How Thyroid Cancer and Thyroid Diseases Affect Life Insurance

Having thyroid cancer or thyroid diseases can make getting life insurance a bit trickier.

But don’t worry, it’s possible to find the right coverage with companies that specialize in high-risk life insurance.

This guide will help you understand how your thyroid condition affects life insurance underwriting and how to get the best rates.

According to the American Cancer Society, they estimate that there will be 44,000 new thyroid cancers in the United States in 2024.

Thyroid cancer is more common in women than men, and underwriting is based on the type and stage of thyroid cancer you have.

If you’ve had thyroid cancer, you can still get a life insurance policy – it might just take a bit more effort.

Here’s the scoop:

You have options: While it might be harder, you’re not out of luck. High-risk life insurance policies are available, though they might cost more.

Shop around: The key to getting the best deal is finding the right company for your specific situation. We can help with that!

• When were you diagnosed with cancer?
• What type of thyroid cancer did you have?
• What was the stage of thyroid cancer?
• Were any lymph nodes positive for cancer?
• How was thyroid cancer treated?
• Has there been any recurrence?
• What medications and dosages do you take?
• Do you have any other health issues?

Each life insurance company has its own rules, so comparing quotes is crucial.

We use a quick quote process that allows us to shop for companies that specialize in thyroid cancer.

Let us help you find the right life insurance – no pressure, just helpful information.

Papillary Thyroid Cancer Life Insurance

Papillary is the most common type of differentiated thyroid cancer, and it’s also the easiest to get life insurance for.

Here’s what you need to know:

About 8 out of every 10 thyroid cancer cases are papillary.

Potential for Standard Rates (or better):

Cancer Stage	Underwriting Range
One	Standard – Standard Plus Rates
Two	Standard Rates
Three	Standard with a flat extra expense for 3-5 years.
Four	Postpone for 5-10 years before consideration

Timeline: You’ll likely be eligible for coverage once you’ve finished treatment and have a negative radioisotope scan.

Heads Up: If you were diagnosed before age 20 or after 60, your rates might be a bit higher.

Good News: Follicular thyroid cancer is the second most common type, and its impact on life insurance is similar to papillary cancer.

This means you have a good chance of getting affordable coverage.

Follicular Thyroid Cancer Outcomes:

Cancer Stage	Underwriting Range
One	Standard Plus Rates
Two	Standard Rates
Three	Standard with a flat extra expense

Important: If your cancer is more advanced, or if it’s Hurthle Cell cancer, rates will be higher and you might have a waiting period before getting coverage.

Postpone periods are longer due to the Hurthle Cell’s increased possibility of spreading to lymph nodes.

Medullary Thyroid Cancer and Life Insurance

What makes medullary thyroid cancer different?

Medullary thyroid cancer is more aggressive and tends to occur earlier in life.

It spreads faster and might not respond to standard treatments like radioactive iodine treatment.

Medullary develops from the cells that produce calcitonin, a hormone regulating calcium levels.

Life insurers want to see multiple calcitonin tests and you might have to wait 3-5 years after treatment to get life insurance.

Traditional life insurance isn’t an option for anaplastic thyroid cancer because it spreads quickly to your neck or throat.

It rarely spreads to other body parts such as your colon or kidneys.

Guaranteed issue and accidental death benefit policies are available if you qualify agewise.

A guaranteed issue policy will have a graded death benefit during the graded period (usually two years).

If you die during the graded period, your beneficiaries do not receive the full death benefit but a return of the premiums you paid plus interest.

If you died after the graded period, the full death benefit would be paid to the beneficiaries.

This type of policy offers some coverage, regardless of health.

Let’s talk about your options for coverage with anaplastic thyroid cancer.

Have you been diagnosed with a thyroid disease?

You can still get affordable life insurance!

Millions of Americans have thyroid conditions, so you’re not alone.

Our goal here is to provide you with detailed information so you can get realistic quotes for life insurance based on your thyroid medical history.

