Whether one is insurable depends on the type and severity of the heart disease, their age, their lifestyle habits and if they’re healthy now, Pokorski says.

“For someone with congestive heart failure, it is nearly impossible to get insurance,” Pinney concedes. “The doctor is saying this person is going to die soon.”

Pokorski says children born with an atrial septal defect (hole between the upper chambers of the heart) could get insurance at the same premium as a healthy child because it is corrected via surgery. In the event the defect cannot be corrected, the child can still get life insurance, but the insurer would charge a higher premium.

He says higher premiums are usually required for adults with coronary heart disease as well. The premium would go up even more if the person is overweight, smokes or is a diabetic. Pinney says a standard $100 policy could now cost as much as $400 to $600 a month.

If you were turned down for life insurance in the past because of heart problems, Pokorski encourages you to try again as insurance companies are responding to medical advances. “The premium charged at the time you were accepted would be based on your risk going forward, not on your risk in the past,” he says.

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