Low Resting Heart Rate
Many endurance athletes have a low resting heart rate, which can be misinterpreted by insurance companies as a heart abnormality. A low resting heart rate is one of a number of common training-related ECG alterations which are physiological adaptations to regular exercise and considered normal variants in athletes. A low resting heart rate in an athlete is actually a sign of better risk.
However, studies show that runners have a 30% lower risk of overall death.
Older marathon runners have up to a 50% decreased risk of heart disease.
Training for a marathon leads to 5% lower cholesterol and a 4% increase in cardiorespiratory fitness in just 18 weeks.
Read more:
Anderson A, et al. J Genet Counsel (2017) | Nomura et al. Int J Cancer (2016) | Korat et al. Curr Nutr Rep (2014) | Bao et al. Am J. Epidemiol. (2013) | Gramling et al. Breast Cancer Research (2010) | Ramsey et al. Genet Med (2006)
Poor Family History
Insurance companies use family history to evaluate your risk. One metric used is the age at which a family member has passed away from a disease. The earlier the death of a family member, the higher your rate will be. Carriers establish a threshold age for considering a death “early” — for example, most carriers consider any death from heart disease before the age of 60 to be early.
Health IQ recognizes that family history is not destiny and has pushed carriers to lower the threshold age for our customers living a healthy lifestyle — in the case of heart disease, from 60 years old to 55 years old. We were able to accomplish this by uncovering science like the following:
50% lower risk of coronary artery disease
Across four studies involving 55,685 participants, a healthy lifestyle was associated with a nearly 50% lower relative risk of coronary artery disease among those at high genetic risk.
Preventing Diabetes
More than 90% of type 2 diabetes cases are potentially preventable by following a healthful diet, having a BMI of ≤25 kg/m2, exercising for at least 30 minutes a day, avoiding smoking, and consuming alcohol in moderation.
Healthy Lifestyle Trumps Breast Cancer
The degree of benefit from healthy behaviors has been shown to be the same for women with or without a family history of breast cancer.
Read more:
Drezner JA, et al. Br J Sports Med (2013) | Zilinski et al. Circ Cardiovasc Imaging. (2015) | Liu, Chen and Gao. J Insur Med (2012) | Fox et al. J Am Col Cardiology (2007)
Nutrition
Vegetarian credit
Vegetarians have an overall 12% lower risk of death and 24% lower risk of death from heart disease.
Vegans have a 16% lower risk of colorectal cancer. On average, those following a vegetarian diet are 3 points lower in BMI and have half the risk of developing diabetes when compared to meat eaters.
Read more:
Anderson A, et al. J Genet Counsel (2017) | Nomura et al. Int J Cancer (2016) | Korat et al. Curr Nutr Rep (2014) | Bao et al. Am J. Epidemiol. (2013) | Gramling et al. Breast Cancer Research (2010) | Ramsey et al. Genet Med (2006)
Low-Carb Dieter credit
Triglyceride/HDL ratio is a better predictor of cardiovascular disease. It is possible to have total cholesterol in 220-260 range with little risk of atherosclerosis if HDL high and TG low.
Meta-analysis reviews show across studies that a low-carbohydrate diet improves markers of cardiovascular and type 2 diabetes risk factors. Overall, the benefits outweigh any apparent rise in LDL cholesterol, as HDL tends to increase and triglycerides decrease.
Read more:
Ajala O. et al. Am J Clinical Nutr (2013) | Santos et al. Obes Rev. (2012) | de Luz et al. Clinics (2008) | Foster et al. N Engl J Med (2003)
High BMI
The height/weight ratio used for BMI doesn’t address body composition and leads to misclassification of strength athletes into weight classes that the insurance industry considers risky. That’s because BMI measures excess weight relative to height— not excess fat.
That’s why Health IQ has pushed our carriers for a “BMI buffer” for our health conscious clients. For example if the limit for the preferred plus rate category for someone 5'9" is 198 lbs, our health conscious client can still get the preferred plus rate category at 208 lbs.
Read more:
Kraschnewski JL et al., Prev Med (2016) | Despre JP. Can J. Cardiol (2015) | Flegel et al. JAMA (2013) | Ruiz et al. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev (2009)
High Cholesterol
HDL cholesterol levels below 6.0 for men and 5.0 for women or in some cases 4.0 for the best rates are standard for many carriers. However, a growing body of research is revealing that blood cholesterol level is not the biggest predictor of heart disease, especially for people who are on low-carb diets eating a higher proportion of nutrients from healthy fats and protein.
That’s why Health IQ has pushed our carriers to keep rates the same for our health-conscious customers but allow cholesterol levels up to 5.5 for our preferred customers and as high as 6.0 for women and 6.5 for men for our standard plus customers.
High blood pressure
To qualify for the best rates, health insurance carriers often require a blood pressure below 130/80. However, for a health conscious person who is living a healthy lifestyle every day, this may not be the most important consideration for heart disease risk.
That's why Health IQ has pushed our carriers to keep rates the same for our preferred customers with a blood pressure of 150/90, and as high as 155/95 for our standard plus customers.
Making Insurance Fair
Runners have a significantly lower risk of heart disease, cancer and diabetes–so it just makes sense that they pay less for their life insurance.
We Save You Money
Only at Health IQ can you save up to 41% by qualifying with your high health literacy and healthy lifestyle. That's a total potential savings of up to $10,568.*
| How to Qualify | Savings (%) | Savings ($) Over 30yr Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Health Literacy Credits | 8% | $2,020 |
| Active Lifestyle Credits | 9% | $2,270 |
| Underwriting Credits | 0 - 24% | $0 - $6,279 |
| Total Potential LIfetime Savings | 8 - 41% | $2,020 - $10,568 |
*You must meet all qualifications to be eligible for savings.
