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I Have Aortic Stenosis. Now What?
Whenever you have a heart issues, this will add complications to the life insurance application process. This is because the life insurance companies will have to spend significant time searching for, obtaining, and evaluating your medical records. A heart issue will also increase the price of your policy. Life underwriters will evaluate aortic stenosis based on factors such as severity of your condition, underlying cause of the problem, and your age. For cases where the problem is minimal, in particular if the condition was present at birth, you can often expect standard to low table rates. As the problem is deemed worse, however, these rates will only become more severe to the point where you may be postponed or declined. 

Aortic Stenosis' Effect on Insurance Rates
Below are two tables. The first table indicates how aortic stenosis is classified, and the second shows how those classifications are usually rated. 

 
More Information on Aortic Stenosis
Aortic stenosis is a condition where oxygenated blood is obstructed from flowing into the circulatory system as a result of a narrowing of the aortic valve opening. Thus the heart must work extra hard in order to pump the blood through this narrow aortic valve, which in turn causes the left ventricular muscle to thicken. This thickened muscle then requires extra blood supply from the coronary arteries which may not always be met. This can result in weakening of the heart muscle, and eventually heart failure. It can also lead to infection or sudden death. There are a number of causes for aortic stenosis including the deposition of calcium on the actual valve, heart muscle disease, or it may simply have been present from birth

Unfortunately many people with aortic stenosis never experience symptoms. For these individuals, the first time they learn of this condition is when their physician performs a physical exam, which will include heart murmur detection. If a physician is concerned about possible aortic stenosis, specific diagnosis can be made using EKG, chest X-ray, and/or echocardiogram. For those individuals that do experience symptoms, they often report such things as breathing difficulty, shortness of breath, chest pain on exertion, and/or fainting spells. Individuals with severe aortic stenosis may often undergo valve replacement surgery.

Important Things to Know for Those with Aortic Stenosis

What are some of the issues that interest underwriters?

• When was your aortic stenosis first diagnosed?

• What medications do you currently take in regards to this condition, if any?

• What symptoms do you suffer from, if any? Examples may be fainting spells, breathing difficulty, chest pain, and/or shortness of breath.

• Have you had your aortic valve replaced?

• When did you last have an echocardiogram and what were the results?

What can I do to help the underwriting process?

Please disclose all information concerning your aortic stenosis, as well as the contact information of any physicians who have treated you for this condition. Make sure to also include results of all tests and a letter explaining any other outstanding issues, as necessary.

Complete the following form, or call us toll-free at 888-854-7526 if you would like to speak with someone or get more information.

Securities, fee-based, and asset management services offered through LPL Financial, a Registered Investment Advisor, member FINRA/ SIPC, America's No. 1 independent brokerage firm.* Trust services offered through The Private Trust Company N.A., an affiliate of LPL Financial. *Based on total revenues, as reported by Financial Planning magazine, June 1996-2011.

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