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Can You Get Life Insurance While Pregnant?

Written by Aaron Pinkston, Thu, Feb 11 2010

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This a real question from a reader who asks, “Can you get life insurance while pregnant?” If you are already pregnant, can you get life insurance, are there special underwriting factors, and what is the best way to get life insurance? Stay tuned for the answers.

I wrote before the right time to get life insurance is before you give birth to your newborn baby. However, that story is more about the future father dying unexpectedly. I suppose there might still be confusion about whether a pregnant mother-to-be may be able to get life insurance.

Pregnant life insurance

If you have a normal pregnancy and are otherwise low-risk, you can still get life insurance now. Expect the underwriter to order your medical records when you apply for insurance during pregnancy. So add in a few extra weeks this process normally takes with your doctor’s office.

The underwriter wants to see what your weight was before and make sure that you’ve added a healthy amount of baby weight. They also want to make sure you don’t have any complications.

Complications and underwriting

What type of complications would an underwriter be concerned about with your pregnancy? After all, isn’t having a baby these days perfectly natural and non-life threatening?

For the most part, yes. But there are a few complications that may pose a risk. Here are the more common pregnancy complications that could complicate getting life insurance:

Ectopic pregnancy

An ectopic pregnancy is one where a fertilized egg is attached someplace besides the uterus. In minor cases, this could just cause pain, however in more severe cases, this could be a real cause for concern.

If you have an ectopic pregnancy, the life insurance underwriter will want to see your detailed medical records and make sure you have good follow-ups. In some cases, you may have to wait until after you deliver your baby to get your policy.

Gestational diabetes

Gestational diabetes is a form of diabetes that only shows up in pregnant women. It is usually easy to manage and goes away after having your baby.

However, gestational diabetes does increase your future risk of developing diabetes later in life, and in some cases your diabetes may not go away after delivery. Because diabetes is linked to everything from a lower immune system to heart problems, it could be a challenge getting life insurance.

Preeclampsia

Preeclampsia is another common pregnancy complication that may affect your life insurance. It is characterized primarily by high blood pressure. Your ability to get life insurance with preeclampsia will depend on your specific medical history and the life insurance company you choose. In some situations, an underwriter may be comfortable with a stable situation that is well-controlled. In many cases, however, you may have to wait until after your condition completely resolves to re-apply for life insurance.

What next?

If you have a normal pregnancy, congratulations! Go ahead and get life insurance quotes. Explain you are with-child in the open field and answer the rest of the questions normally. You may also want to bookmark this page about if you should make your child beneficiary.

If you experience complications while pregnant, you may still be able to get life insurance. Be patient with the underwriting process, and realize that depending on your situation, you may be asked to re-apply after your condition has resolved. If the life insurance rate you get comes back higher than you expected, go ahead and take it, knowing that you can always apply again later to try to reduce your premium.

The great thing about Clarifinancial is that with highly competitive life insurance quotes in a low-pressure environment, you can keep your blood pressure down while saving money up for diapers. Give it a try today.