Does a mental health diagnosis impact life insurance?

Asked by: Coby Schuster  |  Last update: June 26, 2023
Score: 4.3/5 (35 votes)

Key Takeaways. A mental health diagnosis can prevent people from qualifying for life insurance or increasing their existing plan. Some therapists are moving away from taking insurance, in part due to this issue.

Does mental illness affect life insurance?

The riskier your health and lifestyle is, the more you'll pay for life insurance. If the company thinks you're too risky to insure, they'll deny you coverage. Not all mental health conditions are looked at the same way. For instance, a severe condition of anxiety or depression can disqualify you from life insurance.

Does anxiety diagnosis affect life insurance?

Anxiety is a common medical condition, but it can affect your life insurance rates or even your ability to get a life insurance policy. While it's still possible to get covered — especially if your anxiety is well-controlled — you may be forced to pay higher premiums for coverage.

Can you get life insurance if you've been diagnosed with depression?

In most cases, people with a diagnosis of depression can still get life insurance—and often at affordable rates. You just need to know how to maximize your chances of obtaining a policy and need to be smart when shopping around among different insurers to get the right coverage.

Does a mental health diagnosis affect health insurance?

Does the Affordable Care Act cover individuals with mental health problems? Yes. The Affordable Care Act provides one of the largest expansions of mental health and substance use disorder coverage.

The Problem With Life Insurance And Mental Health

33 related questions found

What would disqualify you from life insurance?

Their reasons could be anything from a serious medical condition (like heart disease) or poor results from your life insurance medical exam to nonmedical reasons like bankruptcy, a criminal record, a positive drug test or even a dangerous hobby.

Can I get life insurance if I have schizophrenia?

Thankfully, insurance companies usually treat it like any other illness. So whether you have bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, anxiety, or even depression, most insurers classify it as a pre-existing condition.

Does bipolar disorder disqualify you from life insurance?

Can someone with bipolar disorder get life insurance? A bipolar disorder diagnosis, alone, should not prevent you from being eligible for life insurance. You may have to answer some additional health questions specific to your mental health condition, including if your illness is under control and for how long.

Can you get life insurance if you have PTSD?

Yes, some people with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) have qualified for term or whole life insurance coverage. Yes, there are plenty of companies out there offering high-risk policies for exorbitant rates. The focus of this piece is on those being denied.

Does PTSD diagnosis affect insurance?

Post-traumatic stress itself is not disqualifying, he said, but the applicant may be denied or have to pay more for insurance when the PTS is more severe and if he or she is on medication for other physical injuries, for example.

Does a depression diagnosis affect insurance?

Life insurance companies may decline policies to people suffering from a range of mental health conditions. As is always the case with just about any kind of health condition, criteria vary from insurance company to insurance company. Consequently, there is no general rule when it comes to depression and anxiety.

Can you get life insurance if you have suicidal thoughts?

You may be able to get Life Insurance after having suicidal thoughts at normal terms with some select insurers, but many on the standard market will offer you special rates in the form of a premium increase.

Do you have to disclose depression for life insurance?

If you have a temporary or situational condition, such as postpartum depression or anxiety following a major life event for which you sought treatment or counseling, it is still important to disclose this to the insurance company. This probably won't have any impact on your application.

Is mental illness a pre-existing condition?

Overview. Mental illness, also called mental health disorders, refers to a wide range of mental health conditions — disorders that affect your mood, thinking and behavior. Examples of mental illness include depression, anxiety disorders, schizophrenia, eating disorders and addictive behaviors.

Is anxiety considered a pre-existing condition?

Pregnancy before enrollment is also considered pre-existing and chronic, though less severe conditions such as acne, asthma, anxiety, and sleep apnea may also qualify.

Can I get life insurance with BPD?

Yes it can. Some insurers can be a bit cautious about insuring people with mental health conditions, and tend to decline/refuse life insurance applications. The good news is that there are many insurers who can offer Life Insurance to people with borderline personality disorder.

Does ADHD diagnosis affect health insurance?

Provide written documentation: Some insurance companies may not consider ADHD a “serious” diagnosis, but ADHD varies in degrees of severity and is sometimes extremely serious. In this case, you will need documentation to validate required services.

Does insurance cover bipolar disorder?

The act also requires many health insurance companies to cover people regardless of their pre-existing conditions, whether physical or psychological. This means that people with bipolar disorder are now able to receive quality insurance coverage, so they can get the psychological treatment their condition requires.

Can you get long term care insurance if you have bipolar disorder?

Yes, you can qualify for long-term care insurance if you have a family history of bipolar disorder. Most long-term care insurance companies are not concerned when there's a family history of bipolar disorder.

What are 3 factors that may affect your life insurance premium?

8 Factors That Affect Life Insurance Premiums
  • Age. Your date of birth is the top factor affecting your life insurance premium. ...
  • Gender. Women tend to live longer than men. ...
  • Health History. ...
  • Family Health History. ...
  • Smoking. ...
  • Hobbies. ...
  • Occupation. ...
  • The Policy.

Why would a life insurance claim be rejected?

Insurers have denied claims and rescinded policies within the contestability period for reasons such as: Lying about income. Not disclosing another life insurance policy. Incorrect answers put on an application by an insurance agent.

Does stress affect life insurance?

If you've ever been diagnosed with a mental health condition, it could affect you when buying life insurance – from how much it costs to be insured to how eligible you are for cover.

Do I need to declare anxiety on travel insurance?

Yes. You will need to declare anxiety if you have ever received treatment for anxiety.

Is PTSD a critical illness?

One problem receiving increasing attention in the critical care and psychiatric literature is critical illness–related post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), typically measured either as a syndrome or as crossing a threshold on a continuous symptom measure.

Is depression considered a critical illness?

Critical illness cover for people with depression is underwritten in the same manner as life insurance. If you are symptom free or your symptoms are well controlled, with no recent self harm or hospital admission, then you should be able to secure critical illness cover at standard terms.