Life Insurance With a Medical Marijuana Card [Online Quotes]
Posted in Medical Marijuana last updated on November 8, 2021Are you concerned about buying life insurance with a medical marijuana card?
You likely have a lot of questions. We have worked with clients around the country to help get them approved and save money on their life insurance since 2009. There are some things you should know before you start a life insurance application. We will answer some of the common questions below. If you need additional information, please contact us.
Quick Tip: If you have a medical marijuana card and do not smoke cigarettes nor have any major health issues, use the following information to get an idea of cost. Enter the following in the Instant Quotes form:
- Health Class: Regular Plus
- Smoker/Tobacco: No
- Display quotes and look at Prudential rates
- Contact us with any questions or to get a better idea of cost
The most important point is that every American with a medical marijuana card can find a suitable and affordable life insurance policy.
Some of the issues I will cover include:
- Using an Independent Agent for Medical Marijuana
- The Legality of a Medical Marijuana Card and Life Insurance
- Recreational Marijuana Use Versus Medical Marijuana
- How Insurers Perceive Marijuana Use
- Life Insurance Underwriting for Medical Marijuana
- Types of Life Insurance for Medical Marijuana
- No-Medical Life Insurance
- Life Insurance for Serious Health Issues
Reasons Why You Should Use an Independent Agent
The most important approach in finding low cost life insurance with a medical marijuana card is to always use an independent life insurance agent.
Keep in mind that not all life insurance agents work as independent agents. There are captive agents who work for only one company. There are call center agents who are only interested in sales volume. And, finally there are the life insurance companies which you can apply to by yourself. Many people like to use the same company where they buy either car or home insurance (that’s assuming they sell life insurance).
All these other approaches are wrong because you could either be declined for a policy or end up paying way too much for your coverage.
Independent agents such as the ones here at Marcan Insurance have access to over 70 of the top life insurers. We know which insurers are marijuana-friendly. We also know which companies have lenient underwriting guidelines for a variety of health issues. An independent agent can also find you a variety of different policies that can be customized for your unique situation.
An independent agent can find either small or large policies for personal and/or business use, estates, no medical policies and policies for final expenses. Whatever you need, only independent life insurance agents have the largest selection of life insurance options. Remember that we work for you and not the life insurance companies.
One final point is that we can even find you “non-smoker rates” if you smoke or vape marijuana, don’t use tobacco products and don’t have a major health condition.
The Legality of a Medical Marijuana Card and Life Insurance
If you have a medical marijuana card, it’s because you live in a state which has legalized the use of medical marijuana for a medical condition and/or for recreational use. Because it is legal there are no legal issues involved when it comes to a law enforcement agency, and in finding life insurance.
You are likely more concerned about the confidentiality concerning your use of medical marijuana. You might worry that this information could be passed onto your employer, spouse or other concerned parties.
Let me simply say that the entire life insurance process is completely confidential and protected by law. From the very start when you contact a life insurance agent or life insurance company representative, to when you sign your policy, the entire process is fully confidential.
None of your personal, medical information or use of marijuana – whether recreational or with a medical marijuana card can be disclosed to any outside party.
The laws that provide this protection are known as the HIPPA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act 1996). These laws are rigorously enforced by the U.S. Office of Civil Rights which guarantees the “privacy of individually identifiable health information.”
By the way, even if you are a recreational user and live in a state where recreational use is considered illegal, these laws apply. It does not matter why or where you use marijuana because you can still get life insurance with complete confidentiality in every state and territory in America.
Recreational Marijuana Use Versus Medical Marijuana
I would start off by saying that life insurers who are marijuana-friendly view recreational and medical marijuana the same as a tobacco smoker.
Some insurers see no difference between smoking an occasional joint or smoking several joints a day. They apply the same approach as they would to any amount of tobacco use.
However, there are a handful of companies who will rate you better if you have a medical marijuana card. They may even offer you the best possible rating on your life insurance; a “Preferred Best Non-Smoking Rate”.
This is another major reason why you should always use an independent agent. I have access to marijuana-friendly companies. The vast majority of life insurance companies that don’t work with independent agents are not marijuana-friendly.
