Life Insurance?

Maybe this has been discussed before. If so, please point me in the right direction. 

I've seen tons of stuff on TV that advertise like the following:

I was told that I couldn't get any additional for at least a year after the operation...if then.

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Robotic RP 12/07
Age 46
Pre-surgical PSA 5.02
Bone scan/Chest X-ray clear
All margins, seminal vesicles, 17 lymphs clear
3+4=7
Three Post-surgical PSA's <0.01

I just talked to a salesman from AFLAC that came in and he told me my husband wouldn't be eligible for 5 yrs.

I had gone to Select Quote who initially gave me a great quote thru Banner Life. However, they required me to have a physical. This is when I first discovered my high PSA. After going thru the surgery and even with no positive margins I re-applied, and was told they would not insure me. They said to come back in 3 years, and suggested even with that the premium would be out of sight.

Either the insurers know something we don't, or they are not looking at the same statistics that all of us are given about life expectancy after treatment. At any rate that is the way it is....RB

I had no PC in my family so this whole thing caught me by surprise. However, I had a doctor friend tell me they now know that breast cancer in women is the same gene as PC in men. When he told me that he did not know that boty my mom and sister have had breast cancer. Well, of course I don't know if any of this is true, but it is obvious from all the guys on this sight who have PC in their family and they have PC that it does run in the genes. I also have always been very healthy, and also eat well. I really doubt that has much to do with it. I would have to think it is in the genes. RB

Age 61
Original data - pre-operation
PSA: 5.1
T1C clinical diagnosis, Needle biopsy - 10 cores, Gleason 7 = 3+4 in 1 core (40%), 7 cores Gleason 6 = 3+3 ranging from 5% to 12%
All scans negative
Lupron administered 4/9/2008 for 4 months (with idea I would undergo external beam radiation followed by seed implants - then I changed my mind).
Robotic DiVinci surgery - Dr. Fagin (Austin) May 19th
Post operative - pathology
pT2c NX MX
Gleason 3+4
Margins - negative
Extraprostatic extension - negative
seminal vesicle invasion - uninvolved
1st Post PSA .04

As i understand it, most insurance companies will not insure until sometime after treatment. With surgery it can be three years...without surgery, it is much longer. Usually five years. anyway, the days of getting 500K for 50 bucks a month are over. You are most likely looking at 100K for a couple hundred a month. This is not the tragedy it might seem. It means planning differently. Talk to a financial planner.

I've got 100K through work, but that's it for me!
Paul

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Great post, and yes it's been posted here before.
And great response, Paul! I get mine through work also, so no physical. But my research says it's there, but it's a high price. AND I require a physical. I haven't researched it, but my guess is thay see my numbers and will make a house payment out if it!

The carriers will carry you, but count on the premiums to be relative to your status with PCa!!!

Tony

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Age 46 (44 when Dx)

Back when I was in my early 20's...I had a child hood heart murmur that caused inflated life insurance policy premiums as a result until sometime in my late twenties. And that was after years worth of doctors stating in writing that childhood murmurs are just that...childhood and go away in adult hood. Insurance companies bank on the statistic that you will be in the minority not the majority when in comes to prognosis for any type of medical condition. Sad but true. They take that 1% that will not survive 10 years after PCa diagnosis and will classify you as that 1% not the 99% you most likely will be. I was one of the fortunate ones that jumped on the band wagon with cancer insurance a year ago at work. Little did I know at the time that I would be using it. Insurance is one of those things that you get for your family in case you're not around anymore...and hope you (they) will never have to use.

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Age 58 at Diagnosis