Life insurance for someone that had a stroke

What is a stroke or cerebrovascular accident?

A stroke occurs when brain cells die due to lack of oxygen caused by poor blood flow in the brain. The poor blood flow could be a result of blocked or damaged blood vessels.

Strokes are one of the leading causes of death in America. The CDC reports that there were 146,000 deaths from strokes in 2016: making it the fifth leading cause.

Are there different types of strokes?

There are two basic types of strokes:

1. A hemorrhagic stroke results from a blood vessel that ruptures in the brain. The rupture causes a decreased blood flow in that vessel. Additionally, the blood that flows out of the vessel can cause increased pressure in the brain which in turn can damage nerve cells and/or collapse other blood vessels.
2. An ischemic stroke results from blocked blood vessels. There three types of ischemic strokes:
   1. Thrombotic – a blood clot is formed in a blood vessel going to or in the brain. Many times the clot is a result of plaque damaging the blood vessel.
   2. Thromboembolic – a blood clot from in the brain breaks off an clogs a vessel farther down the line in the brain.
   3. Embolic – If a blood clot forms in a vessel outside the brain and subsequently travels to the brain to block a vessel there it is considered embolic. People with atrial fibrillation or had a previous heart attack have an increased risk of an embolism because slow or irregular blood flow has a greater tendency to clot.

What is a Transient Ischemic Attack or TIA

A TIA is also know as a mini-stroke. With a TIA there is temporary blood flow blockage that does not result in permanent damage. This can be considered a warning sign of future strokes as one third of TIA victims will suffer a stroke in the future.

How do life insurers rate someone that had a stroke?

Most life insurers will rate a case based on:

1. Cause – The most common causes are hypertension and atherosclerotic plaque.
2. The time duration since the stoke(s)
3. Treatment
4. Other common risk factors:
   1. smoking
   2. diabetes
   3. height/weight
   4. heart disease
   5. peripheral vascular disease
   6. cardiomyopathy
   7. hypertension

What life insurance rate class could someone that had a stroke expect?

Someone that had a stroke over two years ago and had no other health problems may be able to get a standard rate. However, all risk factors need to be taken into account. And, every life insurer views the risk a little differently. So it may be best to get a few companies to review any particular case.