Elevated Liver Function Questions When Applying for Life Insurance
Hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver caused by an infection or injury. Hepatitis can be categorized based on how the inflammation began. There are five types of hepatitis, with type A and E considered to be acute and the others chronic. The different types of hepatitis may have different symptoms and signs of infection, but they are all equally dangerous to the liver.
In the United States, about 13,000 deaths are caused by hepatitis each year and about 51,000 people are hospitalized due to it. In addition, about 1,000,000 people suffer from acute hepatitis infections each year.
Some organizations, especially those that offer life insurance, may ask about hepatitis when you fill out health or background questionnaires as part of the life insurance application process.
Will elevated liver enzymes improve enough to be eligible for life insurance? This article will help you understand what your doctor may mean when he or she orders blood tests to measure liver function. You will also learn how your liver health may impact your life insurance and how that process works.
First, you should know that there are several different numbers that the doctor might tell you about when measuring various aspects of your liver health. The number that you’re most likely to be tested for is aspartate transaminase (AST).
What typically causes LFT?
The main reasons for elevated liver enzymes are infections of viral hepatitis, including Hepatitis A, B, C, Clam, and Hepatitis E. Your doctor can run blood tests to determine what type of hepatitis you have, and give you the necessary treatment.
Liver enzymes can also be elevated if you drink a lot of alcohol.
In some cases, high liver enzymes can be a normal response of your body to stressful situations, or can be due to some medicines you may be taking.
In cases of elevated liver enzymes, the doctor will take your health and medical history into consideration to determine the overall health of your liver. In certain cases, your doctor will diagnose you with Cirrhosis of the Liver.
If your liver enzymes are elevated results from Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, or Hepatitis E, you will not qualify for life insurance.
Saving Money on Life Insurance
After receiving your life insurance results via your physical exam, your doctor may advise you to get further testing. One of the most common tests the insurance company asks for is a liver panel. This is a blood test that checks for damage to your liver (such as hepatitis, fatty liver disease, etc.). If your initial physical exam or health history raises a red flag that you might have liver damage, it’s likely they will request a liver panel as part of your required diagnostic testing.
If you’re in otherwise generally good health and the insurance company has other reasons to offer you a lower premium, such as your gender or your age, then your elevated liver enzymes probably won’t impact your life insurance approval and you can probably expect to pay an average life insurance premium.
If, however, you already have another health condition such as high blood pressure or a history of heart disease, and you also have elevated liver enzymes, it’s possible that the insurance company will use it as a reason to offer you a more expensive life insurance policy. In other words, your healthy lifestyle and lower age may not mean that you’ll be eligible for a lower premium.
How Much Life Insurance to Purchase
It’s about Getting the Appropriate Coverage
As a parent, you know how hard it is to put a price on your baby.
Even after you have gone through the agonizing experience of drawing up a will and trusts because of the death of a child, a good life insurance policy can give you a little comfort that you have provided your child with a legacy to cash in and secure his or her future.
The truth is that you are never too young to apply for life insurance. Teenagers will find that applying for a life insurance policy is easy and life insurance is a great way to protect themselves and their assets. When you purchase life insurance for a teenager, it gives them pause to think about their lifestyle and how to improve.
The important life insurance facts that every parent should know includes:
Whether your teenager is eligible for life insurance? If they are still a minor, they will have to file an application through a parent or guardian’s signature, but if they are over 18 and have a full-time job, they can apply on their own.
How much coverage do they need? This will depend on their current and future financial needs.