Elevated Liver Enzymes and Life Insurance: How to Get Approved at the Best Rates!

Discover how elevated liver enzymes impact life insurance approvals and rates. Learn what underwriters look for, common pitfalls, and strategies to secure the best policy, even with health concerns.

Yes, life insurance is still possible with elevated liver enzymes. Life insurance underwriters assess enzyme levels using tests like AST, ALT, bilirubin, GGTP, and ALP. They analyze whether your elevations stem from manageable conditions, unknown factors, or serious issues like liver disease, hepatitis, or alcohol-related damage.

What Underwriters Look For

Which liver enzyme tests are elevated

How many tests are elevated

How elevated the results are

Underlying medical conditions

Evidence of liver disease

Unknown causes

Many people learn about their elevated liver enzymes from their paramedical exam.

While elevated liver enzymes may result in higher premiums, affordable life insurance is available for most people.

We work with life insurers specializing in high-risk life insurance to help you get the best rates.

The impact of elevated liver enzymes on your life insurance rates depends on your test results. Below are some general underwriting guidelines.

• Alkaline Phosphatase (ALP): Normal is 44-147 IU/L
  • 3-5x normal = standard rates
  • >5x = postpone/decline
• Alanine Aminotransferase (ALT): Normal is 45 U/L
  • <4x normal = standard
  • 4-5x normal = Table 2
  • >5x = postpone/decline.
• Aspartate Aminotransferase (AST): Normal is 45 U/L
  • <5x normal = standard
  • >5x normal = postpone/decline.
• Bilirubin: Normal is 0.3 – 1.2 mg/dl
  • <6 mg/dl = standard
  • >6 mg/dl = postpone/decline.
• Gamma Glutamyl Transferase (GGT): Normal is 65 U/L
  • <4x normal = standard
  • 4-5x = Table 2
  • >5x normal = postpone/decline.

When two or more liver enzyme tests are elevated, life insurance underwriters will carefully review how elevated each enzyme is compared to normal levels. Underwriting becomes more complicated for multiple elevated results. Underwriters look at how elevated the enzyme results were:

• Less than 2x normal = Standard rates
• 2-3x normal = Table 2 (50% extra)
• 3-4x normal = Table 4 (100% extra)
• 4-5x normal = Table 6 (150% extra)
• Greater than 5x normal = postpone/decline until evaluated.

Keep in mind these are general guidelines. Your outcome could be better or worse.

If you were denied coverage, don’t worry! Many insurers don’t specialize in high-risk life insurance.

We work with life insurance companies that understand how to underwrite liver enzymes and should try to get a policy in place with the existing labs first.

Once coverage is in place, we can explore additional testing to see if we can get a better rate elsewhere.

If you receive a table-rated policy (higher premiums due to health risks), it’s usually best to accept that policy temporarily, before having tests completed.

The Underwriting Trap:

In 20+ years of high-risk underwriting for elevated liver enzymes, most elevations are temporary, but now and then it is due to having a serious liver condition.

We’ll be able to get you a better rate if nothing is wrong. If the insurance company tells you to get a sonogram or biopsy to improve your rate, don’t do it! For any test that shows a cyst, hepatitis, fibrosis, cirrhosis, etc., the underwriting trap is that the company will pull your offer and decline you.

Here’s what you should do instead.

Accept the policy temporarily and contact us! We’ll tell you if your current policy is the best available. If not, we move you to the best rate available before getting a sonogram or biopsy.

Once done, you can decide if repeat testing is worthwhile. If the results are favorable, we’ll shop the market again for a better rate. If not, you’ll know that you have the best rates available.

We use a quick quote process. Quick quotes allow us to contact all life insurers that underwrite elevated liver enzymes. We summarize your medical information and can get underwriting feedback in 3-5 days.

At that time, you’ll know what to expect regarding underwriting and price.

When you apply for life insurance, underwriting will check the MIB for prior application activity and review your medical history, including the possible reasons for the elevations.

If you have other health issues like heart disease, AFib, skin cancer, or a history of prostate cancer, underwriting will consider those issues when making an offer.

Certain health conditions can cause elevated liver enzymes, including:

• Hepatitis – Is a severe inflammation of your liver that may lead to cirrhosis.
• Cirrhosis – Causes irreversible scarring and damage to your liver.
• Alcohol Abuse – This may cause significantly elevated liver enzymes.
• GI conditions – Ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease may elevate liver functions.

• Exercise – Temporarily elevates liver functions. Avoid exercise the day of your paramed.
• Medications – Over-the-counter medications like aspirin or Tylenol may elevate liver functions.
• Sickness – Being sick during your exam can elevate results. Reschedule when sick.
• Alcohol – Avoid alcohol before the paramed to prevent elevated levels.

Other prescription medications like Dilantin, Truvada, phenobarbital, antibiotics, acne treatment medications, and arthritis medications all elevate enzymes. The same goes for some herbal remedies.

Some herbal remedies tend to elevate liver enzymes.  

Fatty liver is diagnosed when more than 5% of the liver is made from fat and is traditionally classified as alcoholic or nonalcoholic fatty liver.

Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) is the liver’s enlargement due to fat accumulation in the liver cells. Some causes of fatty liver include obesity, diabetes, and excessive alcohol use.

If there is inflammation and cell death in the liver, that is a more serious condition called non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Fibrosis (scarring) and cirrhosis are severe medical conditions and difficult to insure.

If the liver health issue is due to alcohol consumption, the only option available will be guaranteed issue-type policies.

Simple fatty liver with no additional inflammation or scarring is often insurable at “standard” to “Standard with a 50%” rating.

If you’ve been declined or received higher rates, don’t hesitate to contact us. We specialize in high-risk life insurance and can help you find the best coverage based on your situation. Using our quick quote process, we’ll gather your medical information and have feedback for you in 3-5 days on what to expect regarding your policy and rates.

Each life insurer has its own set of guidelines regarding liver enzymes. We’ll know the best life insurance companies.

Request your FREE, No pressure, No Obligation life insurance quote today.