Life insurers also perceive a difference between recreational marijuana and medical marijuana. The major difference between recreational marijuana and a medical marijuana card is the medical condition itself.
I will cover this in more detail in the section “Life Insurance Underwriting for a Medical Marijuana Card.”
How Insurers Perceive Marijuana Use
Whether you use marijuana recreationally or for a medical condition, all insurers generally take the same approach as for tobacco use. The research on the health effects of cannabis use is not entirely clear.
However, it seems fairly certain that some of the chemical components of cannabis can be carcinogenic. There are also studies which suggest that pot use can alter the biochemical processes within the brain. Some studies suggest that pot can alter personality and even cause psychological disorders.
Because the health effects are unclear, all insurers are taking a cautionary approach when it comes to how they underwrite a policy with marijuana use.
You might be wondering if they will give you a break if you vape, use tinctures or ingest marijuana edibles instead of smoking. At present, the answer is that they currently do not see a difference. This may change down the road as the legalization of marijuana becomes more prevalent.
Life Insurance Underwriting for Medical Marijuana
As stated above, the difference in why an underwriter approaches recreational marijuana and life insurance with a medical marijuana card differently is because of the medical condition being treated.
The first point to understand is that not all medical conditions are treated the same. There is a huge difference in how a life insurer rates different medical conditions. A sleep disorder is significantly different from Stage 4 Cancer.
The second point is that the underwriting guidelines can vary significantly from insurer to insurer when it comes to medical conditions.
Some insurer have very lenient underwriting guidelines for certain pre-existing health issues. The medical conditions which have more liberal underwriting approaches also will vary from company to company.
There are quite a few health conditions which have no impact on how you are rated. Many insurers will rate you the same as an equivalent healthy person who is the same age.
The main factor that influences how you are rated is whether on not the health condition will affect your life expectancy.
Life Insurance Underwriting Questions with a Medical Marijuana Card
Life insurance underwriters will want to know the following if you have a medical cannabis card:
- Type of medical condition, and when it was diagnosed
- Dates of all episodes
- Manner of treatment, surgery, hospitalization and medication
- Recovery period, and date of last occurrence
- Whether you smoke tobacco
- Residual health effects
- Any other health issues
If you have been prescribed medical marijuana for a minor health issue, and only use medical marijuana infrequently, there is very good chance you can qualify for a good rating.
If your condition is not too severe and is under control, or has been in remission for certain period of time, you may qualify for a “standard rate.” Each change in your rating can result in as much as a 25% increase or decrease in what you pay for your policy.
There are severe medical conditions which can cause you to be declined by most if not all insurers for a standard life insurance policy. Don’t despair because there are other life insurance options available which will be discussed later on.
Other underwriting considerations also apply to all applicants including:
- Age
- Gender (Women typically pay less for life insurance)
- Height/Weight ratio
- Blood pressure and cholesterol levels
- Alcohol consumption
- Driving Record
- Family history
- Occupation and high risk hobbies
All of these and other factors are taken into account when it comes to underwriting a policy.
Only independent agents, such as the ones here at Marcan Insurance, know which medical conditions and other underwriting issues are treated more leniently. We know which insurers might decline you and which ones will approve for the best rating and lowest premiums.
Types of Life Insurance for Medical Marijuana
There are 3 basic types of life insurance which are available including:
- Term life insurance
- Permanent life insurance
- No-medical life insurance
I will cover the first 2 only in this section as no-medical life insurance will be discussed by itself later on.
Term Life Insurance
For those who want life insurance with medical marijuana card, term life insurance is the most basic form of life insurance available. It is also the most affordable form of policy you can buy.
Term life insurance pays death benefits only. You buy a policy in periods of time such as 10, 15, 20, 25 or 30 years. A few companies offer policies which are age specific such as age 65 for example.
When choosing a policy, you first determine the amount of death benefits you need. Next, you choose the length of time or term that you need the insurance in place. Some of the areas you might want the life insurance to cover can include:
- Income replacement
- Your mortgage/rent
- Debts
- Business Use
- College tuition for children
- Estate purposes
- Final expenses
- Charitable donations
The cost for a term policy can vary significantly form insurer to insurer. Since life insurance is a long term investment, you want a policy with the lowest premiums to save money over the long haul. This is another key reason to always use an independent agent.
