Background: I have a heart defect that I've had since birth. My pediatrician apparently discovered it pretty early, as I had regular cardiologist visits throughout my childhood starting about as early as I can remember. My cardiologists have basically said that it's apparently a somewhat common defect (as far as defects go) and nothing really worrisome, just something to check on periodically. My parents were told to treat me as a normal child.
Last year, Hubby decided we should get a life insurance policy on me for the kids' sake (he already had one). After the health interview and everything, we discovered the company had put me in the highest pay bracket, essentially at higher risk than cancer patients according to their pay breakdown. Confused, we called to ask why, and they explained that according to their in-house doctors and literature, people with my particular defect have a life expectancy of about 35 years.
For the record, I am 33 this year.
Turns out that there's apparently some swelling caught by the echocardiogram (an ultrasound of my heart for those who don't know) that I had done about five years ago. No one I spoke to at the time of the echo mentioned anything potentially worrying, so I thought nothing of it at the time. The life insurance company said we could try to get our pay rate reconsidered if I had another visit that showed the swelling had cleared up at all.
So I scheduled another cardiologist visit. Unfortunately for the purposes of my life insurance policy, the swelling is still there. Fortunately for me, however, the cardiologist wasn't especially worried about it. She projected that I might--read MIGHT--have to get the valve with the defect replaced in about 15-20 years, but that's it. It's apparently very common for people with this defect to eventually need the valve replaced when they're about 50.
15-20 years. My life insurance policy is only a 10-year policy. The cardiologist is completely confused as to why the insurance company is giving me a life expectancy of only 35 years. But the life insurance company won't change their opinion or lower our payment. It's frustrating.
TL;DR: My life insurance company is freaking out over a heart condition that my cardiologist is not worried about at all. I rant about it.
Last year, Hubby decided we should get a life insurance policy on me for the kids' sake (he already had one). After the health interview and everything, we discovered the company had put me in the highest pay bracket, essentially at higher risk than cancer patients according to their pay breakdown. Confused, we called to ask why, and they explained that according to their in-house doctors and literature, people with my particular defect have a life expectancy of about 35 years.
For the record, I am 33 this year.
Turns out that there's apparently some swelling caught by the echocardiogram (an ultrasound of my heart for those who don't know) that I had done about five years ago. No one I spoke to at the time of the echo mentioned anything potentially worrying, so I thought nothing of it at the time. The life insurance company said we could try to get our pay rate reconsidered if I had another visit that showed the swelling had cleared up at all.
So I scheduled another cardiologist visit. Unfortunately for the purposes of my life insurance policy, the swelling is still there. Fortunately for me, however, the cardiologist wasn't especially worried about it. She projected that I might--read MIGHT--have to get the valve with the defect replaced in about 15-20 years, but that's it. It's apparently very common for people with this defect to eventually need the valve replaced when they're about 50.
15-20 years. My life insurance policy is only a 10-year policy. The cardiologist is completely confused as to why the insurance company is giving me a life expectancy of only 35 years. But the life insurance company won't change their opinion or lower our payment. It's frustrating.
TL;DR: My life insurance company is freaking out over a heart condition that my cardiologist is not worried about at all. I rant about it.
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