Can Having Preeclampsia Affect Buying Life Insurance?

I recently discovered a show on Netflix that is very much binge-worthy. It’s titled Call the Midwife and it follows the day-to-day work and personal lives of a group of midwives working out of a nunnery in 1950s London.

The show tackles a variety of contemporary social, cultural, and economic issues, with pregnant women and their families being the focus. With episodes centering on different historical events and real-life health issues pregnant women face, the show is not only entertaining but educational.

The topics featured on Call the Midwife are great conversation starters. Many topics are of such interest it encourages one to educate him or herself further on it even once the episode ends.

Since I work in the life insurance industry, the health issues typically pique my interest because I begin to wonder how some of the issues the mothers face in the series can affect their insurability. One such health issue that arises every so often on the series is preeclampsia, or “toxemia” as it was more commonly called then.

Because pregnancies can come with complications, both short-term and chronic, planning ahead and buying life insurance before you become pregnant is advisable, but this understandably isn’t always an option. If you’re currently pregnant and looking to purchase life insurance, this typically isn’t an issue with most life insurance carriers, but what if you have a health issue like preeclampsia?

How does preeclampsia affect buying life insurance?

Because preeclampsia has short-term risks on the mother’s life and overall health, and has long-term risks such as cardiovascular complications and kidney disease, it is not something life insurance companies take lightly. They’ll want all the facts when underwriting an applicant with a history of preeclampsia.

Currently pregnant with preeclampsia diagnosis:
If you are currently pregnant and have been diagnosed with preeclampsia, life insurance companies will typically opt to post-pone your application until after one month post-delivery. Even though preeclampsia typically resolves itself after childbirth, residual high blood pressure can remain for a few weeks.

Currently pregnant with no preeclampsia or complications but have a history of preeclampsia in past pregnancies:
Many life insurance companies would tend to want to post-pone any life insurance offer, but some would consider approving mom for a Standard rated policy. The typical life insurance offerings are Preferred Plus, which is the best class, Preferred, Standard Plus, and Standard. Your risk classification determines how much your premiums will cost.

If you currently have preeclampsia or have a history of the condition, then you know how fragile life can be. We applaud you for reaching out and researching how to buy life insurance to protect your loved ones.

To have the best chances of getting approved for life insurance at an affordable rate, work with an independent broker (like Quotacy) that has contracts with multiple life insurance companies. Not all life insurance companies underwrite medical conditions in the same way, so outcomes can vary. Quotacy will shop your case around to different carriers and this can make the difference in getting coverage, being postponed, or even being denied altogether.

Start the process by getting a term life insurance quote today.