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Posted 9/18/2007 7:33 PM (GMT 0)

I was trying to update my term life insurance policy, when the company refused to cover me unless I had a biopsy. My PCP had been following my PSA for 15 years, and it was almost a 10, the biopsy was positive in all 16 samples, a gleason of 3+3=6, T2C. I am in agony awaiting Da venci on October 9, just want to get on with a cure! Has anyone been able to get term life after a positive removal of the prostate?

Age 52

Gleason 3+3=6

PSA 10

T2C

Posted 9/18/2007 8:32 PM (GMT 0)
First, thank your life insurance company! Secondly, yes, insurance may be possible. I believe the waiting period is 3 years. Check out Penn Life's site maybe? Right about the time Paul was diagnosed the news reported on post prostate / testicular cancer patients and insurance. Think I will go look this ditty up again and get the scoop. Its been a while. Thanks for bringing it up Beachbum :>)

Good Luck to you on the 9th. Thoughts and prayers will be with you.

swim
Posted 9/19/2007 6:47 AM (GMT 0)
Hi,

My Hubby had his RRP in June 06 since which time his PSA has been 'undetectable' though next result due end this week/early next week.  In November last year we managed to get life insurance to cover our mortgage with full report from the surgeon involved.  The penalty for us is that we have to pay double premium for the first 4 years after which it will reduce to a normal premium.  So don't automatically assume you won't get cover though there'll probably be some kind of penalty.  My advice would be to make sure the insurance company get a report from your specialist/surgeon then they can't claim they didn't have the full facts when they accepted you for a policy and can't refuse a claim should one become necessary.

Hope this helps.

Little Jem

Posted 9/19/2007 5:45 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks for this post - I was wondering the same thing.  Our term mortgage insurance is coming due and I'm not sure if they're going to renew my husbands - or if they are it will likely be very high.  If anyone has any more information on this, I would welcome it as well.

Cheers,

JustJulie

Posted 9/19/2007 6:29 PM (GMT 0)
Selmer, I live in Virginia Beach, and hope someday to retire to the Outer Banks of NC. My Most exotic beaches have been in Hawaii, Saint Thomas, Bermuda, Bahamas, and have not found one I wouldn't love to live in! As a newbie, this site has been just great for answering a million questions that keep running through my mind. I may be suffering from TMI, too much information! I will have robotic at Sentara Norfolk General on October 9, by Dr. Raymond Lance, 300 procedures. He is all over the web because they did a live web cast last month. I had hoped to have the PC done on Tuesday and see my son play HS football that Friday night, but I think from what I am reading, I had better rest and recover! Think I'll try and listen to a little Jimmy Buffett in the holding room!

Thanks to all who post,
Beachbum50
Posted 9/19/2007 8:04 PM (GMT 0)
Jimmy Buffett :>) ??? Haven't missed a Buffet concert many margaritas!!!

Beach, if you feel up to it, try the game. If not, get the tape. Wouldn't want to blow out a flip-flop!


...Good Luck and God Bless

Swim
Posted 9/19/2007 9:35 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Beachbum,
It's a little disappointing knowing your PCP was monitoring a PSA near 10 and it's your insurance company that requests a biopsy. Your insurance company might not grant the coverage but they may have just paid you big dividends if you are cured of this. I was post operative, on lupron undergoing RT when my new life insurance policy kicked in. But I had started with a new company and they automatically covered me. I have not tried to get any supplemental insurance but we have discussed it. I like the Buffet approach and have followed his music for years. Though Alison Krauss was my choice. Jimmy sings about fun things like oceans, bars, and boats. Alison is sings about tragedy, pitiful loves lost, and sometimes pops a happy ending. Geez, I know I belong on the Buffet side, but I must keep trying to depress myself. LOL, that stated, stay close and we'll be here to help in any way we can.

Tony
Posted 9/20/2007 10:47 AM (GMT 0)

Last year when I was a young 57 years old. I was going to replace my 10 year life insurance since my 10 years was up and the premium was going to go up. That was May 2006. Everything was perfect height ,weight, blood pressure, etc. except they said I had a PSA of 4.3. I thought what the heck is that? A defunct Airlines from Southern California? Anyway, short version found out I had PC had DaVinci robot on 10/12/2007 so far so good. I am an insurance agent for the last 35 years. Here is the deal on getting a good life policy after PC. After treatment at least 1 year must go buy. Most carriers want 2 years before they will consider you on a rated up basis.  Your PSA's must stay in 0.03 and lower with no test going higher than your lowest one. Allways use the same lab to get an accurate consitant PSA.  Even if they do offer you a policy it will be rated signifacantly higher say an extra $5.00 per 1000.00 coverage per year in addition to the standard rate. We ain't never gonna see preferrred life insurance rates again. I am now paying through the nose for my 10 year policy. It turned into an annual policy after my 10 years were up.  $136.00 a month for 250,000 and it will go up a bunch every year I keep it. If I hadn't got PC the preferred premium for another 10 year term would have been $68.00 guaranteed for 10 years.  My plan is in the next five years to not need any life insurance. I am thankful I found it early and only because of trying to change my life insurance because the 10 years was up. If it had been up five years from now and since I had no symptoms of any kind and was in excellent health and had avoided doctors and physical exams, I would probably be walking around today happy and stupid with a time bomb between my bladder and penis.  I am thankful it was found early. Praise the Lord!!!! Every seed of adversity carries forth a greater or equivalent benefit. For me it is a new appreciation that every day here is gift. If you can and still need life insurance renew the policy you have unless it is not renewable. I wish you well, stick around here and keep us posted on your new adventure.