Your thyroid, a small butterfly-shaped gland in your neck, is crucial in regulating your metabolism, energy levels, and overall health.

When your thyroid isn’t working properly, it can cause health issues that may impact your life insurance rates.

Thyroid diseases come in two main types:

• Hyperthyroidism – Your thyroid is overactive, producing too much hormone.
• Hypothyroidism – Your thyroid is underactive, not making enough hormone.

Graves Disease is the most common reason for an overactive thyroid gland in the U.S.¹

Other causes include thyroid nodules or goiters. (enlarged thyroid)

Symptoms of hyperthyroidism (Grave’s) may include:

• Eye Disease
• Rapid Heartbeat
• Weight Loss
• Anxiety
• Tiredness and Muscle Weakness

If you’ve been diagnosed with hyperthyroid, you may have to wait 3-6 months before applying for life insurance to give insurance companies time to rule out other like adenoma, hyperplasia, or thyroid cancer.

Hyperthyroidism elevates thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3) while lowering your TSH level.

Common treatments for hyperthyroidism are medications or surgery.

Age	Female	Male
35	Preferred – $22 Standard Plus – $29 Standard – $32	Preferred – $26 Standard Plus – $34 Standard – $39
40	Preferred – $30 Standard Plus – $38 Standard – $43	Preferred – $36 Standard Plus – $46 Standard – $55
45	Preferred – $42 Standard Plus – $58 Standard – $66	Preferred – $55 Standard Plus – $74 Standard – $87
50	Preferred – $65 Standard Plus – $84 Standard – $97	Preferred – $84 Standard Plus – $117 Standard – $129
55	Preferred – $96 Standard Plus – $124 Standard – $148	Preferred – $133 Standard Plus – $177 Standard – $218

The worst case scenario for someone with hyperparathyroidism (Grave’s) with no other health issues is a “standard” rate.

Many people even get “standard plus” or “preferred” rates which are even better.

If you have complications like kidney stones, muscle weakness, mental confusion, or heart problems, your rates may be higher.

High calcium levels above 11.0 mg/dl can also increase your rates.

Hypothyroidism means your thyroid doesn’t make enough hormones.

It is often caused by Hashimoto’s disease, an autoimmune condition that attacks your thyroid.

This can lead to low levels of thyroid hormones (T4 and T3) and high levels of TSH, a hormone that signals your thyroid to make more.

• Tiredness
• Weight Gain
• Depression
• Lowered Calcium Levels

The most common treatment for thyroid conditions is medication or radioactive iodine therapy.

More extreme cases may require surgery.

Age	Female	Male
35	Preferred – $22 Standard Plus – $29 Standard – $32	Preferred – $26 Standard Plus – $34 Standard – $39
40	Preferred – $30 Standard Plus – $38 Standard – $43	Preferred – $36 Standard Plus – $46 Standard – $55
45	Preferred – $42 Standard Plus – $58 Standard – $66	Preferred – $55 Standard Plus – $74 Standard – $87
50	Preferred – $65 Standard Plus – $84 Standard – $97	Preferred – $84 Standard Plus – $117 Standard – $129
55	Preferred – $96 Standard Plus – $124 Standard – $148	Preferred – $133 Standard Plus – $177 Standard – $218

As you can see, underwriting follows similar rates as hyperthyroid.

More expensive premiums are due to secondary health issues that the insured has, rather than hypothyroid itself.

We help with all types of health conditions, from asthma, skin cancer history, diabetes, heart disease, etc.

The following are the most frequent questions we receive about thyroid cancer.

You will find that information here if you want underwriting information about thyroid conditions.

Do you participate in other activities, such as scuba diving or aviation?

Let us know as some companies specialize in these areas.

Final Words

Life insurance offers financial security for your loved ones if you pass away.

While thyroid conditions can pose challenges in getting life insurance, we specialize in finding solutions for you.

If you have other conditions like sleep apnea or high blood pressure, we can help with that too.

We help you find the right life insurance company for your needs, so you can protect your loved ones with the best possible rates.

Our service is always free and without obligation.