disabled Senior! Can You Get Life Insurance?
When you are a senior and in your old age, one of the most concerning issues is how your loved ones, your family, wife, children, and grandchildren will live once you are gone. And this brings the question, can you get insured?
In addition to being a senior, you are disabled. Can you get a life insurance cover when you are a disabled senior?
Yes!
You definitely can get a life insurance cover when you are a senior and disabled. However, there are so many things that you have to know about such a case.
For starters, yours is a special case. You have higher risks of death as compared to a healthy, average middle-aged adult. As a result, any insurance company will have to take extra precautions when insuring you.
There are also many factors that an insurer will consider before offering you a cover. Understanding such factors will enable you to know where you stand, what will be required of you, and what benefits you will be getting with such a condition.
Does Disability Affect Your Premiums?
If your biggest worry is the premiums then, yes!
Although different companies have different methods of evaluating individuals with disabilities, in the end, your disability will affect your premiums.
Other than disabilities there are several things that insurance companies look at when evaluating the risks of insuring you when you are a disabled senior. Your income and lifestyle are among the things consider by an insurance company.
Factors Considered by Insurance Companies
Insurance companies will consider several factors before approving you for a cover. Other than that, they will also consider the same factors before setting conditions for your policy.
In this case, conditions are mostly how much you would pay as premiums and how much you would get as death benefits.
Your Age is a Big Deal
Age is the biggest issue for seniors when seeking life insurance. In this case, it will be. Leave alone the disability case first. With the disability problem held constant, your age will be a defining factor for any insurer when setting standards for you.
For any company, when all other factors are held constant, an older person has higher risks of insuring as compared to a younger person. The death risks for you are higher than those of a young person.
At the age over of 85 years old, you cannot get the same cover with a person at 40 years old. As a result, when you are looking for life insurance, then you have to understand that the older you are, the higher the premiums you may be charged.
You may not feel the same, but an insured company views you as a person who is more likely to die.
Type of Disability
Not all people who are disabled are the same. As a result, not all disability conditions are the same. As a result, some of them have higher risks of death compared to others. It is a very crucial factor for any company to consider to lower their risks.
An insurance company will examine your type of disability to understand the risks of death. Based on how much risks there is of you dying, then they will determine how to handle your case.
Some people with certain disabilities will receive higher premiums than others based on the severity and the chances of death.
Some of the cases in which you will get an insurance cover even when with a disability include;
- Dyslexia
- Skin conditions
- Spine disorders
- Bipolar disorder
- Arthritis
- Blindness
- Deaf
- Long term back pain
Your Lifestyle
Did you know that an insurer is more concerned about your lifestyle you may expect? Yes, the big question for any insurer is. How do you live? How do you take care of yourself?
This is because of your lifestyle especially when you are old and disabled can be a measuring factor on how long you can live. If you live a healthy lifestyle where you eat good food and get medication, you are likely to be offered a cover as compared to someone who is taking drugs.
Your income and family will also come into play in this case. Whether you have a family or not. Whether you have a source of income or not. All this enables an insurance company to know the type of lifestyle you have.
And as a result, they can easily tell whether you are a high-risk client or not. You can imagine how risky it is to cover a disabled old man in his 80s without a family.
Health Condition
Your health condition is something you should automatically expect to be considered before any insurer can cover you.
When you are senior and disabled, there are so many health factors that can be a problem for you. Any company will take to consider all factors to avoid making losses arising from death. As a result, other than your disability and age there are several health factors to be considered such as;
- Do you have any pre-existing conditions?
- Do you have any sensitive conditions such as cancer or HIV?
- In case you have a pre-existing condition, have you been taking control.
- Drug use
- Weight
- Lifestyle
Disability Control
Certain types of disabilities demand attention if you want to reduce the risks. When you are disabled in some specific ways, you have to take care of yourself if you’re going to live longer.
