Know The Ropes Of Placing Clients Who Have A Heart Condition
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When attempting to obtain coverage for a person with a history of a heart condition, agents must be prepared to ask the applicant a host of questions in order for brokerages to attempt to get the best offer for the prospective insured.
The queries should include: Was bypass surgery done or did the client/prospect have angioplasty? How many vessels were bypassed? Has there been a post-operative thallium stress test and, if so, was it negative? Does the prospect smoke?
Knowing the persons family health history is, of course, also needed, as is any information about the prospects rehab program. For example, is he or she involved in any kind of exercise program?
There are numerous types of heart disease. Additionally, if the applicant has suffered a stroke, as much information as available should be obtained from the prospective insured and furnished to the general agency for their and the home office underwriting departments evaluation.
Underwriting responses differ widely from company to company. However, good brokerages will know which companies are comfortable with certain types of cases. (For instance, some companies will not touch a multiple bypass case if the client continues to smoke, but others will; your brokerage should know the difference.)
Knowing which companies prefer which type of cases is where the art of underwriting takes precedence over the science.
Do some people with a history of heart disease have a better chance of obtaining coverage than others? Absolutely!
Show me a multiple vessel bypass or a recent myocardial infarction case where the individual has quit smoking, laid off the rice pudding, started an exercise program, no matter how modest, and has lost some weight, and Ill show you a case on which our agency can get standard offers.