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Life insurance for children with cardiovascular disease
Insights
Life insurance is available for many children with cardiovascular disease, including most postoperative patients. Insurability varies by defect, with some conditions qualifying for standard rates or increased premiums.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Life Insurance Underwriting
- Pediatric Health
Background:
- Cardiovascular diseases present unique challenges for life insurance eligibility in young individuals.
- Assessing insurability requires understanding the spectrum of congenital heart defects, rheumatic heart disease, and dysrhythmias.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the life insurance insurability of young individuals diagnosed with various cardiovascular conditions.
- To establish a consensus among life insurance companies regarding the underwriting of pediatric cardiovascular diseases.
Main Methods:
- A survey was distributed to 99 life insurance companies regarding 18 congenital defects, rheumatic heart disease, and four dysrhythmias.
- Responses were collected from 50 companies representing 41% of the life insurance market.
Main Results:
- Standard rates are offered for mild pulmonic stenosis, rheumatic fever without carditis, mitral valve prolapse without regurgitation, and specific postoperative lesions.
- Most unoperated lesions, complex postoperative arrhythmias, severe aortic insufficiency, and certain complex congenital conditions are deemed uninsurable.
- Increased rates are applicable for other defects, including dextrotransposition of the great vessels, postoperative aortic stenosis, and small ventricular septal defects.
Conclusions:
- Life insurance is accessible for many children with cardiovascular disease, particularly those who have undergone surgery.
- The financial feasibility of increased insurance rates for certain conditions requires individual family consideration.
Abstract:
To determine the life insurability of young people with cardiovascular disease, we sent questionnaires to 99 life insurance companies concerning 18 congenital defects, rheumatic heart disease, and four dysrhythmias. We received 50 responses (50%) from companies whose sales make up 41% of the life insurance market. The concensus of insurability for the defects listed was: standard rates--mild pulmonic stenosis, rheumatic fever without carditis, mitral valve prolapse without regugitation, and the following postoperative lesions: patent ductus arteriosus, atrial septal defect, pulmonic stenosis, ventricular septal defect; uninsurable--most unoperated lesions, postoperative lesions with complex dysrrhythmias, severe aortic insufficiency, idiopathic hypertrophic subaortic stenosis, Ebstein's anomaly, truncus arteriosus, tricuspid atresia; insurable at increased rates--most other defects, including dextrotransposition of the great vessels, postoperative aortic stenosis, mild aortic insufficiency, postoperative coarctation of aorta, postoperative tetralogy of Fallot, and small ventricular septal defect. We conclude that life insurance is available to many children with cardiovascular disease, including most postoperative patients. Whether the increased rates requested for some defects are prohibitive is a matter to be decided by each family.