Can having allergies really affect life insurance eligibility and what rate class you are given when applying for life insurance?
Life insurance companies may look into the situations of allergies on a person’s application for life insurance. Sometimes, a person’s allergies are severe requiring hospitalization if exposed to the allergen. And once a severe allergy is determined, people generally do whatever possible to prevent exposure. Most life insurance underwriters realize that the chances of dying in a car accident are greater.
Remember that life insurance rates are based on family health history, age, gender, occupation and can vary depending on the company.
So how does suffering from allergies affect applying for a life insurance policy?
Some complain that every fall and spring they’re attacked by a cold or sinus infection, but it may well be that they’ve never questioned whether or not they’re actually laid low by allergic reactions.
Both colds and allergy have very similar symptoms, but allergy symptoms can persist for several weeks. They generally emerge during the month of April.
Someone with “seasonal allergies” who may have an inhaler prescribed would likely be underwritten as someone who has mild asthma. This can often still result in the best rate class possible.
Dr. Warren Filley, a spokesperson for the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology, says the worst offenders among plants in spring are ragweed and ryegrass. Filley says the plants both proliferate along fields, riverbanks, roadsides and rural areas in the Midwest and the Mississippi River basin
“The most allergenic plant we have is ragweed,” says Filley, “It’s less common on the West Coast or in New England, and therefore, there’s less pollen in those areas.”
According to the AAAAI, nearly 75% of Americans who have plant allergies are sensitive to ragweed and ryegrass. Grasses – as a whole – are often rough on allergy sufferers.
“There’s no allergy-free grass. And if you mow it, you pick up mold as well as pollen,” Filley says.
It’s a good idea to get more than one quote from several companies.
Photo – “Getting an allergy test” by John Ramspott is licensed under CC BY 2.0