Life Insurance Options For Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients

If you have rheumatoid arthritis, you can still get life insurance. However, the options available to you will depend on the severity of your condition. Life insurance companies will want to know the date of your diagnosis, how often flare-ups occur, what kind of deformity you have and how severe it is, whether you have a disability, what medications you are taking, and which parts of the body are affected. The type of drugs you are taking to manage your rheumatoid arthritis will also serve as an indicator to the insurance company of the severity of your condition.

Life insurance approval with rheumatoid arthritis

If you have rheumatoid arthritis, you can still get life insurance, but the options available to you will depend on the severity of your condition. The best way to get affordable life insurance is to apply through a broker who can shop the market for you.

Here's what you need to know about getting life insurance approval with rheumatoid arthritis:

You Can Be Approved

Regardless of the severity of your rheumatoid arthritis, there will be a life insurance policy available to you. The type of policy and the size of the benefit can be limited by the severity of your rheumatoid arthritis, your overall health, and your lifestyle. Traditional life insurance usually offers the best option for those with mild or moderate rheumatoid arthritis, while graded benefit life insurance and guaranteed issue life insurance are alternatives for those with more severe cases.

It Might Cost More

Life insurance carriers use underwriting to assess how much risk you pose. Rheumatoid arthritis is one factor in determining the cost of your life insurance policy. Your premiums will depend on factors such as your family medical history, health, age, lifestyle choices, and the specifics of your rheumatoid arthritis, including the date of diagnosis, frequency of flare-ups, deformities, disability status, medications, and affected body parts.

Independent Agents Are Recommended

It is recommended to work with an independent life insurance agent who has access to multiple carriers and can offer you the best policy at the most competitive price. Different carriers view risks differently, so your rheumatoid arthritis might be approved by one company but declined by another. An independent agent with knowledge of rheumatoid arthritis can help you navigate this process.

Your Needs Matter

Before purchasing life insurance, it's important to examine your needs. Consider what you want your life insurance to accomplish, such as covering debts, living expenses, family income, or other financial obligations. While a common recommendation is to multiply your annual income by 10, it's important to remember that each person's needs are unique.

Disclosure of Rheumatoid Arthritis

It is important to disclose that you have rheumatoid arthritis during the application process. Non-disclosure of a medical condition is considered insurance fraud and can result in future claims being rejected and the policy being terminated. However, it is not obligatory to inform your life insurance provider if you are diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis during the term of your policy, but it may delay pay-outs to your loved ones if you pass away from related complications.

The cost of life insurance with rheumatoid arthritis

Mild rheumatoid arthritis

If you have mild rheumatoid arthritis, you may not be table rated. This means that you will not have to pay an additional charge on top of the standard premium price. You may even be able to get a life insurance policy with no additional loading.

Moderate rheumatoid arthritis

If you have moderate rheumatoid arthritis, you will likely experience an increase in your premium. This could be a surcharge of somewhere between 20-200% on top of the standard premium price.

Severe rheumatoid arthritis

If you have severe rheumatoid arthritis, you may see your premium increase by around 200%. Many insurers will refuse cover altogether if you have severe symptoms, especially if there is any organ involvement.

Factors affecting the cost of life insurance with rheumatoid arthritis

There are several factors that life insurance companies will consider when determining the cost of life insurance with rheumatoid arthritis:

• Date of diagnosis: The longer you have had rheumatoid arthritis, the more risk you pose for damage to your joints and organs.
• Flare-ups: The frequency and duration of flare-ups will impact the amount of inflammation in your body, which will affect the cost of your insurance.
• Deformity: The type and severity of any deformity will impact your ability to live an independent and active life, which will be reflected in the cost of your insurance.
• Disability: If you are unable to work due to rheumatoid arthritis, this will negatively affect your life insurance rates.
• Medications: Some rheumatoid arthritis medications are considered "red flags" by life insurance carriers and may result in higher premiums.
• Parts of the body affected: Joint damage, bone erosion, and organ involvement will negatively impact life insurance underwriting and increase the cost of your insurance.

How rheumatoid arthritis is classified by insurers

Life insurance companies will want to know the following about your rheumatoid arthritis (RA) before providing you with a quote:

• Date of diagnosis — The longer you have had RA, the more risk you pose for damage to your joints and organs.
• Flare-ups — How often your flare-ups occur impacts the amount of inflammation in your body.
• Deformity — The kind and severity of deformity impacts your ability to live an independent and active life.
• Disability — The inability to work due to an RA disability negatively affects your life insurance rates.
• Medications — Some RA drugs are considered “red flags” to life insurance carriers.
• Parts of the body affected — Joint damage, bone erosion, and organ involvement negatively impact life insurance underwriting.

Insurers will look at your symptoms, the treatment, and any disability in order to assess the severity of your condition and how well you are managing it. They will look to classify your condition as mild, moderate, or severe. They may also refer to a Disease Activity Score (DAS) to build up a profile of your risk.

