Will that umbrella still be there if he has a heart attack? (Photo Credit: CC BY-ND/Affordable Life Insurance Policy)

Which health conditions are most likely to send your life insurance premiums skyrocketing? Bankrate.com asked New York Life’s chief underwriter Stephen Bloom and chief medical officer Dr. Jacki Goldstein for some of the top health hazards as they would apply to life insurance for a 40-year-old man. Here is their tale of the unhealthy red tape.

High blood pressure

High blood pressure can lead to a host of organ diseases, said Goldstein. Coronary artery disease, stroke and kidney damage are just a few. While life insurance industry underwriters show the most favor to those who control their blood pressure, people with high blood pressure may still qualify for a preferred policy, as long as they’re taking steps to manage it.

“Different carriers have different categories of preferred, but yes, high blood pressure that is well-managed, most carriers would have that qualified for preferred,” said Goldstein.

Type 2 diabetes

Adult onset diabetes (Type 2) takes a toll on the body’s vascular system, with coronary artery disease, renal failure and blindness being some of the potential risks. If a Type 2 diabetes sufferer is younger, the potential for higher life insurance premiums increases because the condition generally does not improve with time.

“If I get diabetes at age 70, I might already have coronary artery disease or a stroke anyway, so the impact of the diabetes might not affect my life expectancy in the way it might a 40-year-old. A 40-year-old is unlikely to qualify for preferred in my experience,” Goldstein told Bankrate.

Heart disease

A massive heart attack relates to a host of heart conditions that can be difficult to document, which makes a life insurance underwriter’s job more difficult. If the situation is indeed severe, the person may not be insurable, says Bloom.

“We do consider family history in our underwriting assessments,” Bloom said. “Generally, this is associated with immediate family members — father, mother, sister, brother — who may have developed heart disease or had a stroke.

Asthma

The chronic respiratory condition asthma can, while rare, lead to death if not carefully controlled. If it is carefully controlled, a preferred life insurance rate class is not out of the question.

“For the most part, asthma will be extremely favorably underwritten,” said Goldstein.

Cancer

Depending upon the type and severity of the cancer involved, life insurance premiums can be affected to a negligible degree or quite severely. According to Bloom, if New York Life were to underwrite a policy for a cancer patient, the company would want to monitor the patient for six months to a year before making a policy decision.

“Cancer conditions may require a longer period of time depending on the location of the cancer, the staging and type of treatment involved,” he said.

More of the top health risks for life insurance are cataloged at Bankrate.com.

Source

Bankrate.com

Billy Mays on health insurance

Mother Jones claims drinking Jamba Juice is not unlike eating a cupcake or two. (Photo Credit: CC BY-SA/Kim Navarre/Flickr)

Fans of Jamba Juice may not find the Feb. 28 Mother Jones report on the fast-food smoothie chain to their taste. Writer Ashley Bates dared to look behind the curtain and see that “all natural” may not be the best way to describe the tantalizingly blended fruit smoothies. According to Mother Jones, Jamba Juice smoothies aren’t even low-calorie.

First McDonald’s oatmeal, now Jamba Juice smoothies

Oh, how the false nutrition idols have fallen before the ax of consumable convenience. First, McDonald’s oatmeal was analyzed and found to be less-nutritious-than-advertised; now Jamba Juice smoothies are in question. If the bulk of Jamba Juice’s creations were simply fruit, ice and skim milk, there would be no problem, but all is not as it seems, writes Bates. The “simple, honest ingredients” Jamba Juice is committed to serving its customers are optimized for high-speed service. According to Jillian Shamoon, a Jamba Juice store general manager, real milk can’t be used with fruit because they “don’t taste good together.” Thus, frozen yogurt and sherbert are the standards in classic smoothies. If a customer wants to go “light,”a “dairy base” containing the artificial sweetener Splenda is used.

Ramping up the calories

Bates says a typical, medium-sized Jamba Juice smoothie like the Mango-a-go-go Classic contains 400 calories. Most other smoothies at Jamba Juice range from 250 to 600 calories. Compare that with the 540 calories of a McDonald’s Big Mac and you quickly discover that you’re in a fast food danger zone. While a smoothie may be a better choice than a Big Mac, says Dr. Alison Field of Harvard Medical School, the fact that most people drink smoothies as snacks or with a meal translates into a high calorie load.

Jamba Juice website remains neutral

As a company, Jamba Juice doesn’t appear to take a stand on whether smoothies should be considered meals. However, there are enough questions about the artificial sweetener Splenda to give any health-conscious person pause. Fields pointed to numerous studies that show people who consume diet sodas with Splenda tend to gain weight anyway.

That’s not all, says Dr. Janet Hull, author of “Splenda Exposed.” Hull says that while more conclusive testing is still needed, there is reason to believe that Splenda and its variants may also lead to disruption of sleep, sexual dysfunction, increased instances of cancer, MS, Lupus, diabetes and other degenerative diseases.

Sources

Mother Jones

Splenda Exposed

When you must Jamba, which juice is on the loose?

Heart disease, circulation problems and even cancer can result from too much sedentary office work. (Photo Credit: Public Domain/U.S. Army/Wikipedia)

Having a healthy body contributes to having a healthy mind. But sedentary office workers who spend eight hours or more per day at a desk staring at a computer screen aren’t doing themselves any favors, writes MSNBC.com. Quite to the contrary, the lack of movement can lead to an early death. Even workers who are otherwise physically fit are not immune, and the risk for women is even greater.

Sedentary workers often aren’t able to provide maximum productivity

According to a recent American Cancer Society study, sedentary workers who sat six hours or more per day were more prone to dying at a younger age than those with more active jobs that afforded them the opportunity to stand and move around frequently. Study leader Alpa Patel found that the benefits of not sitting all day long were “clear-cut.” Added benefits to additional activity include greater concentration and productivity, concepts from which both employees and employers benefit.

Stand up for an adjustable desk

Adjustable desks that allow office workers to alternate between standing and sitting positions are advised by the American Cancer Society study. The downside to this is that adjustable desks are more expensive. The furniture company KI charges $1,000 or more for such office furniture, and according to company vice president Jonathan Webb, sales have dropped 10 to 15 percent during the recession. Webb continues to argue that the benefits outweigh the high cost.

“We have to educate our clients on what the payback is on purchasing a height-adjustable vs. a stagnant table,” he said. “They can translate into higher employee retention and increased productivity, and in this economy employers are looking to do more with less.”

Suggestions for sedentary office workers

Patel makes a number of suggestions for those sedentary office workers whose employers will not afford them the benefits of adjustable desks. Sitting on a exercise ball rather than a chair requires a worker to use additional muscles to maintain balance. Communication that would normally be handled through e-mail or instant message could be handled in person. Similarly, Patel advises those workers with private offices to use a speaker phone whenever possible. Remember to stand up every hour or so. Stretch your legs and move around. Do simple stretches, twists and even squats if space is available.

Sources

msnbc.com

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