Can you buy life insurance if you have a lung condition?
Yes, you can still buy life insurance if you have a lung condition. As with other medical conditions, insurance companies will look at your diagnosis and your treatment plan to determine the cost of your life insurance.
Generally speaking, mild lung diseases pose less risk to insurers, so they’re less likely to impact your application and the cost you pay for life insurance.
But conditions that may require supplemental oxygen, like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), will have a more significant impact on your premiums.
It’s also difficult to get approved for a policy if you have a severe lung condition and currently smoke. Smoking is a common cause of COPD, a group of conditions, including emphysema and chronic bronchitis, that cause airflow blockage and breathing-related problems. [1] Smoking also accounts for up to eight out of every 10 COPD-related deaths, according to the CDC. [2]
When you apply for life insurance coverage, the insurance company will assign you a health classification, which reflects how risky they believe you are to insure. But since each insurer has its own guidelines for evaluating risk, you may get a higher health classification and cheaper premiums with one company than another.
If you have a lung condition and you’re not sure where to start, a Policygenius expert can help you compare options from top life insurance companies in one place.
Best life insurance policy types if you have a lung condition
The best type of life insurance policy for you will depend on your financial needs and goals, in addition to any health conditions that may impact the types of policies available to you.
If you’re not sure which type of life insurance is best for your specific situation, a Policygenius expert can help you compare options.
Term life
Term life is the best and most affordable option for most people looking to protect their income and provide their family with a financial safety net to cover any debts — including a mortgage or any other type of personal loans. It only lasts for a set term, usually between 10 and 30 years, and doesn’t come with many rules or tax restrictions.
→ Learn more about term life insurance
Whole life
Whole life and other types of permanent life insurance are good options for high-net-worth individuals looking to use life insurance to diversify their investment portfolio, or people with long-term financial obligations or coverage needs, like dependents who require lifelong care.
Whole life never expires and comes with a cash value that earns interest in addition to the death benefit payout, but it’s usually five to 15 times more expensive than traditional term policies.
→ Learn more about whole life insurance
Living benefit riders
Living benefit riders are add-ons to your policy that ensure some of your life insurance death benefit is accessible while you’re alive if you meet certain criteria.
Most companies offer an accelerated death benefit rider for terminal illness, which allows you to access a portion of your death benefit while still alive if diagnosed with a qualifying terminal illness.
Each company has its own criteria for when the rider is activated, but most riders are activated when you’re diagnosed with a terminal illness and expected to have six to 24 months to live.
Other living benefits riders, including long-term care riders, may not be available to people with certain high-risk health conditions.
→ Learn more about life insurance riders
Best life insurance companies for lung conditions
Best for asthma: Legal & General America
Legal & General America, which also does business as Banner Life and William Penn, can offer up to Preferred Plus rates — the top health classification with the most affordable rates — for people with mild or exercise-induced asthma.
If you take albuterol or another bronchodilator daily, you can qualify for up to Standard rates — the third-best health classification.
Mild asthma causes repeated episodes of wheezing, breathlessness, chest tightness, and nighttime or early morning coughing. [3] But if your asthma is severe and you experience asthma attacks that require hospital visits, your premiums will be higher. Legal & General America offers competitive rates across many of its health classifications, so you’ll likely pay less with Legal & General America than with another insurance company.
Best for COPD: Corebridge Financial
Corebridge Financial (formerly AIG Life & Retirement) can offer up to Standard rates — the third-best health classification — for people who have only mild changes in lung function due to their COPD. To qualify for Standard rates, you can’t have been treated with oxygen in the past.
If you’re experiencing moderate symptoms and taking a medication such as albuterol or Pulmicort (budesonide) daily, you may only qualify for some of the most expensive rates.
Best for bronchiectasis: Corebridge Financial
Corebridge Financial offers some of the most affordable rates for people with bronchiectasis, a condition that occurs when you have weakened or damaged airways. [4]
The insurer will inquire whether or not surgery is needed to repair your airways — if it is, you’ll have to wait until after you procedure to apply.
If you have bronchiectasis and also smoke, you’ll likely only qualify for final expense insurance, as opposed to term life. (This is true for smokers with other lung conditions as well.)
Best for people who need supplemental oxygen
If you’re a current smoker and have a lung condition, or if you require supplemental oxygen, Mutual of Omaha is likely your best choice.
Mutual of Omaha has a guaranteed issue life insurance option, a type of whole life insurance that offers near-certain approval and doesn’t require a medical exam or medical questionnaire. It offers up to $25,000 in coverage, even if you’re managing a higher-risk lung condition, but it’s only available to people age 45 and older.
→Learn more about guaranteed issue life insurance
How much does life insurance cost if you have a lung condition?
20-year term rates for people with mild asthma
If you have fairly mild or exercise-induced asthma, you may qualify for the rates below. People who qualify for these rates typically use an inhaler on occasion but don’t require additional daily medication, and they don’t smoke.
