Getting Life Insurance After Skin Cancer [2022 Guide]

Getting Life Insurance After Skin Cancer [2024 Guide]

February 02, 20248 min read

In my area of work, I frequently see people who are dealing with serious health problems. The most frequent type of cancer is skin cancer, and recovering from a diagnosis is difficult for everyone.

Getting life insurance can help you recover from skin cancer by providing your family with financial security in the event that you pass away due to this or any other illness. Even though it may sound strange, getting coverage if you’re at risk of passing away too soon is completely typical.

If nothing else, take a moment to reflect on how much you cherish your family members before getting in touch with us to learn more about the life insurance coverage we may offer those who are coping with skin cancer.


Life Insurance After Skin Cancer

Can someone with skin cancer purchase life insurance? It will vary! You now have a pre-existing medical condition if you’ve ever had skin cancer.

You might be astonished to learn that you can get any sort of life insurance after being diagnosed with skin cancer. It will primarily rely on the kind of skin cancer you have.

There are three different types of skin cancer that may affect rates. Each will be examined.

  • Melanoma

  • Basal Cell Carcinoma

  • Squamous Cell Carcinoma

The most dangerous kind of skin cancer is melanoma. In the United States, just under 100,000 adults will receive a melanoma diagnosis this year.

Skin Cancer Life Insurance Rate Class

Let’s discuss how your rate will change for people with skin cancer now that you are aware of the conditions under which you can obtain life insurance.

While deciding which rating class to offer, life insurance firms will adhere to their own rules. The standard rate is typically the greatest deal you can find.

The diagnosis of Basal Cell or Squamous Cell skin cancer, which are the two most prevalent types, usually has something to do with this. Melanoma, though, is a different matter.

The stage, therapies, and likelihood of recurrence will be determined by the rating class that insurance providers will provide based on melanoma.

Melanoma ratings are often below average, and when they reoccur, they typically get worse.

Life Insurance After Melanoma

To put it mildly, receiving a melanoma diagnosis can be extremely frightening. Treatment will determine if you can buy life insurance. Melanoma is a serious form of cancer, let’s face it.

Yet, if detected very early, you might be astonished to be able to treat them at or near the highest rates, much like with the majority of malignancies like lung, colon, or breast cancer. Once more, it will depend on how soon and what kind of treatment is given.

Melanoma In Situ Life Insurance

It may be feasible with some carriers if you have a history of malignant melanoma in-situ. Yet even then, the chances are minimal. The insurance provider must consider it to be low risk in all respects.

The insurer will primarily consider the following factors when assessing your risk when you apply for life insurance with in-situ melanoma.

  • diagnostic date

  • Tumor thickness and depth

  • Type of treatment

The better your rate will be, the further you are from the date when diagnosis and treatment end.

The depths of the skin will also be a significant effect. When you have melanoma, it’s crucial to consider all three layers of the skin.

  • Epidermis

  • Dermis

  • Hypodermis (Subcutaneous Tissue) (Subcutaneous Tissue)

Once more, there is a greater probability that the melanoma will spread the deeper the tumor grows (Hypodermis). If epidermis is detected early, surgery is typically quick and requires little additional care. Better prices will be offered in this situation.

Again, John Hancock may offer a preferred rate for malignant melanoma in-situ.

Melanoma Life Insurance Underwriting

Now that we have that settled, let’s get to the specifics. You can choose the type of insurance coverage you’ll acquire by understanding why insurance quotations are what they are.

You will need to undergo a medical examination first. Remember that you will be regarded as having a higher risk if you have a history of melanoma.

The life insurance underwriters will also inquire about your method of diagnosis. In order to see the beginning of this awful journey, they will therefore order an APS.

The following are some things a dermatologist will examine:

  • newly developed skin growth

  • suspicious modification in a current mole

  • A sore that takes a few weeks to heal

The pathology report is the second aspect of the jigsaw the underwriters will want to consider when deciding if the carrier wants to take the risk. The biopsy results in this report will be used to define the stage and treatment objectives.

