Life Insurance

[Midnight Skye]

Sooooo I'm applying for life insurance. And then it hit me... this whole transgender kind of thing... does that throw a monkey wrench in the gears anywhere?!

For me its currently simple. I'm not on any hormones and I'm not planning any surgeries... heck I haven't even been to a doctor for anything. I just live as a female half the time right now. I hope to go on hormones and go full time at some point in the next year... gotta love lifes complications.

But with where I currently stand... should I bring up any of these concerns with the life insurance company I try to get a policy from? I'm thinking of going with Prudential... they apparently have good internal transgender considerations for those who work for the company. But I haven't been able to find anything for trans clients (go figure!). I have heard that a New York insurance company has some things in place for trans clients (like flipping your sex on file when you get it changed on your license). But - shrugs - I don't care what my sex says on file... its a momentary blush and a shrug when someone looks at me and realizes I'm not all girl.

So anyone have any thoughts or real life experience in this area?

[CharleneT]

I wish I knew . . . the only thing I can say is that if you were transitioned prior to the insurance, they would probably give you a better rate since women live longer :thinking: Of course, that is unlikely to happen if they knew you had transitioned. Since you are young, I doubt there will be much in the way of issues. Because you are not on HRT, medicially they will view you as a young healthy man. The social issues ( living part time as a woman) aren't likely to matter at all. Their calculations are all about risk and what it costs to bet against.

I do not think you need to bring it up to them.

[Traci Elizabeth]

:iagree::iagree: NO reason to say anything. It has nothing to do with getting life insurance. Would you tell them you like scrambled eggs? Yep, totally ridiculous and totally irrelevant...well so would be telling them about your "perceived" gender issues that you have't taken anywhere yet.

Would you tell them you wear boxer shorts or briefs (yuck)...heck NO...so why would you tell them you love wearing woman's clothes??????? :bonk::bonk:

[Midnight Skye]

Haha thanks for the advice girls. I just won't worry about it then and breath easy. I do drag my gender issues around with me though... at the very least I look metro. But now that I look at their process its unlikely I'll even see them in person... perhaps this will be simpler than I thought.

[Virgin_CD]

And there is LOTs for me to tell you. Email me a message and I'll give you my phne so we can talk it all out. But in general, the younger you are the cheaper MORE years will cost you. It's a great "Investment" if you can get a deal... and you can shop, believe me you can shop... I'll tell you my expernces. Regarding the physical, they will send a nuse to your house for a very superficial physical, and thereare many ways to cheat the tests (if you need to at all). Know that they will ask for your MD's records (you just sign a release) so anything in those records will come to light. You might even consider getting a new primary care physician for 6 months w/o telling that physician about any prior doctors, etc... The insurance company won't probe beyound your current MD or even inquire for more history probably. SO you get a complete physical by him and don't complai about nothin. Another thing, the first time you apply for life insurance they start a file on you... the national lfe insurance file or somethin... anyway, what you tell one company in your paperwork, and the doctors records, their findings, etc... will be shared by all the subsequent life insurance companies you get quotes from. Sometimes multiple companies use the same service to come to your house and I would tell them to come 1/ per company on diff days because one day you may have elevated PSA for example and another day not. Like SEX elevates PSA for a several days... so NO SEX for a week prior (Not even with YORSELF!) If u are organized in your timing you can do a blast and they will all be going forward blind, w/o the benefit of findings in the national database sharing forum they have. I had 3 “Brokers” set up 2-3 quotes each.. so I pinged about 8 different companies at the same time. I exercised, kept good diet, etc… ate special anti toxin foods, even some kinda colon cleanse regimen, before I made the physical appts. I got my weight just belowthe threshold… etc… and the brokers will suggest who will give you the best quotes… some put theyr weighting on diff factors differently. Just don’t do the same company twice. So much more… Like I “made a mistake” on the age my father died… only 10 years??? But it is on them to find the mistake and in this day and age of poor craftsmanship and cheap/ temp labor… unconsience workers, here is an instance where it will work for you. They have 2 years to find any problems and re quote the insurance. And if they do, you have the choice to say no and they must refund you 100% of what you have paid them. For that reason I wanted to get two 500K policies… more than I wanted, but I figured I could kill one after 2 years. And if I get hit by a truck in that time, my wifes a millionare (don’t let her know that). But like allot of people, I have neglected my 401K, I got no portfolio or retirement plan, just livin paycheck to paycheck and struggling at that. THIS is my retirement plan (for my wife and family). I got 20 year plans at age 53. My father got probate cancer (did I spill that correctly?) at age 47 and died of it at 57. I figure I won’t make it to 73 so this is like my widows retirement (+ what ever work insurance I got from the company). All the companies came back with about $60K premiums over the 20 year term, but one co made a mistake and quoted 40K over the life of the policy… about 2400/ year. So I took that one 500K policy. Hey I have a 14 year old daughter at 55, I’m gonna be payin for her college for a long time, I know I’m gonna work till I die and I’m OK with that. And if I do retire at 65 or 70… by then I’ll at least figure out a modest retirement… and if I am still kickin at 73… Oh God, I don’t even want to think about that. They shoot horses don’t they? By then there will be youth n asia, or I’ll hire a hit man for myself… or I’ll pizz off my wife while she’s PMSing and hand her the shotgun! Gimme a call/ email. AND STOP HAVING SEX! :(

[Midnight Skye]

Stop having sex?! lmao! Thats an intriguing concept. As for medical history and... uhhhh anything. I appear as healthy as a person can my age and I've had no past anything... actually my medical history is so thin its a touch creepy.

Probably the one bump is that I currently don't have a doctor in my state (I better find one of those quick). I am still guilty of calling my mother for anything that does come up... she's a doctor ;) My medical records... I wonder if there is a hard copy anywhere of them... crap I hadn't thought of that.

Thanks for the tips... I need to do some footwork and get my duckies in a row.

[Dawn D.]

Hi there!

I just got a new life insurance policy last year. I am in my second year of RLE and as Virgin_CD pointed out, the insurance company sends a nurse to you for a quicky physical. When she came in, she was looking for Donald, as that was then still my legal name at the time. I was smack in the middle of the name change process and only a month from my court date. I was completely honest with her and explained everything. She was understanding and not the slightest concerned in how this would play in the process. My insurance went through without a hitch.


Dawn

[Traci Elizabeth]

Hi there!

I just got a new life insurance policy last year. I am in my second year of RLE and as Virgin_CD pointed out, the insurance company sends a nurse to you for a quicky physical. When she came in, she was looking for Donald, as that was then still my legal name at the time. I was smack in the middle of the name change process and only a month from my court date. I was completely honest with her and explained everything. She was understanding and not the slightest concerned in how this would play in the process. My insurance went through without a hitch.


Dawn


Of course unbeknown to you, you are paying a higher rate! :lol::lol:


Just kidding...or wait, am I?

[Dawn D.]

LOL:heehee:, in actuality I switched companies because my rate was raised to an abortively high amount. I actually obtained a pretty decent rate with the new company.


Dawn

[Midnight Skye]

Thanks Dawn that is fantastic to hear. Who'd you go with if you don't mind me asking?

[Dawn D.]

Surely, no problem at all! It is ING, Reliastar Life Insurance Co.


Dawn