How Proteinuria Will Affect Life Insurance Rates and Approvals
Proteinuria is a well known in the insurance industry but most people don’t know it exists! Can you get life insurance with proteinuria? In most cases yes. You can get a policy with standard or preferred rates, but it depends on the condition and your overall health.
A more advanced condition means you’ll pay a higher premium. Or that your application will be declined.
But we’re here to help make sure that doesn’t happen!
What Is Proteinuria?
Proteinuria is indicated by an excess of protein in your urine. Protein is processed by the kidneys and a high protein reading often indicates kidney damage or kidney disease. The kidneys have filters that restrict the amount of protein that passes through urine. High readings indicate the filters may be damaged.
Proteinuria is detected by a urine test. A doctor will order a blood test to determine how well the kidneys are functioning.
The most common risk factors for proteinuria are diabetes and hypertension. Both can damage the kidneys. There are other causes that are more benign. They can include:
- Infections
- Trauma
- Immune system disorders
- Toxins
- Certain medications
Other risk factors include age (over 65), obesity, and a family history of kidney disease.
Proteinuria is not a specific disease, but rather an indication of another condition. Treatment involves therapies aimed at dealing with the underlying cause. Cases of proteinuria that are either mild or temporary may require no treatment at all.
How Life Insurance Companies See Proteinuria
The insurance company wants to know the cause of proteinuria, not the condition itself. The company will evaluate the progression of the underlying cause and whether it’s a serious threat to your health.
Insurance companies typically require that you take a medical exam that includes a urine test. A positive urine test will require more testing. That’s when the company will complete underwriting your application.
Stress and dehydration are temporary factors that can cause proteinuria. Taking certain medications, engaging in intense exercise or a change in diet can also be the cause.
The application process will be completed when the cause is determined. The policy will be underwritten based on hypertension, diabetes or other cause.
It’s possible however that the condition will not be traceable to any known causes. If you simply have high-protein readings in your urine, the insurance company will underwrite the application based strictly on the level of protein.
The company will want to know the date of diagnosis (if not the insurance exam), whether or not there is an underlying condition, any treatments that you are receiving, and your ongoing urine protein levels.
Protein readings will determine how the insurance company considers your application:
- Less than 30 Milligrams per Decilitre (mg/dL) is considered normal or mild. No premium rating required.
- 50 and 100 is moderate and will result in a slightly higher premium.
At the extreme, a protein reading of 125 (or more) will require either a high premium payment or may result in your application being denied.
Applying For Life Insurance With Proteinuria
Proteinuria is a condition you can have and not even know it. Except in the advanced stages, it has no symptoms. If you have don’t panic! You can still improve the likelihood of approval and a better premium rating.
If you don’t know the specific underlying cause for the proteinuria, you must work with your healthcare provider to make that determination. And once you have, you must be proactive in treating and managing the condition.
If the cause is hypertension or diabetes, each will be a factor in your life insurance application. You can successfully manage hypertension and diabetes. Millions of people live full lives with these conditions.
Much will depend upon your overall level of health. You have an excellent chance of approval if proteinuria is the only medical condition.
There’s plenty that you can do to improve the overall state of your health, including:
- Maintaining a healthy lifestyle
- Eating a balanced diet
- Getting regular exercise
- If you smoke, break the habit
Your response to proteinuria, or any type of health condition, is largely within your control. It’s important to life insurance companies too because they look closely at multiple risk factors.
For example, if you have proteinuria and you are also obese and a smoker, an insurance company may reject your application due to multiple risks. But if you have proteinuria and no other risk factors, your chance of approval is much higher.
The Right Life Insurance Company Can Make All the Difference
Apart from getting treatment for proteinuria and maintaining optimal health, the next most important step in the life insurance process is selecting the right company. We’ve presented the general guidelines that insurance companies consider, but there are wide variations from one company to the next.
Whenever you have a health condition and apply for life insurance it’s absolutely essential that you make application with the right company. For example, one company may give you a substandard rating based on a urine protein reading of 27. Another company might give you a preferred rating with a reading of 34.
Knowing which company to apply to when you have proteinuria not only increases the likelihood of approval, but it can also save you money. The specific rating that an insurance company assigns to you will largely determine the premium you will pay.
As a life insurance broker working with many different insurance companies, we’ll make sure that your application goes only to the companies that take the most favorable view of your health condition.
And rather than submitting applications to a half a dozen different companies, we’ll use our industry connections to get an underwriting preapproval so that we can identify the very best company for your policy.