Who underwrites life with energy drinks?!

[HealthGuy]

Interesting case I ran into: A client, age 48 recently applied for life insurance with another agent- 1MIL term case - and he tells me that they turned him down. Nurse visited, he says that they told him he has high blood pressure, and he tells them no - he has elevated high blood pressure due to consuming an energy drink an hour before the nurse visits, smart move...Worth persuing with any carrier, or should I leave this one alone? The first term carrier, don't know who - still didnt want him even with his 'energy drink' excuses...and he never persued another second nurse visit because he didnt want to try with the same company again...I need some strategic ideas on this interesting case before I proceed. Says he wouldn't mind trying another medically underwritten product with another carrier, but who?

 

[moonlightandmargaritas]

Any carrier.

Get fresh labs done. Tell him to schedule it for first thing in the morning, and not to eat or drink ANYTHING after dinner time the night before.

 

[somarco]

Red Bull Life Insurance Company . . .



And no alcohol for 24 hours before the exam. It can spike liver enzymes.

 

[Mark]

Interesting case I ran into: A client, age 48 recently applied for life insurance with another agent- 1MIL term case - and he tells me that they turned him down. Nurse visited, he says that they told him he has high blood pressure, and he tells them no - he has elevated high blood pressure due to consuming an energy drink an hour before the nurse visits, smart move...Worth persuing with any carrier, or should I leave this one alone? The first term carrier, don't know who - still didnt want him even with his 'energy drink' excuses...and he never persued another second nurse visit because he didnt want to try with the same company again...I need some strategic ideas on this interesting case before I proceed. Says he wouldn't mind trying another medically underwritten product with another carrier, but who?

I've seen this before. Just have him retested. See if the 1st company will retest him. Tell the underwriter what happend and/or tell them to request an aps from the doctor to show that was a one time thing from the e drink.

All other companies will also take him. Just make sure he does not eat or drink anything around the time of the med.

Don't you just want to slap the client and say what were you thinking.

 

[xrac]

This is a quote from Topgunproducers on this subject. I think it has a lot of good advice.

Underwriters, believe it or not, WANT to issue coverage. They aren't like compliance pukes who want to prevent sales.

When you take an exam, that's a snapshot of your health measurements at one point in time. There is NOTHING WRONG with putting your best foot forward, by preparing for the exam. I have asked underwriters, and they have no problem with this. In fact, I've been told that it's better that they prepare than not, and then try to explain away the protein in the urine, the high tryglycerides, or THC, et al.

With rare exception, an exam, blood, or HOS "bell" cannot be unrung.

I give my applicants written instructions for their exam. Do you?

I show my clients how to "measure tall" and how to drop a few pounds in a few days, without being miserable. This gets those applicants who are on the cusp in the height/weight table the better rate, all other things being equal.

In general, people should fast for 12 hours. To make this easy, I suggest an early dinner and have the exam the following morning.

Drink a LOT of water. Do this for several days. Clean your system out.

Don't exercise the day before the exam. A walk is okay, but no long distance running, no weight lifting. Get a good nights rest. Relax.

Avoid salt. Avoid foods with poppy seeds. Avoid fatty foods the day before. In other words, don't eat a rib eye for that last meal before the fasting period.

Avoid caffeine, especially the morning of the exam. No coffee, no tea, no pop (or soda, or Coke).

Avoid alcohol of any kind. Avoid smoking, if possible (less is better). Avoid wacky tobacky. Heavy smokers should avoid having that first in the morning cigarette until after the exam.

Take the blood pressure after relaxing for 15 minutes. If necessary, take 3 readings in 15 minute intervals (coach your examiner, fire those that refuse to comply).

All applicants should have a list of all current prescription drugs they take, including dosages, and prescribing doctor.
Names and addresses of every medical provider visited or consulted for the last five years.

When I show my prospects how much a good exam can save them, they usually comply. Some won't. So what. Who's next?

If your pipeline is full, you won't sweat the fools that behave stupidly.

 

[HealthGuy]

All damn good posts, and yes I would love to tell some ot these people what I think...Taking a life insurance exam and drinking an energy drink one hour before???? How does one go with the other?

 

[Winter_123]

All other companies will also take him. Just make sure he does not eat or drink anything around the time of the med.

Don't you just want to slap the client and say what were you thinking.

We dont know yet whether the client has high blood pressure. He tested high and has given us his theory. Could be he just has high blood pressure. Dont know yet. So I dont think we can say yet that "all other companies will take him."

 

[Mark]

We dont know yet whether the client has high blood pressure. He tested high and has given us his theory. Could be he just has high blood pressure. Dont know yet. So I dont think we can say yet that "all other companies will take him."

No matter what, he is going to have to take another Med. If the next med comes back normal, then he will be okay with most companies. Even if he had 1 bad test. If the client is being honest with us, and he did say he does not have High Blood Pressure. If he really had that energy drink an hour before they did the test, it would have been off the chart. High Blood Pressure is something that most companies can take, if it is under control. I have the feeling that he really had the drink an hour before the test.

If the agent is asking what to do, just retest the client again. Of course if that test comes back bad, then you have a problem. I would also do an aps on him, and ask his doctor what his normal reading are.

I have personal had this happen a couple of times. It is not only these E drinks. The paramed usually tells the clients not to eat or drink 12 hours before she shows up.

 

[GreenSky]

Maybe the client could walk into a CVS and stick his arm in the cuff and see what his BP is. That could save everyone a great deal of time.

Rick

 

[HealthGuy]

Winter: Thanks for your reply - but serious question - what is up with all the Condi Rice foolery? This stuff is hilarious!