2023 Burial Insurance with Retinopathy
Having diabetic complications will not prevent you from qualifying for burial insurance with retinopathy. In fact, there are some affordable insurance options for you if you have this condition.
The type of plan you will qualify for will depend on how long you have diabetic retinopathy.
If you or someone you love suffer from diabetic retinopathy, keep reading because we will discuss your options in this article so that you can find affordable coverage with diabetic retinopathy.
FOR EASIER NAVIGATION:
- What Is My Best Insurance Option If I Have a History of Retinopathy?
- What Types of Burial Insurance Should I Avoid?
- What Type of Burial Insurance Is Best?
- If I Have Retinopathy, Do I Need a Medical Exam to Qualify for Burial Insurance?
- Burial Insurance Underwriting If You Have Retinopathy
- How Much Insurance Do I Need If I Have Retinopathy?
- How Should I Pay My Premiums?
- Retinopathy and Burial Insurance Riders
- What If You’re Declined for Life Insurance Due to Retinopathy?
- Benefits of Burial & Funeral Insurance
- Other Common Uses for Final Expense Life Insurance with Retinopathy
- How Can Funeral Funds Help Me?
- Additional Questions & Answers On Burial Insurance With Retinopathy
What Is My Best Insurance Option If I Have A History Of Retinopathy?
YOU WERE DIAGNOSED WITH RETINOPATHY LONGER THAN TWO YEARS
Most life insurance companies only ask about retinopathy in the last 24 months.
If your diabetic retinopathy diagnosis occurred more than two years ago, you would have the best options. Thankfully, a select few final expense insurance companies offer a level death benefit plan with full first-day coverage. This is burial insurance with no waiting period.
The best thing about a level death benefit plan is full coverage from the very first day. Your beneficiary will receive your total death benefit when you pass away after you are approved.
Best Option: Level Death Benefit Plan
LESS THAN 2 YEARS SINCE DIAGNOSIS
Most burial insurance companies will offer you a first-day benefit plan if your retinopathy diagnosis is less than two years. You will be covered from the first day, and your death benefit will be phased in over time.
Best Option: First-day benefit plan
OTHER FACTORS THAT MAY AFFECT ELIGIBILITY
If your retinopathy progressed to blindness, you might require home health care or help to perform different daily living activities.
Most life insurance companies will typically ask these questions:
- Are you currently receiving home health care?
- Do you require assistance from anybody with activities of daily living such as eating, bathing, dressing, toileting, transferring, or continence?
You’ll find these health questions in the application’s ” knockout ” section.
NEEDING HELP WITH ACTIVITIES OF DAILY LIVING
Some diabetes patients may become blind due to retinopathy and may need help with activities of daily living. ADLs include eating, bathing, dressing, toileting, transferring, and continence.
Every life insurance company with underwriting will ask if you need help with ADL in their knockout section.
If you can perform these activities independently, your retinopathy will have little to no effect on your burial insurance eligibility.
However, if you need help with any of the ADLs, then your options are limited.
Most life insurance companies will decline anyone who needs help with activities of daily living if you are in this situation; your best choice for insurance coverage is a guaranteed issue burial insurance.
Best Option: Guaranteed issue burial insurance
HOME HEALTH CARE
Every life insurance company asks about home health care, just like the activities of daily living.
Some diabetes patients with retinopathy may require home health care when their retinopathy progresses to blindness. If this is your condition, it would be best to take out a guaranteed issue burial insurance.
Best Option: Guaranteed issue burial insurance
What Types Of Burial Insurance Should I Avoid?
| PLANS TO AVOID | WHY? |
|---|---|
| Term life | Premiums increase after 5 years. Coverage ends after 80. |
| Pre-paid funeral plans | Expensive |
| Universal life | Tied with stocks |
| No health questions policies | With 2-year waiting period |
| Plans offering "teaser rates" | $9.95 per unit plans or $1 buys $100,000 coverage |
| Over priced plans | Insurance from TV and junk mail |
| Plans that accept mail-in payments | Risky |
| Plans that accept Direct Express | High lapse rate |
| Plans that accept Credit Cards | High lapse rate |
What Type Of Burial Insurance Is Best?
| FUNERAL FUNDS PLAN BENEFITS | INCLUDED |
|---|---|
| 1st Day Coverage | YES |
| Rates NEVER Increase | YES |
| Coverage NEVER Decreases | YES |
| Easy to get approved | YES |
| No Medical Exam | YES |
| Same Day Approval | YES |
| Death Claims Pay Fast | YES |
| Builds cash value | YES |
| Coverage Up To Age 121 | YES |
If I Have Retinopathy, Do I Need A Medical Exam To Qualify For Burial Insurance?
