Life Insurance

Wow! I guess the policies that require physicals go to the "down and dirty;" that is they deny contracts on anything that appears threatening.

There are term policies that you can more easily get that only ask questions such as "have you been DIAGNOSED with cancer, heart disease, etc." However, the amount they are willing to underwrite is usually not large (perhaps up to $20,000) and the payments are high. You may also be able to get term insurance if your employer offers it. I have several $10K policies...two universal (one that I've had since age 24 and one that I purchased upon retirement that only was interested if I was TREATED for cancer within the past three years (I also wrote an explanation that I was treated five years prior and they said that was ok). The latter contract costs $29/month, which is a bargain. And I have a third $10K rerm contract that is provided by more former employer free of charge and ends at age 80.

I wish you luck in your search and perhaps a general agent may be able to steer you in the right direction.

I have an undetectable PSA, but I was just denied a longtern care policy because i had a recurrent PSA after surgery and require salvage radiation. Really surprised me. I figured that if I had a recurrence of cancer again with a G8, I would need long-term care.

Basically for life or long term care insurance you have to be clear of treatment for five years. There are individual exceptions, but the five year clear of treatment and no increase in PSA is pretty standard. I am a financial advisor and insurance is a significant part of our business.

It was an insurance physical that discovered my PSA was 17.8! They turned down my application while telling me to contact my physician immediately.
Thank you MetLife. I don't know whether to love, or hate you.
Jeff

Yep. I should thank them.

This was after I had a "complete" 55 year physical from my GP who did not include a PSA in my blood work because he read about some European study that showed men with no symptoms, negative DRE, and no history of PCa in the family should not be screened.
I went to a Uro and his DRE was very different. He immediately identified a well developed problem on the left side.
I told my GP about this and he took the message to heart.
He changed his mind about the PSA test and now gives more aggressive DREs as well.

Thank you MetLife.
J

Gregz263...while electronic records are now fully upon us, back in 2010, not very much so.

I highly recommend that you keep the paper copies of both your 2009 and 2010 psa readings in a safe place, just in case, if and when that day comes, the insurance company doesn't make payment for whatever reason. Not saying they will hold back the money but its best to play it safe.

Thanks.

I have a large policy expiring next year and am not quite in a position to be self funding and not need life insurance. I will look into buying 3 or 4 small policies as suggested.