YOU ASK:

What are they looking for in life insurance blood test?

WE ANSWER:

When you apply for a life insurance policy, depending on the amount of coverage, you will usually be required to take a blood and urine test.

These are used as a risk evaluation tool, in order to provide the life insurance company with an idea of your health standing. The blood test serves to provide information on whether you take illegal substances or whether there are irregularities in your health.

Here are some things that life insurance looks into when it comes to the blood test:

Alkaline Phosphatase - High levels signify liver or bone disease. But one cause of high alkaline phosphatase levels will be pregnancy and adolescence, so the insurance underwriter will take this into consideration.
AGP and Hemoglobin A1C - This helps to determine whether you have diabetes as this tests your blood sugar level over a period of two to three weeks.
Glucose - Again, high glucose levels will indicate that you have diabetes.
Creatine and Blood Urea Nitrogen - This provides an indication of kidney problems.
Bilirubin - High levels will point to metabolic problems, as well as liver and blood disease.
SGOT, SCPT and GGT - These are enzymes that are produced by the liver, and are also found in muscle tissues and blood cells. High levels provide an indication of liver problems.
Total Protein, Globulin and Albumin. This can point to various health problems.

Aside from this, the life insurance company will also test for HIV, hepatitis, cholesterol and other lipids, immune disorders and prostate specific antigens. The blood screening will also sometimes look for the presence of medications, cocaine and other substances.

The blood test will be taken by an accredited medical professional and the results forwarded to the life insurance company. You can also request the life insurance company to provide you with a copy of the results.

If your blood test shows negative results, the life insurance company may deny your application for coverage or may charge you with higher premium rates.

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