Lung cancer is currently the leading cause of death for patients with any form of cancer. It is noted that approximately one in 14 people in the United States will get the disease in their lifetimes and upwards of 150,000 new cases continue to be diagnosed each year.With these kinds of statistics, you must be thinking that you may never qualify for lung cancer life insurance as a lung cancer patient. Fortunately, this should not be the case. The following article will provide you with some key things to keep in mind when searching for your lung cancer life insurance.
Early Detection
Early dedication is key—not only in battling your lung cancer but also for getting an affordable lung cancer life insurance rate. Over the years, early detection technologies have improved resulting in a decreased amount of lung cancer-related deaths. This is because when your cancer is detected early, it is generally at a lower stage and grade in its development than someone’s cancer that was detected later on in its progression. Having a lower stage and grade could work in your favor when trying to find lung cancer life insurance because insurance companies tend to look for a client whose cancer has not grown terribly larger or started to spread throughout the body.
Smoking
The increased incidence of lung cancer in the past few decades has coincided with the increase in the amount of smokers over the same period. Today it is believed that many of the carcinogens found in tobacco smoke have a direct effect on the cause of lung cancer in one’s body. Your chances of obtaining the potentially best life insurance rate can typically be reduced when you are diagnosed with cancer. However, add smoking on top of that and it may be even harder to obtain an affordable rate. If your lung cancer diagnosis hasn’t done enough to convince you to quit smoking, then the troubles of trying to find lung cancer life insurance as a smoker should.
When to Search
Most of the cancer insurance policies on the market today are not available to those who are actively undergoing treatment. Even after the treatment is over, there is usually some lag time before you may be able to receive the most affordable rates. If you have lung cancer, it is advisable to wait up to three years after successfully completing treatment to look for lung cancer life insurance. However, please be sure to check with a life insurance advisor who understands lung cancer patients to better understand when you may want to apply for life insurance.
For more information about life insurance, read our article “Life Insurance Questions.”