How it Works
The Health IQ Difference
1.
Better price
Health IQ is the only company that combines your current health, health literacy and active lifestyle to better predict your long-term health, getting you rates up to 41% lower.*
2.
Better underwriting
Health IQ ensures that your health literacy and active lifestyle are used to offset traditional insurance risk factors so you get credit (and a lower price) for your hard work.
Poor Family History
Sometimes poor family history is a powerful motivator. We reduce the chance of being penalized if you are otherwise healthy.
High BMI
BMI can’t tell the difference between muscle and fat. We have a BMI buffer for people with above average muscle mass.
High Cholesterol
Total cholesterol is not always accurate. Sometimes a healthy lifestyle increases your HDL and hence total cholesterol while reducing your cardiovascular risk.
Low Resting Heart Rate Credit
Most carriers will penalize people if their heart rate is too low. We help them recognize that this is a sign of your excellent health and fitness.
High Blood Pressure
Many people get stressed when having their blood pressure taken at a doctors office. We give additional leniency on blood pressure.
3.
Better shopping
1.
We first shop our special rate partners to get you the best rate
2.
We double check the rate by shopping 30 additional carriers
Special rate check
We first shop our special rate partners to get you the best rate
Retail rate check
We double-check the rate by shopping 30 additional carriers
1.
Better price
Health IQ is the only company that combines your current health, health literacy and active lifestyle to better predict your long-term health, getting you rates up to 41% lower.*
2.
Better underwriting
Health IQ ensures that your health literacy and active lifestyle are used to offset traditional insurance risk factors so you get credit (and a lower price) for your hard work.
Poor Family History
Sometimes poor family history is a powerful motivator. We reduce the chance of being penalized if you are otherwise healthy.
High BMI
BMI can't tell the difference between muscle and fat. We have a BMI buffer for people with above average muscle mass.
High Cholesterol
Total cholesterol is not always accurate. Sometimes a healthy lifestyle increases your HDL, and hence total cholesterol while reducing your cardiovascular risk.
Low Resting Heart Rate
Most carriers will penalize people if their heart rate is too low. We help them recognize that this is a sign of your excellent health and fitness.
High Blood Pressure
Many people get stressed when having their blood pressure taken at a doctors office. We give additional leniency on blood pressure.
3.
Better shopping
Special rate check
We first shop our special rate partners to get you the best rate
Retail rate check
We double-check the rate by shopping 30 additional carriers
We Get Results
Why Work With Us
Top In Protection
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FAQ
Life insurance is an insurance that will pay out a sum of money to a beneficiary of the insured—usually a family member—upon the death of the insured. The price for life insurance is normally based on the age, health, and expected longevity of the person applying for life insurance. In exchange for a fixed monthly or annual payment, that policy is a promise from the insurance carrier that they will pay your beneficiaries a set amount if you pass away before the end of the term.
The goal of insuring one’s life is to ensure that loved ones do not financially struggle as a result of an early passing of an important family member. Life insurance is not designed to help yourself, but instead, to help reduce the hardships that a family experiences if someone they depend upon financially passes prematurely.
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Life insurance is a cash payout, so you or your family can use it to pay for any type of expenses such as:
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Health IQ believes that health conscious people are overpaying for life insurance. We are the only broker that offers special rates based on health knowledge and active lifestyles/diets like running, cycling, swimming, weightlifting, yoga, vegetarianism and veganism. Taking active control of your health is hard work, and we believe in rewarding you.
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You can save anywhere from 8%-41%.
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The short answer is "it depends." But in general, you can find a good estimate by calculating your long term debts and financial obligations and then subtracting any savings, investments, or assets you have. Your ideal coverage amount should be enough to fill that gap. Most financial advisors recommend that you should have coverage for at least 7-10x of your annual income.
Total debt + total additional financial support (over x years) - savings/assets = estimated coverage needed.
When thinking about your debts and assets, here are a few important factors to keep in mind.
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Term life is the most popular and affordable type of life insurance. It provides coverage for a specific number of years, usually between 10-30 years. You make fixed monthly, quarterly, or annual premium payments to keep it active. If you pass away during the covered term, the pre-determined coverage amount is paid out in full. Almost all of our clients find that this type of policy is the best fit. Ideally, your family’s needs for coverage will end close to when your policy expires: your kids are through college, your mortgage is fully paid, etc. However with term life you also have the flexibility to renew or convert at the end of the term if you need to. Permanent (whole life) insurance provides protection for life. The premium remains the same and coverage amount is guaranteed no matter how long you live. Since it never expires, the annual cost is significantly more expensive than term. There are several types of permanent life policies that provide added investment components, but these are more complicated to buy and come with additional fees and expenses. Unlike term, permanent life insurance requires a longer commitment. There is significantly less flexibility if your needs change.
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Yes. Even if you have a current policy, you may want to refinance your existing policy as you may be overpaying for your current Life Insurance. There is no penalty for refinancing an old policy or buying additional coverage. Similar to mortgages, you can apply for a new life insurance policy even if you have an existing one. The new policy can either replace your existing one or it can be additional coverage on top of what you already have to cover—as in the case of having a second child.
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Probably not. Group policies are often a “one size fits all” option that cover only 1-2x your annual salary. Most financial advisors recommend you have at least 10-15x. If you should leave this employer, you also most likely can’t take the coverage with you. Additionally, the choice of plan and carrier are made by the employer, which means that the policy may not be a good fit for your unique health and lifestyle profile.
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There is only one reason your life insurance policy can ever be cancelled — if you stop paying the premiums. Once the policy is put into place, the insurance carrier is required to cover you at the same rate for the duration of the term. You are able to cancel your policy at your own will at any time.
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