Can I Get Life Insurance after a Blood Clot? Case Study

Recently someone asked me whether I could get them life insurance after a pulmonary embolism.

Here’s a summary of my clients history of pulmonary embolisms (PE):

• 2007 – PE after pregnancy. Treatment – Xarelto for 1 year
• 2013 – PE after Deep vein thrombosis resulting from long flight. Treatment – Warfarin 6 months
• 2015 – PE after DVT resulting from  surgery. Treatment 6 months Warfarin

To me, it looked like a postponement, at least until the Warfarin treatment ended.

Some of my underwriters agreed with me but others surprised me…

Before we get to their findings let’s nail down what a pulmonary embolism is.

A pulmonary embolism is a blockage in one of the pulmonary arteries in your lung.
They almost always occurs in conjunction with deep vein thrombosis.

So in layman’s terms it’s a blood clot in the lungs.

Life insurance after a blood clot – underwriting views:

• We deal with 6 insurance companies, here’s what they said:
• One wouldn’t accept an application until two months after the Warfarin treatment finished.
• 3  would need to wait until the Warfarin treatment was over.

But, two of my insurers were willing to accept an application immediately!

This shows how important it is that your broker

1. has a good relationship with all 6 life insurance companies in Ireland and
2. why you shouldn’t use your bank for mortgage protection.

How much is life insurance after a blood clot?

The cost will depend on the underlying cause, treatment and the number of episodes.

Usually you’ll get the normal price if it’s a single episode, happened over 6 months ago, and you have made a full recovery.

Get a normal price life insurance quote here.

In my client’s case above, subject to a PMA report, the premium would double until she came off the Warfarin.

Once a year has passed since the PE and she is off Warfarin, she could get the normal price providing there are no underlying issues.

Over to you…

Life insurance after a pulmonary embolism is possible but you might have to wait until 6 months after the attack to get the best price.

If you’d like me to make a recommendation on the types of cover you should consider based on where you are in life, please complete this questionnaire and I’ll be right back.

Nick McGowan
lion.ie | making life insurance easier