The pathology report will reveal the following:

  • The melanoma’s thickness

  • ulceration’s presence or absence

  • If cells, including melanoma subtypes and types, are dividing,

  • Lymphocytes, which are immune cells, are present.

  • Margin status. How deep are the melanoma cells?

This will reveal the patient’s melanoma’s stage or type. The likelihood of a recurrence will depend on the tumor’s thickness.

For example, a higher risk of recurrence is associated with thickness more than 4mm. This might also indicate that the cancer has spread to other areas of the body. If this has occurred, a lymph node biopsy will be performed.

Let’s concentrate on melanoma phases and how they affect life insurance quotes or rates now.

Melanoma Cancer Quotes

Melanoma Stages that life insurance underwriters will look at:

Stage 0 – Melanoma in-situ, or stage 0, occurs when the cells are discovered in the outer layer of the skin (Epidermis)

Stage I – Still having a thin skin, this stage might be classified as IA or IB depending on its thickness.

Stage II– is more advanced than stage I because it extends through the epidermis to the dermis, the skin’s inner layer. A, B, or C groups are available based on the thickness.

Stage III – The melanoma has progressed locally or through the lymph nodes at this point. Depending on the size and lymph nodes involved, this stage is classified into 4 subgroups: A, B, C, or D.

STAGE IV – This is the stage when the melanoma has spread to other parts of the body via the bloodstream. The lung, liver, brain, bone, or gastrointestinal tract are the most common organs to which it spreads. Following criteria are used to assess this in relation to the distance:

  • M1a – Spread to nearby soft tissues or skin

  • M1b – Lung Infection

  • M1c – Spread to any other area, but not the brain or spinal cord

  • M1d – Spread to the brain, spinal cord, and central nervous system

Naturally, the insurers will believe that the stage is more risky the higher it is. The additional details that will accompany the APS are as follows:

  • routine follow-up

  • reports about hospital treatment

Term Life Insurance with History of Skin Cancer

Above all, unless you have many occurrences, basal cell skin cancer and term life insurance will not change your rate class. You might, however, have a set rate with some carriers even if there are numerous incidences.

Melanoma is the type of skin cancer you should be most concerned about. For instance, purchasing term life insurance after melanoma will raise your premium for many years.

Nonetheless, the treatments and phases will be taken into account when determining the rate class for term life insurance with a melanoma history.

The following underwriting choices are likely:

  • In-Situ, possible preferred

  • Stages 1 and 2 could be favored in-situ for a minimum of three years

  • Stages 3 and 4 declining for two to five years after treatment.

After achieving standard rate eligibility for ten years, term life insurance with Standard Plus rates is available.

Life Insurance For Melanoma Survivor

You are already fortunate if you overcame melanoma. It’s comforting to know that, if detected early, you can obtain some of the finest prices.

But, you can still purchase a guaranteed acceptance policy even if you pass the more difficult stages and are unable to obtain conventional coverage for up to 5 years.

Basal Cell Skin Cancer Life Insurance

Can I acquire life insurance with basal cell skin cancer?

The basal cell type is the one you want if you develop skin cancer. Seldom does this kind of cancer spread. Even the APS is not necessary if basal cell carcinoma was found to be the cause.

Customers who have been diagnosed with basal cell will be able to receive standard or better right away after removal, and preferred is also extremely likely.

Term Life Insurance And Skin Cancer Basal Cell

Underwriting will remain the same if basal cell carcinoma is detected in you.

Skin Cancer Life Insurance Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Once the cancer has been removed, if you were diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma, you will likely be eligible for preferred rates over standard.

Basal cell and squamous cell carcinoma account for 90% of all skin cancer diagnoses. So, if you develop skin cancer, you want these two.

The charity for skin cancer has further information available here.

Conclusion

The lesson of this tale is that when applying for life insurance, it’s critical to understand the ramifications of your history of skin cancer. For instance, most companies would provide coverage for up to $1 million if you have a kind of skin cancer that won’t return in your lifetime (some even more).

In addition to learning the specifics of whether or not someone with a particular disease can buy life insurance protection, it is also beneficial to understand how much their premiums would cost. Make sure you comprehend all of these elements, especially since there can be some surprises, before applying for any form of coverage.

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