Child with Down syndrome denied life insurance - any advice?
A family wanted to put riders for their kids on their life insurance policy. Their other children were accepted. The child with Down syndrome was not -- even though she's in overall good health aside from annual monitoring for a heart problem.
I can understand using an actuarial table to charge a higher premium to offset any actual increased risk that the child will die during the time the policy is in effect. But it's not like this kid is moribund and her parents are trying to insure her for a bundle so they'll hit the jackpot when she buys the farm. They're just trying to get a small rider to cover funeral expenses should she die, as they're doing with their other children.
This just seems so wrong.
And I'd like to know what insurance company is doing this, and if this company is alone in having such a coldhearted policy.
You can get coverage for child with DS under ADB Policies (Additional Death Benefits). These policies limit the covered death cases to accidental in the first 3 years regularly, and then extend the cover to include death of any reason. These policies are more expensive, as no medical status declarations are required, but at least they provide you with the desired solution. You can see an option at www.sinclairpremium.com (Life For All coverage)
ReplyDeleteThanx. I'll pass it on.
ReplyDeleteI understand the frustration, my fiance was never on any insurance growing up with severe debilitating asthma that even caused him to be held back in school (so many asthma attacks and a poor immune system meant he missed a lot of school). He was never on insurance because it was a pre-exising conditions and was so severe his mother couldnt afford insurance for him and often had to pay his medical bills herself. Its terrible that children have to suffer because their parents cant afford to get them medical care.
ReplyDeleteIts not nearly as severe but as a child I had panic attacks, acute asthma, severe anemia, and had even broken my arm. All but the last were never treated until I was 17 and had moved out. The broken arm took 3 days before it got medical attention during which another fracture happened and it cost even more. Life insurance and health insurance should be something readily available to everyone and sadly its not.