Like many other adults, you likely enjoy some refreshing alcoholic beverages. Whether you indulge in an opulent cocktail or crack open some icy beers, you might wonder about the impact of alcohol consumption on life insurance options. Should you drop the habit or continue enjoying your weekend mixers?
Our team at Medical Profiles Inc. guides you through the consequences of alcohol consumption below.
How Much Is Too Much?
Lots of American adults enjoy alcoholic beverages without any issues. But how much is too much?
Don’t worry! A couple of drinks on the weekend won’t likely affect your life insurance rates or options. But if you binge drink, you should reconsider your habit.
What exactly does excess mean?
- You incur legal consequences because of your actions under the influence.
- Your habit consumes your thoughts constantly.
- You find you only look forward to alcohol.
- Your desire for the substance stands in the way of other responsibilities and obligations.
These health issues make life insurance companies think twice about accepting applications and offering low rates.
How Alcohol Consumption Impacts Your Health
Alcohol consumption impacts your health in numerous ways. This substance can affect almost every system and organ in your body. Some well-known health complications include:
- Poor mental health: Alcohol acts as a depressant. It can cause or exacerbate mental health issues.
- Gastrointestinal issues: Alcohol affects your liver, stomach, esophagus, and intestines. It puts you at greater risk of related cancers.
- Blood counts: Blood tests can show abnormal counts of various blood cells.
- Nervous system: Alcohol negatively impacts the way your brain operates. It lessens your ability to feel pain and can lead to seizures, blackouts, tremors, and other symptoms.
- Potential for traumatic accidents: When an inebriated person tries to walk, drive, or maneuver themselves, they are at greater risk for traumatic, damaging accidents.
Therefore, the impact of alcohol consumption on life insurance options has far-reaching consequences.
The Impact of Alcohol Consumption on Life Insurance
How can a life insurance company tell whether an applicant has an alcohol addiction? Body fluid samples, criminal history, and family medical history offer clues. Find out how overindulgence can affect the success of your life insurance application below:
- Expensive premiums: You’ll pay much higher rates for fewer death benefits and more restrictive coverage.
- Application denial: The insurance company might reject your application immediately.
- Claim rejection: What if alcohol consumption results in your death? Your insurance company may reject your family’s claims. Therefore, they can’t access the benefits they so desperately need while grieving.
You can make decisions to lessen the impact of consuming alcohol.
What You Can Do To Lessen the Impact
Before you apply for or buy life insurance, consider making the following choices of your own volition:
- Seek therapy: Whether you opt for AA or another recovery plan, begin your path to health now. Counseling, rehab, and Alcoholics Anonymous can help you acquire better tools.
- Maintain a healthy lifestyle: Explore healthy foods, exercise plans, and other healthy habits to replace alcohol consumption.
- Speak to your doctor: Check with your doctor for any abnormalities. Take their advice on improving your health.
- Clear related legal issues: Settle any legal battles before you apply.
- Submit to reassessments: Suggest the insurer require occasional health reassessments for lower rates or better benefits.
- Consider term life insurance: Term life insurance can last as little as a decade. It can protect your family while you improve your health.
Get a Head Start With Medical Profiles, Inc.
The impact of alcohol consumption on life insurance doesn’t have to be permanent. Get a head start on your life insurance options with a paramedical exam from Medical Profiles Inc. Call 832-251-3926 to learn about our mobile exams.
