How Do Underwriters Determine Insurability For Someone Who is Considered Overweight or Obese?
Underwriters can determine from MIB records, physicians reports and paramedic exams how a person build and health history may affect the outcome; typically they are most concerned with anyone on the way below or above the guidelines for the particular carrier. Insurance companies usually have pre-defined "build " height -weight charts to determine your classification and your classification determines your premium rate.
Here are some Questions that Underwriters use to determine Your Build And Underwriting Outcome
- What your current build Height Weight?
- Have you gained or lost weight in the past year?
- Do you have any other contributing factors that may negatively/positively affect your underwriting approval when combined with your current build (exercising, dieting, taking prescription medications that caused weight gain/loss?
- Do You have any other conditions related to weight that could affect morbidity in a group such as hypertension, diabetes, sleep apnea, or a disease causing weight loss
What Underwriting Outcome Should I Anticipate if I am Overweight?
This really come down to if you have other health issues or not if you are simply a little overweight you can still qualify for select and preferred rate classes in most cases. As I mentioned before since all companies have their own height -weight "Build Charts" you may only qualify for "Standard" with one company and qualify for "Select" with another. This is why it is imperative to use a knowledgeable agent . As you can see Company "A" would provide a broader spectrum of underweight and overweight individuals to qualify for "Select", If an agent just placed you with company "C" you would fall into the "Standard" class and potentially be paying more for essentially te same coverage.
Example
Company "A" Female 5'4 between 96 lbs and 192 lbs would qualify as Select
Company "B" Female 5'4 between 110 lbs and 186 lbs would qualify as Select
Company "C" Female 5'4 between 102 lbs and 184 lbs would qualify as Select
Company "D" Female 5'4 between 111 lbs and 180 lbs would qualify as Select
Company "E" Female 5'4 between 163 lbs and 176 lbs would qualify as Select