Mild

In mild cases, you will have slight pain and stiffness in some peripheral joints, usually the hands and feet, with minimal swelling and no deformities or evidence of erosion. The symptoms are controlled with over-the-counter medication and Non-steroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs). You will be able to complete all daily activities without assistance. The underwriting outcome for mild cases of RA can vary from insurer to insurer, though in most cases, you should expect to see a small loading. In the best case, it may be possible to secure ordinary rates.

Moderate

In moderate cases, you will be on continuous medication, taking steroids, DMARDS (disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs), or anti-TNF drugs to control the symptoms. You will experience pain and some major joints will be involved. The affected joints will affect your movement, and you may have some cartilage damage, resulting in mild disability. You are still able to perform all facets of daily life with slight difficulty. Once again, the outcome for moderate cases will vary depending on where you look, though as a rule of thumb, your premium is likely to increase by 100%, effectively doubling.

Severe

In severe cases, you will have significant joint damage, obvious deformities, and a level of disability that means you are unable to carry out daily activities without assistance. You may use sticks and/or a wheelchair to get around. You will be in near-constant pain and on steroids, DMARDs, and other drugs to manage your condition. Many insurers will end up refusing cover to applicants with severe symptoms, especially if there is any organ involvement. Cover may still be available, however, through more specialist providers, but you should be prepared to see your premium increase by around 200%.

How medication affects your life insurance policy

The type of medication you take to manage your rheumatoid arthritis (RA) will indicate to the insurance company the severity of your condition. Some insurers will automatically change how they classify you if you are taking a certain type of medication, as some drugs carry greater risks and are more likely to carry side effects.

Non-steroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs)

If you use over-the-counter medication and NSAIDs to manage your RA, you are likely to be classed as mild. You may even be able to get a life insurance policy with no additional loading. Chances of complications to the heart or kidneys are unlikely to occur with these drugs. Stronger NSAIDs are available by prescription.

Disease-modifying Antirheumatic Drugs (DMARDs)

When you are diagnosed with RA, you’ll normally be offered a combination of DMARD tablets as part of your initial treatment. Methotrexate is often the first medicine prescribed, often alongside another DMARD like sulfasalazine, hydroxychloroquine, and leflunomide. For pain relief, you are also likely to be prescribed a short course of corticosteroids (a group of medications, including prednisone, that help control severe pain).

DMARDs relieve symptoms and slow the disease down, helping to protect joints from further damage. They work by blocking the effects of the chemicals released when the immune system attacks the joints, which could otherwise cause further damage to nearby bones, tendons, ligaments, and cartilage. DMARDs are often a long-term treatment.

New biologic forms of DMARDs are being used to treat RA by targeting and modifying parts of the body's immune system to stop chemicals from attacking your joints. These biologics are usually taken with methotrexate and can work more quickly than traditional DMARDs.

Anti-tumour Necrosis Factor (anti-TNF)

Anti-TNF drugs are expensive and only prescribed if conventional treatments aren’t working. These drugs work by blocking tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNFα), which is present in the blood and joints of people with RA. Research has shown that excessive production of TNFα can lead to inflammation and damage to joints.

In some cases, anti-TNF drugs leave patients open to serious infections, especially in the early stages of treatment. With newer drugs in this class, the long-term side effects are not known. Insurers will therefore treat them with caution and apply an automatic loading.

Other factors impacting your insurance premium

The number of years since diagnosis is not a factor for most insurers. They are more interested in your symptoms, the number and types of joints affected, and the level of disability.

The type and number of joints affected is key for underwriters. Insurers will look at RA affecting hands and feet as mild. If more major joints, such as shoulders, elbows, and hips are affected, you will see the rating move towards severe. The more joints that are affected, the more your classification will increase in severity.

Some people with RA experience joint deformity. Insurers will consider any deformities and the joints where they occur to get an idea of the severity of your condition. Deformities to fingers, wrists and feet may still be classified as moderate. Deformities in the hips or knees that mean you need walking sticks or a wheelchair will see a severe classification and your policy will increase significantly.

Rheumatoid Nodules are hard lumps that can appear under the skin of people with RA. They usually occur over the finger joints and elbows. Insurers will load a premium when rheumatoid nodules are present.

One of the factors that has the most impact on your insurance premium is a disability and how it impacts your ability to do everyday tasks. If you require walking sticks or a wheelchair to move around, your condition is likely to be classed as severe and your premium increased.

The presence of antibodies in the blood will also impact your classification and increase your premium. There are two main types of antibody associated with Rheumatoid Arthritis: Rheumatoid Factor (RF) and Anti-CCP. RF is an autoantibody that attacks a person's own tissues and is present in around 80% of people with RA. Not everyone with RA has the Anti-CCP autoantibody, but most do.

If your condition progresses and your bones start to erode, the joint will eventually need to be replaced. If you have had surgery and had no repercussions, it should not impact your premium. If you are awaiting surgery, insurance will be postponed until the surgery is complete.

In some cases of RA, the inflammation moves beyond the joints to the heart, skin, eyes and lungs. Any evidence of extra-articular complications will see insurers increase your premiums, or even refuse you cover.

Frequently asked questions