Why Do Insurance Companies Use Urinalysis?
The short answer is that it may be used to determine whether you are a healthy risk.
The kidneys are responsible for filtering out all of the waste products and excess fluid in our blood. If something is not working right, then things like albumin or urea may begin to build up in the urine. This is called a negative result.
Higher than normal levels of protein in the urine may indicate more than just a temporary problem. It could also indicate chronic kidney disease or kidney cancer.
What’s Your Healthy Risk?
Healthy Risk – is also used by the insurance company to determine your healthy risk category. This category will determine the corresponding premium.
A Category 1 or normal healthy risk means you are statistically the least likely to have a claim.
Premiums tend to be lower with Category 1 healthy risks.
Category 5 or poor healthy risk means that statistically you are the most likely to have a claim.
Premiums tend to be higher with Category 5 healthy risks.
There are a couple ways to determine your healthy risk category. One way is through an Urinanalysis.
Urinalysis Medical Tests
Undergoing a medical test can help doctors diagnose different medical conditions. Because of this, you can be required to undergo a urinalysis test during your overall medical exam, or might be interested in getting it done to find out more about your overall health condition.
A urinalysis may be ordered when a problem is suspected, or as a follow-up to a health concern. For instance, when people go to their doctor to find out if they need to lose weight, a urinalysis may be ordered to assess for diabetes. When a professional athlete’s urine tests positive for anabolic steroids, a urinalysis is run to confirm the presence of the performance-enhancing substance.
The procedure is harmless and only requires you to provide a urine sample. It’s similar to taking a drug test, but it should not be confused with one. While a drug test may detect the use of certain illegal substances, a urinalysis will detect any underlying health problems.
Here are two of the most common types of urinalysis:
Urine Sedimentation Test
What Happens After the Urinalysis?
After the urinalysis is conducted, scientists check it with a high-volume analyzer, also known as an HVA. All results show if you have a protein level that is higher than normal, evidence of blood and protein, and the underlying reason that may have caused this condition.
HVA testing tries to take unnecessary tests out of the equation. Once there is a high volume of protein, it can show if you have a liver problem, an infection, or even cancer.
HVA testing is vital and acts as a screening tool for detecting protein in the urine. For the individual to be eligible for insurance, it must be done. The HVA is a general test that can pick up any conditions. Next, the protein levels will be tested in the insurance company’s lab.
The insurance company will check for all the other important things, such as diabetes and infection. Right after a positive HVA test, they will send the samples to the lab.
They will tell you that you need to wait for about two weeks to get the results back. During this time, a doctor may prescribe you some antibiotics.
Can I Avoid the Urinalysis?
Life insurance companies aren’t overly concerned about the health of the average applicant. As long as you’re reasonably healthy and don’t currently have a fatal disease, they’re interested in seeing evidence that you were healthy in the past. Of course, if you’re an overweight smoker who’s been denied coverage in the past, you’re not likely to get coverage now without a clean bill of health.
Still, you’re paying top dollar for a multi-year policy, and life insurance companies want to make sure they’re not stuck with an unhealthy applicant.
I’m an unwilling participant in a life insurance underwriting program, and I remember my doctor informing me that I’d be taking a urine test for drugs and life insurance. I’d never taken a drug test before, so I thought the voice on the phone was kidding when he said the urine test was a urine drug test.
Calculating your Life Insurance Needs
Insurance, whether you want it or not is as important when it comes to being comfortable with your financial future. If you are a young employee, you don’t really need to worry about life insurance since your parents will live long enough to see you grow old. However, if you are above the age of fifty, it is best to check with an insurance company that either your spouse or any relative who is dependent on your income has a life insurance policy in case of an untimely demise.
If you are in the market looking for a life insurance policy, one of the first things you have to go through is to have a physical examination and a urine test to make sure you have an insurmountable health. If you have a terminal disease or one that is potentially fatal then the insurance company will not provide you with a policy since they do not want to financially support your lifestyle.
There are also several private companies such as life insurance underwriters and brokers who are in the market to accept the risk of life insurance from consumers who are not eligible. The companies will put you through the life insurance medical exam and perform the required urine sample test. They will then determine the benefits your life insurance agent and take the risk themselves to make a profit.
Getting Affordable Life Insurance Coverage
The question of drug testing has a role in determining an individual’s eligibility for insurance coverage. While the tests do not give conclusive answers, the results of these urinalysis tests are used to determine an individual’s eligibility for the coverage.
Known as life insurance, the coverage assures a future pay-out to a beneficiary or the insured individual in case of premature death.
Insurance companies seek evidence to prove that the insured individual is low risk for future health issues. Different insurance companies have their unique testing requirements. Some do not even authorize drug test results from individuals who had prior health issues, or who were previously treated for alcoholism or nicotine addiction.
Generally, for life insurance purpose, the employment and application drug test asks for the results of a urine test for all kinds of substances of abuse.
The tests are used where the insurance provider is trying to be aware of the applicant’s health risks. If there is a positive result, the test does not mean that the applicant will definitely get ill. It rather verifies that the applicant has not abstained from any substance abuse over a period of time.