Most life insurance companies will evaluate your cholesterol levels when determining your premiums.
Since carriers have varying guidelines, our expertise can match you with suitable companies and favorable rates based on your cholesterol levels.
Don’t let high cholesterol hold you back—let us help you secure the coverage you need.
Life Insurance High Cholesterol Levels Explained
First, let’s take a quick look at the two cholesterol levels many insurance underwriters consider essential when evaluating you for life insurance.
Total cholesterol consists of LDL, HDL, and VLDL cholesterol. A desirable level of total cholesterol is less than 200 mg/dL.
The cholesterol/HDL ratio comprises LDL, HDL, and VLDL cholesterol. A standard ratio is 5.0 or less.
Understanding the different life insurance rate classifications is essential, especially concerning your cholesterol levels.
Here’s a breakdown of the common classifications: preferred plus (the best rates), preferred, select, and standard.
What do insurance companies consider to be high cholesterol? Let’s quickly examine how various cholesterol levels fit within these rate classifications.
- Preferred Plus: Many companies will offer their best health class if total cholesterol is less than 230 mg/dL and the cholesterol ratio is less than 5.0.
- Preferred: Life insurers will offer their second-best class if the total cholesterol level is less than 260 mg/dL and the cholesterol/HDL ratio is less than 6.0.
- Select: Most carriers will offer their third-best class if total cholesterol is less than 200 mg/dL and the cholesterol/HDL ratio is 7.0 or lower.
- Standard: A total cholesterol level of 300-350 mg/dL or less with a cholesterol/HDL ratio of 8.0 or less will likely result in standard rates with most companies.
- Preferred Smoker: Your cholesterol level should be between 120 and 300, regardless of medication. Your cholesterol/HDL ratio is important and should not exceed 5.5.
- Standard Smoker: Total cholesterol levels can reach 300, with or without medication. Your Chol/HDL ratio should not exceed 8.0.
If your cholesterol level exceeds the recommended guidelines, but your overall health is good, some insurers may still offer a standard rate. However, stricter companies might impose a table rating, which leads to higher premiums.
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What If Your Initial Rates Come Back High?
If you receive a higher insurance rate than you expected, you can activate your policy and allow us to search for lower premiums with more flexible companies.
Many clients have successfully improved their rates by starting medications, changing their diets, and losing weight to lower cholesterol levels.
People needing life insurance who are overweight face a similar solvable challenge when buying coverage. Obese people can save money by losing weight to fit into insurance company guidelines for a build.
The same goes for a former smoker who has quit for over 12 months and no longer has to pay smoker insurance rates.
The good news is that all of these underwriting factors are within your control!
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Case Study: Cholesterol and Life Insurance
Here is an example illustrating how cholesterol can affect your premiums.
When Martin applies for a 20-year, million-dollar term policy, the premiums differ based on his cholesterol levels
| Normal Cholesterol | High Cholesterol | |
| Rate Class | Preferred Plus | Standard |
| Premium | $1,047 | $2,004 |
Martin can save nearly $1,000 per year, which adds up to almost $20,000 over the 20 years. These savings make Marty “happy as a lark”!
Buying Life Insurance with High Cholesterol
Let me be straight with you about cholesterol and life insurance. While high cholesterol isn’t ideal when applying for coverage, it’s not a deal-breaker.
Many insurance companies understand that cholesterol management is a common health concern, and they’ve adjusted their policies accordingly.
Some carriers, like Pacific Life and Lincoln Financial, now offer policies up to $1,000,000 without requiring a medical exam, gathering your health information through a simple phone interview.
However, we usually recommend taking the medical exam if you have high cholesterol because exam-based policies often give you access to saving you significant money over time.
The exam process is straightforward: We review your medical history and conduct basic health screenings, including blood work and measurements.
For the best results, hydrate well, fast for 12 hours, and avoid alcohol, coffee, and smoking. In the weeks prior, focus on cholesterol-friendly foods like vegetables, salmon, and nuts.
After the exam, we’ll gather your medical records to show how you manage your cholesterol and present your profile to insurance companies to find the best rates.
Cholesterol Life Insurance Rates
Working with an independent agent is the most effective way to secure the best offers.
Our agents simplify the process by shopping around to find the lowest premiums based on your cholesterol levels and complete medical history.
We have found that the best insurance company for those with high cholesterol may not be the best option for a person needing life insurance with depression.
Depending on your cholesterol levels, we often recommend specialty life insurance companies such as Corebridge, Protective Life, and North American Life.
Protective Life may be the most accommodating option, accepting total cholesterol levels of up to 275 at a preferred plus rate class.
It’s good to know these companies have exceptional overall ratings from AM Best Insurance Ratings.
Best Insurance companies for Cholesterol
| Company | AM Best Rating |
| American General | A |
| Banner Life | A+ |
| Lincoln Financial | A+ |
| North American Life | A+ |
| Protective Life | A+ |
| Prudential | A |
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Affordable Life USA offers comprehensive life insurance solutions to families and business owners throughout the United States.
Our founder, Eric Van Haaften, developed his passion for quantitative analysis while earning his business degree from Ferris State University, which laid a strong foundation for his analytical approach to financial planning.