As a result, an insurer will be examining how much you take care of yourself before deciding on how to insurer you. If you are good at managing the disability, then it means that you have low risks, and your premiums might be more economical.
Best Types of Insurance for Disabled Seniors
When you are a disabled senior, you have to be careful when looking for life insurance cover. It is crucial to make sure that you do not make the wrong decision. In this list, you will find some of the best types of life insurance policies to try.
You will find enough information about each category to help you make the right decision.
Whole Life Insurance
A whole life insurance policy is on that insures you for the rest of your life. This means that the policy will cover you until your death as long as you are paying your premiums. In return, you will pay your premiums until your end, and they will remain constant.
Some people may view this type of policy is more expensive than other types, but it comes with its benefits. A whole life insurance policy comes with a cash value.
It is an investment scheme by the insurance company where you can get some money as you continue paying your premiums. The cash value grows with time.
As a disabled senior, you may not have an income. Whenever you need money, the cash value can help you out. You are allowed to get some money from the cash value. In case of emergencies, this money can help you a lot.
In addition, your beneficiaries will still receive death benefits when you die.
Term Life Insurance
It is a type of life insurance policy that is designed to last for a specific period. In many cases, term life insurance policies will last between 10 and 30 years. Within the term, you will be paying the premiums.
However, term life insurance policies are considered to be cheaper than others. So, in case you are not in a position to pay higher premiums and in need of a life insurance cover, it is the best option to work with.
Once you take a term life insurance, in the event of death within the agreed time, then the insurer will pay the death benefits to your beneficiary. On the other side, in case you die after the term specified, you do not get any benefits.
A term life insurance can be useful for someone who is very old, and you have a severe disability that is becoming a bother to you and your family.
Guaranteed Universal Life Insurance
There is a very small difference between guaranteed universal life insurance and a whole life insurance policy. Guaranteed universal life insurance will offer you death benefits. However, for this case, the premiums are lower than those on the whole life insurance policy.
For guaranteed universal life insurance, you also have a chance to choose when you want the cover to end. You can easily decide to end the cover at a certain age. If budget is a big problem for you, it is an excellent choice to work for you and leave something for your beneficiaries.
Final Expense Insurance
It is a type of insurance that is meant to cover the final expenses after death. When you are a senior with a disability, the chances are that your family has spent so much on you. If you are experiencing a severe disability condition, your family might be spending so much on medical bills.
However, with the final expense insurance, you get to offload your family members and loved ones of any burdens. The policy covers any final medical bills and funeral expenses. It is also a very affordable method to follow.
The benefits can range from $5,000 to as high as $50,000, depending on the terms of the insurance.
Universal Life Insurance
It is an option right for a senior looking for a way of investing. However, it is more expensive than other options discussed in this list.
It works by accumulating cash value on your policy. In this case, if the investment is doing well, then the premiums will reduce. Incase the investments are doing poorly, then your premiums will weigh on you.
With universal policy, you still in a position to withdraw the cash value through a loan, but it will affect your death benefits.
Impaired-Risk Life Insurance
It is a special type of policy that is offered to people with very high-risk factors in their lives that do not fit in the standard policies. That means having a very serious health condition that can affect your life expectancy.
Being a senior with disability you can easily fit in such a program. Everything is different, and the terms are designed to work better for you.
Group Life Insurance
If you are a senior with a disability and still employed, here is a policy you can take without any issues. It is the best policy for someone who is still employed as there are no medical exam or health history required.
When your employer gives you a cover, your personal life and health issues will not be considered.
The Bottom Line
A life insurance cover is a smart move for a person who wants the best for his/her beneficiaries. It does not matter whether you are disabled or not, senior or young; the benefits will go a long way into helping the beneficiaries. Ensure that you find a policy that will work better for you.
Sometimes people sign into policies without understanding all the terms. Ensure that you seek advice from an expert before buying a policy. Also, consider various policies to make sure that you get the best for your condition.
