Asthma currently affects close to 300 million people worldwide and deaths have totaled to approximately 250,000 per year. In recent years, however, the growing trend of asthma sufferers has leveled off due to advances in technology. This fact may have a favorable effect on one’s chances of obtaining asthma life insurance. Therefore, it could be possible to obtain asthma life insurance if you look in the right places.

 Types of Asthma

The type of asthma you suffer tends to have an effect on how affordable your asthma life insurance rates will be. For example, mild asthma occurs when you have infrequent attacks that typically do not require hospitalization. It may also be treated with relatively commonplace methods such as oral medications and inhalers. If you have mild asthma, that is maintained properly, then you could even qualify for preferred rates. On the other hand, if you suffer from a more severe form of asthma, in which attacks may cause you to miss work or school, require hospitalization, or require medications such as steroids to maintain, you may have a harder time finding an affordable policy. Those who suffer from more severe forms of asthma are usually evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

 Maintenance of the Disease

 To prove to insurance companies that you are a responsible candidate for asthma life insurance, it’s generally advisable to maintain your disease to the best of your ability.  This includes making sure to take all your prescribed medications, as well as conducting tests to show how well you are breathing. If you have a “peak flow meter,” then you can usually evaluate how well you are breathing at home. Then, when you go to the doctor, he or she can also give you a pulmonary function test which is more detailed and should be performed at least once a year.

 Factors Affecting Your Rates

In addition to the severity and maintenance of your disease, there are several other factors that may affect your asthma life insurance rates. The age you were diagnosed may have an effect. Also, the amount of hospitalizations as a result of your attacks and the frequency can have an effect because as their frequency increases, your rates typically tend to increase as well. In addition, smoking can have an effect because smokers’ rates already tend to be much more expensive than nonsmoker rates, and now you will also be dealing with the asthma issue. If you do smoke, find out more about affordable life insurance with the article “How to Find Low Cost Term Life Insurance for Smokers.”