Elevated Liver Enzymes Now Back to Normal

BFriday · 07-28-2009, 09:50 AM

Two years ago I applied for a $1M life insurance policy with a company I already was insured with. This was because my current policy was one that converted from my old employer. I'm not sure I'm using the right terminology here but it was a group policy a that I converted to an individual policy. Two years ago I was told that I was paying somewhat higher rates because this old group policy had premiums that assumed a certian number of people in the plan would be smokers, etc. I do not smoke and never have. So, it seemed like a good idea to apply for a new policy to obtain a better rate. When I did this the medical exam found that I had elevated liver enzymes. My agent told me that I should keep my original policy for now and re-apply down the road. Well, here it is two years later (after some lifestyle changes) and I just had a complete physical with my doctor and a gastroenterologist. All of my liver enzyme levels are now well within the normal range - as well as everything else. I have no medical issues except that I take medicine for hypothyroidism.

My question is, should I reapply now? Should I go back to the same agent or a new one? The original agent was very professional and I have no concerns about him but I'd like to know if there is some reason to start fresh. I requested a copy of my MIB records but do not have them yet. Will an entry in my MIB records influence the best path here? I am 49, male, married with kids, not overweight, do not smoke, no financial or credit problems, and it good health. Decreasing my premiums would sure help with my bills.

Thank you in advance.

dgoldenz · 07-28-2009, 10:07 AM

If you converted your policy from a group plan, it is very likely that the premiums you paid were higher than finding your own individual policy in good health. Group life insurance is a great deal for people who are uninsurable or in bad health, but a raw deal for those in good/great health. It sounds like you are in pretty good shape and may even qualify for the most preferred risk class (Preferred Plus/Preferred Elite) with some companies. If the liver enzymes are now under good control, you will be much better off from an underwriting standpoint. Was there an underlying cause for the elevated liver enzymes when you applied a couple years ago? Was there an underwriting offer made that you didn't accept, or were you declined?

If you'd like some help in pursuing your options from an independent agent, feel free to send me an e-mail: dgold@goldfinancialgrp.com

We're licensed with ~50 companies and given your health history, it would probably be best to find out before doing any application which ones might consider you for the best risk class. There's no sense in just picking a company and hoping for the best - you want to know ahead of time what the likely outcome would be, which is the job of an independent agent to help with. Otherwise, you'll never really know if you got a good deal or not. An MIB code can throw up a red flag for an insurance company that will cause them to look into the matter more thoroughly, but if you provide all of the information up front, they should be able to work with it.

insuranceexec · 07-28-2009, 04:51 PM

I would give dgoldenz a call. Extremely knowledgeable and professional. He will be able to help you out.

dgoldenz · 07-28-2009, 05:34 PM

Originally Posted by insuranceexec

I would give dgoldenz a call. Extremely knowledgeable and professional. He will be able to help you out.

Thanks!

BFriday · 07-28-2009, 08:53 PM

Dgoldenz, I'll send you an e-mail. Thanks.

dgoldenz · 07-28-2009, 08:59 PM

Originally Posted by BFriday

dgoldenz, I'll send you an e-mail. Thanks.

I will be on the lookout for it - if you can include what state you are in and some contact information, along with the best time to reach you, would be of great help.