Age | Gender | $500,000 coverage amount |
20 | Female | $22.65 |
Male | $30.20 | |
30 | Female | $22.98 |
Male | $29.32 | |
40 | Female | $35.27 |
Male | $42.94 | |
50 | Female | $78.29 |
Male | $102.50 | |
60 | Female | $194.16 |
Male | $268.04 |
20-year term rates for people with moderate asthma
If you have asthma and require a daily corticosteroid medication, or use a bronchodilator such as albuterol daily, [5] your rates will likely be comparable to those below.
Age | Gender | $500,000 coverage amount |
20 | Female | $33.82 |
Male | $42.64 | |
30 | Female | $34.41 |
Male | $43.11 | |
40 | Female | $53.51 |
Male | $67.19 | |
50 | Female | $121.88 |
Male | $156.80 | |
60 | Female | $292.85 |
Male | $408.84 |
20-year term rates for people with mild COPD or bronchiectasis
If you have COPD or bronchiectasis with mild symptoms, you’re a non-smoker, and you don’t require oxygen, you can qualify for up to the rates below.
Age | Gender | $500,000 coverage amount |
20 | Female | $33.82 |
Male | $42.64 | |
30 | Female | $34.41 |
Male | $43.11 | |
40 | Female | $53.51 |
Male | $67.19 | |
50 | Female | $121.88 |
Male | $156.80 | |
60 | Female | $292.85 |
Male | $408.84 |
20-year term rates for people with moderate to severe COPD or bronchiectasis
If your COPD or bronchiectasis is moderate to severe, you take a medication like albuterol or Pulmicort daily, [6] and you don’t smoke, you’ll likely qualify for these rates.
Age | Gender | $500,000 coverage amount |
20 | Female | $56.71 |
Male | $59.85 | |
30 | Female | $59.29 |
Male | $70.27 | |
40 | Female | $90.44 |
Male | $12.58 | |
50 | Female | $193.27 |
Male | $263.37 | |
60 | Female | $506.74 |
Male | $724.44 |
How to buy life insurance if you have a lung condition
Buying life insurance with a lung condition is similar to buying life insurance with any other pre-existing condition.
Life insurance companies use your medical history — in addition to your age, gender, and lifestyle factors — to assess risk and set your rate.
What will insurers ask about your lung condition?
Insurance companies will ask a series of questions to determine how risky your lung condition would make you to insure. The details you provide on your application will include basic information such as:
The date of your diagnosis
Any symptoms you experience
Any history of surgery related to your lung condition
Names and dosages of medications
Additional details will vary by condition. For instance, if you have COPD, you’ll likely be asked to answer the following questions.
Have you had a chest X-ray or CT scan recently? What were the results?
Have you ever had a pulmonary function test (PFT)?
What was the FEV1/FVC percentage?
Do you use an oxygen machine at home?
If you have asthma, you’ll likely answer these additional questions.
What triggers your asthma (exercise, allergies, weather)?
Do you smoke?
What medications are you taking?
Have you ever been hospitalized or needed emergency care due to asthma?
Do you use a machine to help you breathe at home?
The exact questions will depend on the specific condition and your unique circumstances.
Why is it important to disclose your lung condition when applying for life insurance?
Life insurance companies use a variety of factors to assess risk and determine your rate. When you apply for life insurance, you’ll fill out a health questionnaire and likely take an in-person medical exam.
Life insurance companies also cross-reference your information, including medical records, with the Medical Information Bureau (MIB) to protect against fraud.
Lying or omitting information on your application is a type of life insurance fraud, which could cause your application to be rejected, or prevent you from applying in the future.
Providing accurate information upfront also helps your life insurance agent match you to the insurance company that will give you the best rates for your specific circumstances.
Life insurance options if you’re denied coverage due to a lung condition
If you don’t qualify for traditional life insurance — for health reasons or otherwise — you still have coverage options.
Final expense insurance
Final expense insurance, also known as burial insurance, is a type of life insurance intended to cover end-of-life expenses like a funeral or outstanding medical debts. Coverage limits are low, usually between $25,000 and $40,000.
Final expense policies are easier to qualify for than traditional policies if you have a serious lung condition. There are two types.
Simplified issue life insurance: Simplified issue whole life insurance doesn’t require a medical exam and instead relies on a medical questionnaire. There are fewer medical requirements for simplified issue life insurance than traditional policies.
Guaranteed issue life insurance: A type of whole life insurance that offers almost-certain approval as it doesn’t ask medical questions. You’ll just need to answer a few qualifying questions with a life insurance agent. Premiums are higher than traditional or simplified issue life insurance. In most cases, you have to be over age 45 to apply.
Group life insurance
People with lung conditions who don’t qualify for traditional term or whole life insurance may still be able to get covered through group life insurance.
Group life insurance, also called employer-sponsored life insurance, is a policy that covers you through work or a trade organization. These policies generally don’t have medical requirements, though coverage is usually only one or two times your salary.
Other health concerns that can affect your life insurance
Certain pre-existing conditions and other health-related concerns can affect your life insurance options or costs. A Policygenius expert can help you find the right policy for your needs.
Mental health issues such as depression or anxiety