The reason for the device matters most
Insurers rarely look at a pacemaker on its own. They look at why it was needed. A pacemaker placed for a slow heartbeat or a heart block, in someone with no other heart disease, is often viewed very differently from a device placed because of heart failure or a dangerous heart rhythm. The device is a treatment, and the condition behind it is what the health questions are really about.
Some applications ask about pacemakers directly. Others ask only about heart disease, heart surgery or heart rhythm problems, and a pacemaker may fit inside one of those questions. Because of these differences, the same person may answer differently on two applications.
Pacemakers and defibrillators are not the same
A pacemaker helps a slow heart beat at a steady pace. An implanted defibrillator, often called an ICD, watches for dangerous rhythms and can deliver a shock. Some devices do both. Many insurers see a defibrillator as a sign of a more serious heart condition, so it is more likely to lead to a graded or modified benefit plan. With those plans, if death from natural causes happens in the first two or three years, the benefit is reduced or limited. Accidental death is usually covered in full from the start.
- Which device you have: pacemaker, defibrillator or a combined device
- Why it was placed, in your doctor's words
- The month and year it was implanted, and the date of any device change
- Any heart failure, heart attack or bypass history
- Heart medications, including blood thinners
Talk to a licensed agent: (949) 807-3995
Timing and how your heart is doing now
Many insurers ask about heart procedures in a recent window, often somewhere in the last 2 to 5 years. Having a device placed may count as a heart procedure on some applications. If your device was implanted years ago and your heart has been stable, some insurers may consider a level benefit plan, where the full benefit is usually paid from the first day if you qualify.
If health questions rule out the plans that ask them, a guaranteed issue plan asks no health questions at all. The benefit is limited if death from natural causes happens in the first two years, and face amounts are usually smaller with higher premiums.
Your device card helps on the call
Many people carry a device identification card from the hospital. It usually lists the type of device and the date it was placed, which is exactly what insurers ask about. On the call, a licensed Eterna agent will ask about the device, the reason for it, your heart history and your medications. The agent compares plans from several insurers, because each one words its heart questions differently, and you can apply by phone if a plan fits. The quote is free and there is no obligation.