Post Edited (56pontiac) : 9/20/2007 4:49:50 AM (GMT-6)

Posted 9/20/2007 1:28 PM (GMT 0)
56pontiac we have somthing besides PCa in common! I have been in the group medical Insurance for the past 25 years, but never get into doing individual life. At 52 with one still in high school, I just want to have more to leave behind should I get hit by a car on the way home from Davinci! My 20 year term $600,000 had run out, and the new portamedic led to the biopsy. Swim Mom, I made it to one Buffett concert here in Virginia Beach, and I have Va State Buffett tags on my SUV that read OBX BCH, means outer banks beach. took two hours online to fine a good plate, all his songs were long gone!

This web site is wonderful, it has answered so many questions for me, and I was able to pass it on to a close friend yesterday who just found out his PSA had gone from 3 to 7.4, so I think he has joined out club. Thing I can get a margarita in the recovery room!!
Posted 9/20/2007 6:40 PM (GMT 0)
Now this is wondering how I was able to increase my life insurance.

Two years ago my physical showed a PSA of 3.8.

Early last year I increased my term life insurance about 300K.  I was 51 then.

And of course in the middle of last year my PSA rose to 4.6 and the rest is history.

I think my life insurance does not have a limit on it, so as long as I pay for it my wife is covered.

Posted 9/20/2007 6:52 PM (GMT 0)
nono  I also have been in the Life Insurance business for 26 years.  John Handcock will look at you after 6 months if your initial gleeson was 6 or less. After 5 years of Zero PSA you can probably qualify for standard rates with most carriers. Preferred is NO MORE. You can of course convert your term policy to a Universal life policy, without any medicial questions.  If your present policy is preferred, the converted policy will also be "Preferred". This is why I never suggest 10 year term!!!

What insurance company are you with?

If it's "TERM" it does have a limit as far as level premiums. nono

Posted 9/22/2007 12:34 PM (GMT 0)
Broker59, I have owned my own Agency for the past 10 years, but for 15 years I was with Blue Cross of Virginia, then I went with American General, which one month later was sold to Anthem Blue Cross! We were Acordia of the South and I left as a VP after yet another sale. Only 17 more days to remove this cancer. It has been like a heavy load since the end of July, and I look forward to get to help fight this PCa. It seems like I can't think of anything else but my date with Davinci..is this normal? Last time I was in a hospital was 1977 to have my appendix removed!
Posted 9/27/2007 12:10 PM (GMT 0)
 

It is posssible to get coverage after prostate cancer.

There are a few companies available that are aggressive with their offers depending on the details.  Some will offer "standard plus" rates as soon as 6 months after completion of treatment while others will postpone you for a period of time:

companies look for:

1. age at diagnosis

2. pre-treatment psa level

3. Gleason score

4. staging

5. treatment

6. post treatment psa levels

If gleason is 6 or less and pre treatment psa level is less than 20, stage T1 or T2, some companies will offer non-rated policies as soon as 6 months.

When gleason hits 7 or greater, typically a postponement will be involved and a flat extra added to the price.  A flat extra is an extra cost per thousand of coverage added to standard rates.

For your case, i think that you will be a postpone for a while due to the T2c, and coverage with a flat available after that.

If you do a google search for "life insurance after prostate cancer" i will be listed as #1 on this topic, more details on site with questionnaires, what to expect, etc..

The best way to shop for coverage when ready is to have an agent informally shop your information.  That way many companies will be covered without going through the entire process with each company.  Good luck.

Mike Horbal

 

Posted 9/27/2007 1:55 PM (GMT 0)
nono  GM BeachBum!

In a few weeks this will all be behind you, just the healing, and Mr. Catheter!  Hospitials are scary places especially when you are on the table.  I had the open surgery, so my experience was a little more involved. With the robotics you are going to mend a lot quicker.  Looking back I have to be honest the prep the day before was a lot more uncomfortable than the recovery, only pain I had was the incision for about 5 days when I would get up, or cough.  You will be fine, you have a good surgeon, and that is number ONE!!! yeah

Posted 9/27/2007 3:19 PM (GMT 0)

Thanks for the help! I went back and pulled out all the notes my wife took when we were given membership in this new club, I stand corrected, the stageing is T2b, both sides of the prostate, but per the finger wave, Cat Scan and bone scan, has not spread! Hope the results stay the same. Its worth noting to that my prostate Dr. is rated number one in Eastern Virginia by all the other Drs, and he said that even with a 10.0 PSA reading, that he, my primary care doc and the Da Vinci Dr could not feel anything from the finger wave exam. I hope tis is a very good sign that it is still self contained.

Beachbum50

Posted 9/27/2007 3:55 PM (GMT 0)
nono  BeachBum (what a life!)

My Primary, and Uro both felt a hardness that led to the biopsy, thought I was OK with a PSA of 2.4, go figure! Also with a Gleeson 7, I was in the aggressive camp according to my surgeon.  You should be A-OK with smooth sailing ahead. You have a good surgeon, ask if he intends to take out the seminal vessical, and some lynth nodes.  My URO took out 23 LN, and the SV, he also cut up high on the bladder neck as recommended by Dr. Scardino.  Walk the beach that will pass the time nicely!!! yeah

Posted 9/27/2007 8:02 PM (GMT 0)
 

with T2b could be possible that coverage is available 6 months post treatment, and may have access to standard plus rates with no flat extra.

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