Burial Insurance for Seniors with Alzheimers

What is the best burial insurance for seniors with Alzheimers? Can I get burial insurance with a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease? That answer is yes you can but there is only one type of policy that you will be able to purchase. To compare rates please use the quote tool on this page or call 844-528-8688. Keep reading to get all the details.

Alzheimer’s dementia is a crippling disease that is affecting American seniors and families and studies show that the numbers are climbing while medical researchers struggle to find a cure. You can get burial insurance but your choices are limited.

Article Easy Navigation

• Can I qualify for burial insurance with Alzheimer’s
• Alzheimer’s impact on life insurance
• What is Guaranteed Issue burial insurance?
• Whole Life Insurance Plans
• Burial insurance rates
• Do I need burial insurance?

According to a recent report released by Alzheimer’s Association, seniors and their families affected by this disease are in a continual uphill battle.

The report found that 82% of PCPs say they are on the front lines of providing dementia care, but not all are confident in their care for patients with Alzheimer’s and other dementia. 

• Nearly 2 in 5 (39%) report they are “never” or only “sometimes comfortable” making a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s or other dementia.
• Nearly one-third (27%) report they are “never” or only “sometimes comfortable” answering patient questions about Alzheimer’s or other dementia.
• 22% of all PCPs had no residency training in dementia diagnosis and care. Of the 78% who did undergo training, 65% reported that the amount was “very little.”

When we consider these alarming statistics, it certainly makes sense to hope for the best but prepare for the worst.

If you are reading this article and have Alzheimer’s dementia or have a close relative that has Alzheimer’s dementia, now is the time to prepare for final expenses using burial insurance.

Even though you’ll be forced to purchase guaranteed issue coverage, each year you wait for increases the amount insurance companies will charge for coverage.

In this article, we’ll discuss finding the best Burial Insurance for seniors with Alzheimers or dementia and we intend to answer the most popular questions on the subject.

Can seniors with Alzheimer’s qualify for Burial Insurance?

Regrettably, Alzheimer’s Disease is one of those preexisting medical issues that is will make it impossible for you to qualify for a conventional term or whole life policy.

You will have to start thinking about an alternative choice like guaranteed issue burial insurance (guaranteed acceptance) or an accidental death policy if guaranteed issue burial insurance is not affordable.

So then, the answer to this question is yes, a senior with Alzheimer’s can qualify for burial insurance but the rates will be higher than and a waiting period will be imposed.

Why does Alzheimer’s have such an impact on Life Insurance?

Life insurance companies are in business to make profits for their stakeholders and as such, they cannot accept the risk that Alzheimer’s patients present without substantially increasing the cost of life insurance and imposing a waiting period of two or three years before the full death benefit can be payable.

The bottom line for life insurance companies must be kept in the black and since the death rate from Alzheimer’s disease has increased over 55% since 1999, life insurance companies are unwilling to offer traditional life insurance coverage to seniors with Alzheimer’s.

What is guaranteed issue Burial Insurance?

First of all, Burial Insurance (also referred to as final expense insurance or funeral insurance) can be purchased by virtually anyone between the ages of 50 and 85.

Most companies that specialize in this type of insurance have three underwriting levels (plans) to accommodate applicants with severe or multiple health conditions.

It’s a pretty simple process. If the applicant doesn’t qualify for a level benefit plan that has the lowest rates and immediate coverage, they’ll typically be offered a graded benefit plan.

If the applicant does not qualify for the graded-benefit plan (higher rates with a graded benefit payout), the final option is a guaranteed issue burial insurance plan.

The guaranteed issue plan contains three significant caveats that separate it from all other life insurance products:

1. Higher cost of insurance to offset the risk of having no medical underwriting.
2. Lower policy limits than are normally allowed with a level benefit or graded benefit plan.
3. A two-year waiting period (depending on the insurer) when the death benefit is reduced to the sum of all premiums paid plus an additional percentage (normally 10%) if death is the result of natural causes.

In most cases, if the applicant is not in a nursing home or hospice facility, the insurance company will issue a guaranteed issue burial insurance policy without regard to medical conditions.

It is important to note, however, that if the policyholder dies as a result of an accident, the full death benefit will be paid. There is no waiting period for accidental death.

Are guaranteed issue burial insurance plans Whole Life Insurance?

The quick answer is yes. All of the life insurance companies that offer guaranteed issue burial insurance use whole life insurance as the policy form.

This is an additional benefit for the applicant since whole life policies contain three guarantees as part of the coverage:

1. The insurance company cannot cancel your burial insurance for any reason other than non-payment of premium.
2. Once your policy is issued, the insurance cannot increase your periodic premium for any reason. Even if you have to spend the remainder of your life in a nursing home or hospice facility.
3. Your guaranteed issue burial insurance policy will accumulate cash value over time that c be accessed via policy loans for any reason and repayment is not mandatory.

How do guaranteed issue burial insurance rates compare with level benefit rates?

As we mentioned earlier in the article, the insurance companies that offer guaranteed issue policies charge substantially higher rates to offset the unknown medical risk.

Here is an example of level benefit rates versus guaranteed issue rates for a male and female with a $10,000 death benefit:

As you can see from the rate chart above, a guaranteed issue burial insurance plan can cost substantially more than a level benefit plan. These rates are subject to underwriting and company approval.

Is buying burial insurance with Alzheimer’s worth it?

We get this question a lot and it’s easily answered by doing some math on getting Burial Insurance for Seniors with Alzheimer’s.

For example, let’s compare how a person with guaranteed issue burial insurance would benefit by purchasing life insurance versus saving over the next 5 years for funeral expenses.

Remember, we need to take into consideration that the insured’s death must occur after the 2-year waiting period for the full benefit to be paid.

Let’s say that John Doe age 70 purchases a $10,000 burial insurance policy with a $98.18 monthly premium.

If Doe dies resulting from having Alzheimer’s in the 25^th month of coverage (when the 3^rd year begins) he will have paid in $2,455 but his beneficiary would receive $10,000 (assuming no outstanding loans).

If Mr. Doe had decided instead to start saving $250 per month for his final expenses, his heir(s) would receive $6,250 (plus a small amount of interest) which would fall short of what it costs for a median-priced funeral and burial service.

However, if Mr. Doe dies in the 23^rd month of the policy, his beneficiary would receive the sum of the premiums paid plus 10% ($98.18 x 23 x 110%) or $2,484, but if he took the monthly savings route, Mr. Doe’s heir(s) would receive $5,750.

However, if Mr. Doe dies in the 23^rd month of the policy, his beneficiary would receive the sum of the premiums paid plus 10% ($98.18 x 23 x 110%) or $2,484, but if he took the monthly savings route, Mr. Doe’s heir(s) would receive $5,750.

To find the best rates on a guaranteed issue life insurance plan, just enter your information on the quote tool on this page or call 844-528-8688