Whether it is epilepsy or another seizure disorder, the diagnosis is not necessarily a dead end for life insurance approvals. The key to approval and reasonable rates is control.

Seizure disorder is another one of those life insurance issues that evokes a knee jerk reaction from the majority of companies. Their guidelines just simply don’t have a place for anyone with a history, even a long past history, of seizures, other than their decline bucket. Diagnosed recently with epilepsy. Into the bucket you go. Nocturnal seizure disorder with no known seizures in 10 years. In the bucket. Diagnosed with epilepsy in your teens and no seizures since. Bucket time.

While this may seem unfair, it is certainly the right of an insurance company to define the risks they want to assume. The good news is that there are many companies that don’t share their definition or their philosophy. These are the companies that a good independent agent can track down for you.

As mentioned, control is the key issue. Once the correct treatment is found and seizures become rare or, as happens frequently, non existent, standard or better rates are often available. We’ve had clients who have been victims of the decline bucket with other companies who have been approved at preferred rates. Right agent. Right company. It shouldn’t logically make a difference, but it does.

Bottom line. Even if you’ve been declined for life insurance, don’t give up. Many people are concerned that a decline has a “black ball” effect for any future efforts. Nothing could be further from the truth. Turning a decline from the wrong company into an approval from the right company happens frequently.