You are NOT required to take a medical exam to qualify for burial insurance with retinopathy.
When you apply for burial insurance, you only have to answer basic questions about your health. The application process is simple; you don’t need to provide medical records or blood and urine samples.
You’ll get the official approval from the insurance company often within minutes!
Underwriting Burial Insurance With Retinopathy
Underwriting is a process by insurance companies to determine how risky you are to insure.
They use different methods of underwriting, including:
- Asking health questions on the application
- Checking your prescription history
Guaranteed issue life insurance does not have any form of underwriting.
Guaranteed issue life insurance is uniquely designed to approve people with severe medical conditions. It guarantees approval to all applicants that will pass the age requirement. However, this plan is a bit more expensive than insurance plans with underwriting.
All other final expense policies ask health questions that will be used to help determine your eligibility and pricing.
HEALTH QUESTIONS
Burial insurance plans with underwriting ask health questions on the application. You must answer these questions to qualify for coverage.
Every burial insurance company asks a different set of health questions.
Here are some common ways diabetic retinopathy is asked in the health questions:
- In the past two years, have you been diagnosed, treated, tested positive for, taken medications or been prescribed medications for, or been advised by a licensed physician or other health care provider for Insulin shock, diabetic coma, eye or kidney problems due to complications from diabetes?
- In the previous 24 months, have you been medically diagnosed or treated for diabetes, uncontrolled diabetes, or diabetes complications, including circulation, amputation, coma, insulin shock numbness, and eye or kidney disorder?
- Within the previous two years, have you had or been diagnosed or advised to receive treatment or medication for diabetic complications such as insulin shock, diabetic coma, neuropathy (nerve, circulatory), retinopathy (eye), or nephropathy (kidney).
You will notice a time frame tied to the health questions.
Your time of diagnosis with retinopathy will determine what life insurance plans are open for you and how much premium you will pay.
Burial insurance companies only ask about medical conditions they care about. If you don’t see retinopathy in the health questionnaire, the company is okay with it, and they will approve your application even if you have this condition.
PRESCRIPTION HISTORY CHECK
There are no specific prescription medications that would indicate retinopathy.
Some of the prescription medications for retinopathy include:
- Eylea
- Lucentis
- Ranibizumab
- Aflibercept
If you are taking any of these drugs, it will not affect your eligibility for burial insurance. These prescription medications are not a red flag to most life insurance companies.
THE EFFECT OF RETINOPATHY ON LIFE INSURANCE ELIGIBILITY
Retinopathy is a diabetic complication that affects the eyes. This condition is caused by damage to the retina’s blood vessel or the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eyes. It usually affects both eyes.
Retinopathy can develop in people with type 1 or type 2 diabetes. The longer you have diabetes with less controlled blood sugar, the more likely you will develop this eye complication.
Don’t let retinopathy discourage you from trying to purchase affordable burial insurance. You can be eligible for life insurance even with diabetic retinopathy or blindness.
Having diabetic complications like retinopathy does put you in a higher risk category. Some life insurance companies don’t want to deal with this risk. However, we have some insurers that accept this kind of condition.
The time since your retinopathy diagnosis will affect the type of plan you will qualify for and the amount you will pay.
How Much Insurance Do I Need If I Have Retinopathy?
The amount of burial insurance you should buy varies depending on your personal and financial circumstances. However, burial insurance should cover the cost of your funeral, burial, and final expenses.
The first step to figuring out how much burial insurance you need is to know your end-of-life expenses. Your funeral cost is often the biggest single expense you need to pay. Other end-of-life expenses to consider are your outstanding medical bills, living expenses, credit card bills, and other debts.
