Life Insurance Weight Charts

Along with height, weight is an important aspect that life insurance providers use to help them determine your life insurance risk category. Your risk category determines your life insurance premium. Height and weight guidelines may vary among life insurance providers. Each company makes use of its own set of height and weight charts. There are companies that have liberal standards while others have strict guidelines. There are general weight charts for males and females which can provide a broad idea of the acceptable maximums for the best three life insurance rate classes from a good number of companies.

For most amounts of insurance plans, a basic physical exam is necessary to acquire most types of life insurance. The medical exam can be done at your home or other suitable location. Conducted by a licensed paramedical or medical doctor, a general physical exam normally takes just about 15-30 minutes. The exam usually includes a urine and blood specimen, blood pressure reading, a series of questions regarding your medical history, including questions about your health and lifestyle, and height and weight measurements.

Given this height and weight measurement requirement in medical exams, insurance companies have height and weight charts they utilize. Weight is one factor that may cause you not to obtain an insurance plan if you do not meet the standards of a company’s height and weight chart.

Being overweight, but otherwise healthy, can pose difficulty to buy life insurance. Similarly, if you are not obese but your weight attains a certain level, you’ll be needing to pay extra for your life insurance. In most cases, the heavier you are, the more you will pay. If you’re over about 10 pounds your ideal weight, your life insurance quotes will not be affected. However, if you are obese, and also have other medical conditions such as high blood pressure or diabetes, you could have difficulty being eligible for a life insurance.

Your weight is assessed by how much body fat you are carrying. This is calculated using your height and weight to identify your Body Mass Index (BMI). If your BMI is between 25 and 29.9, you are an overweight adult. If your BMI is 30 or higher, you are considered obese. Obesity can lead to other serious health conditions, as well. This is why it affects your life insurance rates. Being overweight or obese heightens the chance of getting cancer, coronary heart disease, gallbladder disease, liver disease, dyslipidemia such as high cholesterol, gynecological problems, osteoarthritis, hypertension, sleep apnea and respiratory problem, stroke and type 2 diabetes.

Life insurance companies have their own underwriting guidelines, but there are various exceptions and variations among life insurers. However, in general, even if your BMI is up to 26 to 28, you still can get the best life insurance rates which are often called preferred plus. A higher BMI will possibly press you down the next rate class which called preferred, although this will cost more. If your BMI ranges from 35 to 38, you will be under the standard rate class with the rest who have normal health.

According to life insurance experts, senior citizens or those who are aged 65 or 70 and up are frequently subjected to less strict weight standards. Not only the overweight or obese are affected by weight guidelines of insurance companies. There are numerous life insurance companies who also have weight minimums. You are charged more if you are considered underweight.

If you find that most insurance companies find you uninsurable but you get to find a company that will insure you for a high monthly or yearly premium, it is advisable to still get coverage. There are insurance companies that can provide a hospital indemnity policy. This type is not a usual health insurance policy but it will pay if you need to go to the doctor or hospital. This type of insurance policy may be an alternative if you do not suit the right weight guidelines of insurance companies.