Put simply, a Long Island life insurance company is looking to see what type of a risk you are for a premature death. This is why when you apply for coverage, part of the underwriting process involves allowing the insurance company access to your medical records, taking a medical exam (nurse comes to your home or office for a blood and urine sample), and answering numerous medical questions on an application.
Here are some of the questions you can expect to be asked:
-List your complete medical history including any cholesterol, blood sugar/A1C (diabetes), cancer, cardiac, stroke, asthma, pulmonary, digestive, mental illness (sorry, a bad marriage doesn’t apply here), HIV, or other issues…anything the company can consider a “life shortening” condition
-List any drug or alcohol abuse history
-List all currently prescribed medications
-List tobacco use history
-List any family history of cancer or cardiac issues (parents and siblings only)
-List any moving violation history (if you drive like a maniac, you are increasing your chances of a car accident)
While it may seem to be a real pain to have to go through with these questions, it is actually to your advantage that you tell your insurance broker everything you can about your medical history. Some insurance companies are stricter than others with regards to pre-existing conditions. Thus, a broker can find a company that offers the most competitive rate based on your unique set of circumstances.