Reevaluation of Rates When Health Improves

Posted in Life Insurance

September 17th, 2009

You know you need to take better care of yourself so you can take better care of your family. After searching high and low, you managed to secure a decent life insurance policy, but the rates you are paying are so high. If you want to pay less, improve your lifestyle and notify your life insurance provider to potentially get better rates.

Better Health Means Lower Rates

When applying for life insurance, underwriters analyze your medical record, family and personal history to determine your risk. This subsequently affects your life insurance premiums. If you want to get better rates, then you should improve your lifestyle choices. There are some factors individuals cannot control. You cannot help it if your mother had breast cancer or your grandfather had heart disease. But you can help mitigate those factors by improving your behaviors and habits.

Life insurance providers want to know that you are doing your best to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Smoking, obesity, lack of physical fitness, high blood pressure and high cholesterol can all affect the price you are paying for your health insurance premium. All those behaviors increase the chance of you dying and the insurance company having to pay out your benefit sooner rather than later. Thus, all those behaviors have higher life insurance rates than their healthier counterparts.

Improvements You Can Try

If you stop smoking, get your weight into the proper BMI range, start working out and improve your other medical conditions, let your life insurance agent know. Life insurance companies favorably view every improvement made towards your health and longevity.

The cash savings on your life insurance rate should help motivate you to improve your lifestyle. But by taking your medication, losing a few pounds, quitting tobacco (in all its forms) and getting in shape you will not only feel better but improve your overall life expectancy as well.