Here’s an example of a funeral cost breakdown from the National Funeral Directors Association.
| AVERAGE FUNERAL COST WITH VIEWING AND BURIAL | |
|---|---|
| Non-declinable basic services | $2,300 |
| Removal/ transfer of remains to funeral home | $350 |
| Embalming & preparation of the body | $1,050 |
| Use of facilities for viewing & funeral ceremony | $965 |
| Hearse | $325 |
| Service car/van | $150 |
| Basic memorial printed package | $183 |
| Metal casket | $2,500 |
| Vault | $1,572 |
| Median Cost of a Funeral With Viewing and Burial | $9,420 |
| AVERAGE FUNERAL COST WITH VIEWING AND CREMATION | |
|---|---|
| Non-declinable basic services fee | $2,300 |
| Removal/ transfer of remains to funeral home | $350 |
| Embalming & preparation of the body | $1,050 |
| Use of facilities for viewing & funeral ceremony | $965 |
| Service car/van | $150 |
| Basic memorial printed package | $183 |
| Cremation fee (if firm uses a third-party crematory) | $368 |
| Cremation Casket | $1,310 |
| Urn | $295 |
| Median Cost of a Funeral with Viewing and Cremation | $6,970 |
| Rental Casket | $995 |
| Alternate Cremation Container | $150 |
How Should I Pay My Premiums?
The best way to pay your premium is through a savings or checking account. We recommend you set a bank draft from your savings or checking account. That way, the bank will automatically pay your premium each month, and you don’t need to worry about your policy lapsing due to non-payment.
Retinopathy And Burial Insurance Riders
Insurance policy riders add benefits to your policy. Adding insurance riders will enhance your policy to fit your needs. Some riders are built into your policy, while others can be added at an additional cost. Most riders are affordable, and it involves little to no underwriting.
Here’s a list of common burial insurance riders:
| FUNERAL FUNDS ADD-ONS | AVAILABILITY |
|---|---|
| Terminal Illness Add-On Benefit | Included with most plans |
| Nursing Home Care Add-On Benefit | Included with most plans |
What If You’re Declined For Life Insurance Due To Retinopathy?
If you are declined for first-day coverage due to retinopathy and blindness, don’t get discouraged and think that you can’t get affordable life insurance with a different company.
We can get you approved for coverage in some select life insurance companies that do not ask about diabetic retinopathy as long as you don’t have other health issues that will prevent you from qualifying with them.
Even if you aren’t eligible with some companies, you can purchase a guaranteed issue burial insurance policy.
We recommend a 2-year waiting period policy option as a last resort because GI policy is the most expensive form of coverage. You are guaranteed coverage, and whatever happens in the future, your family is protected.
When applying for burial insurance with diabetic retinopathy, it’s best to work with an independent life insurance agency like Funeral Funds. We know the underwriting guidelines of many companies, and we can get you the lowest rate.
Benefits Of Burial & Funeral Insurance
Here are some of the benefits of purchasing a burial or funeral policy:
- No medical exam or doctor’s visit is required – easy to get approved.
- Ease of issue – easy to qualify and get insurance coverage.
- No Money Down to get approved – have your policy start whenever you want.
- Level premium – your premium will never increase.
- Fixed death benefit – your death benefit will never decrease for any reason.
- Permanent protection – your policy can not be canceled by the life insurance company if you continue to pay your premiums.
- Tax-free – the death benefit is directly paid to your beneficiary tax-free upon your death
- Cash value builds up – burial insurance is a whole life policy that builds cash value over time.
Other Common Uses For Final Expense Life Insurance With Retinopathy
All of these examples are appropriate uses for Final Expense Life Insurance:
- Burial insurance plan with retinopathy
- Cremation insurance plan with retinopathy
- Funeral home insurance plan with retinopathy
- Final Expense insurance plan with retinopathy
- Prepaid funeral plan insurance with retinopathy
- Mortgage payment protection plan with retinopathy
- Mortgage payoff life insurance plan with retinopathy
- Deceased spouse’s income replacement plan with retinopathy
- Legacy insurance gift plan to family or loved ones with retinopathy
- Medical or doctor bill life insurance plan with retinopathy
We can help you with any of the plans above. Your pricing will depend on your age, health, and coverage amount for each program option.
How Can Funeral Funds Help Me?
Finding a policy if you have diabetic retinopathy needn’t be frustrating; working with an independent agency like Funeral Funds will make the process easier and quicker.
We will work with you every step to find the plan that fits your financial requirements and budget. You don’t have to waste your precious time searching for multiple insurance companies because we will do the work for you.
We work with many A+ rated insurance carriers that specialize in covering high-risk clients like you. We will search all those companies to get the best rate. We will match you up with the best burial insurance company that gives the best rate.
