PSA stands for Prostate Specific Antigen, which is a protein found in your blood that is released by your prostate gland. Our prostate disorder underwriting allows us to help people with elevated PSA levels.
There are a number of reasons why your PSA level may elevate such as BPH, Prostatitis, or prostate cancer.
What is a normal PSA Level?
From a life insurance underwriting standpoint, normal psa levels are as follows:
Age 0 – 49 = 2.5ng/ml or less
Age 50 – 59 = 3.5ng/ml or less
Age 60 – 69 = 4.5ng/ml or less
Age 70+ = 6.5ng/ml or less
What happens when your PSA is elevated from the life insurance exam?
It happens. Depending on your age and the extent of your PSA elevation, it may be a non-factor with underwriting, or it may grind underwriting to a halt, and the life insurance company may postpone or decline you until the cause is known.
If you have a history of PSA elevations that have been thoroughly evaluated with your physician to rule out prostate cancer, underwriters are typically able to work with that and offer coverage to you.
When the insurance exam PSA elevation is the first elevation of your PSA, you will most likely be postponed until it is evaluated. PSA elevations may be due to illnesses, injuries, infections, or it may be something more serious such as prostate cancer.
If repeat tests show normal levels, we can get underwriting to reconsider and offer coverage. If it remains elevated, and your doctor is going to monitor PSA results for a while before considering additional tests, we may need to wait for those tests to take place first before coverage is available.
In addition, whenever the PSA level is 4.0ng/ml or greater, life insurance underwriters want to see follow-up tests which may include repeating PSA tests, DRE-digital rectal exams, prostate biopsy or other PSA tests that may be necessary.
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