Permanent Life Insurance
Permanent life insurance also provides death benefits. There are 2 major differences between term and permanent life insurance which include:
- Permanent life insurance is for your entire lifetime
- Permanent policies may also provide a cash value accumulation feature which grows over the policy’s lifetime
It’s because of these 2 additional features which makes a permanent policy much more expensive than a term policy.
Permanent policies generally consist of 2 types including:
- Whole Life – Usually includes fixed premiums and death benefits. May or may not pay out dividends on the cash value accumulation portion.
- Universal Life – Comes in the form of varied hybrid types such as Universal life, Indexed Universal life, Guaranteed Universal life. Universal policies are more flexible than Whole life policies. They allow you to alter how your premiums are paid and the amount of death benefits. Some policies allow greater flexibility in how you manage the investment portion of the cash value accumulation feature.
Both Whole and Universal policies allow you to grow the cash value accumulation portion as tax deferred. Death benefits for both term and permanent policies are also tax-free so long as they not part of an estate. If life proceeds are considered as part of an estate they can become taxable unless you have a life insurance trust.
Most Americans opt for a term policy due to price. If you are a high income earner who would like to create a bucket of tax-free income, or you have a large estate, a permanent policy may be more suitable.
To find out which policy will serve your needs best, contact us at Marcan Insurance so we can help you make an informed decision.
No-Medical Exam Life Insurance
This is the third form of life insurance which you can buy with a medical marijuana card. These policies are available as term or as permanent life insurance. Some of the permanent policies are known as “Guaranteed Issue.”
The big attraction with no-medical life insurance policies is that they are convenient and easy to obtain. They also don’t require a medical exam. Some policies require that you answer a health questionnaire or a few basic questions. Most policies can be approved in as little as 48 hours to a couple weeks.
We don’t recommend that you opt for a no-medical policy without talking to an independent agent first. Many no-exam companies will decline you or rate you as a tobacco user if you use marijuana. We can make sure you use the best no-exam company for your situation.
No exam policies cost a little more than fully underwritten policies. The reason they cost more is because the life insurance company has a lot less information in how they can evaluate you. Because they have less information, they are taking a bigger chance in insuring you so they charge more.
Another point to keep in mind is that most no-medical policies have a lower death benefit than a standard term policy. You might end up being under-insured which could cause family a financial hardship. We can combine multiple no exam policies to meet your total life insurance need.
Life Insurance for Serious Health Issues
No-medical life insurance might be the best approach if you have a serious health issue. You have to be careful in the type you buy because there are many policies which require that you survive for at least 2-3 years before they will pay out death benefits. This is known as a “waiting period.”
If your life expectancy is expected to be significantly limited because of your health condition, we might recommend that you consider:
- Graded Death Benefit Life Insurance
- Guaranteed Issue Life Insurance
If you have a very serious health condition and are seeking life insurance with a medical marijuana card, contact us for confidential help for your situation. We can help you find a policy which is affordable and help get you approved.
Life Insurance With a Medical Marijuana Card – Conclusion
Quick Tip: If you have a medical marijuana card and do not smoke cigarettes nor have any major health issues, use the following information to get an idea of cost. Enter the following in the Instant Quotes form:
- Health Class: Regular Plus
- Smoker/Tobacco: No
- Display quotes and look at Prudential rates
- Contact us with any questions or to get a better idea of cost
Finding life insurance with a medical marijuana card is not nearly as hard as you might think. You now know that your privacy is fully protected by law so you are completely safe to do so.
Using an independent agent is the best way to find affordable life with a medical marijuana card. The independent agents here at Marcan Insurance know which companies are marijuana-friendly.
We also know and understand which companies will give the best ratings and lowest premiums for your particular medical condition. We also specialize in high risk life insurance. Regardless of your medical condition, we have an option that works for you.
Need life insurance with a medical marijuana card? Call the independent agents at Marcan Insurance at 888-987-8447 today. We will help you get approved and save money on your life insurance.