We will assist you in securing the coverage you need at a rate you can afford, so if you are looking for retinopathy funeral insurance, retinopathy burial insurance, or retinopathy life insurance.
Fill out our quote form on this page or call us at (888) 862-9456, and we can give you an instant online life insurance quote.
Additional Questions & Answers On Burial Insurance With Retinopathy
Can you get life insurance with retinopathy?
Yes, you can get life insurance if you are a diabetic with retinopathy. Many life insurance companies offer coverage to people with diabetic retinopathy.
Does diabetic retinopathy disqualify life insurance?
You can never be disqualified for life insurance if you have diabetic retinopathy. People with diabetic retinopathy can always qualify for a first-day coverage plan.
Do I need a medical exam to qualify for burial insurance with diabetic retinopathy?
No, you don’t need a medical exam to qualify for burial insurance with diabetic retinopathy. Some insurance companies offer no medical exam policies to people who had diabetic retinopathy in the past.
Is it hard to get life insurance if you had diabetic retinopathy?
No, people who have diabetic retinopathy can still qualify for life insurance and first-day coverage in many cases.
Is diabetic retinopathy covered under critical illness?
No, diabetic retinopathy is not covered under critical illness.
Can you get burial insurance with retinopathy?
Yes, you can get burial insurance with retinopathy. If you are 50-85 years old, you can qualify for burial insurance even if you have retinopathy.
Is diabetic retinopathy life-threatening?
Diabetic retinopathy is a serious complication of diabetes. Retinopathy can cause progressive damage to the retina and can lead to blindness.
Is life insurance expensive for diabetics with retinopathy?
No, people with diabetic retinopathy will pay the same rate as healthy individuals.
Can you get funeral insurance with retinopathy?
Yes, you can get funeral insurance even if you have retinopathy.
How does diabetic retinopathy affect life insurance?
Diabetic retinopathy may affect your life insurance eligibility if it is very recent. Most life insurance companies ask about diabetic complications in the last two years. If you have recent diabetic retinopathy, you will only qualify for a first-day benefit plan.
Can you reverse diabetic retinopathy?
No, diabetic retinopathy is not reversible. However, if the condition was caught earlier, you can be prevented from going blind.
How long does it take to go blind from diabetic retinopathy?
It will take several years before diabetic retinopathy can lead to blindness. It is important to be diagnosed and treated early so it will not cause blindness.
How do people live with diabetic retinopathy?
People with diabetic retinopathy need to go for regular eye exams recommended by the doctor to prevent vision loss and live a normal life.
Can you get final expense insurance with retinopathy?
Yes, you can get final expense insurance if you are a diabetic with retinopathy. If your diabetic retinopathy is longer than two years, some life insurance companies will offer a first-day coverage plan to you.
How long does it take for diabetes to damage eyes?
People with diabetes may develop diabetic retinopathy if they have uncontrolled diabetes for three to five years.
What does a person with diabetic retinopathy see?
People with diabetic retinopathy can have spots floating in their vision, they can also experience flashes of light or severe vision loss.
How quickly does retinopathy progress?
Diabetic retinopathy can progress to proliferative diabetic retinopathy up to 60% within 12 months.
What worsens diabetic retinopathy?
Diabetic retinopathy can worsen if their blood sugar level is not controlled.
Can you get cremation insurance with retinopathy?
Yes, you can still get cremation insurance if you are a diabetic with retinopathy. You can even qualify for a first-day coverage plan with some companies.
How does diabetic retinopathy affect life?
Diabetic retinopathy can may life difficult, especially at night. They may have trouble reading, which can also affect other aspects of life, especially sports.
Is retinopathy a long term complication of diabetes?
Yes, retinopathy is a long-term complication of diabetes. This condition may get worse over time and may lead to blindness.
What is the best option if you have diabetic retinopathy?
Getting a first-day coverage plan is your best option if you have diabetic retinopathy. If your diabetic retinopathy is over 24 months ago, you are in the best position to qualify for a first-day coverage plan.
How does diabetic retinopathy affect life insurance?
Diabetic retinopathy may affect life insurance eligibility if it’s very recent. Most insurance companies have asked about diabetic retinopathy in the last two years. If your diabetic retinopathy is very recent or less than two years of first-day coverage, some companies may decline your application for coverage. However, you can always qualify for a first-day benefit plan.
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