Sample Medical Underwriting Questions

If you can say “no” to the following questions, and your height and weight are inside the limits of the chart below, you’re a good candidate to pass medical underwriting for a Medicare Supplement. We can submit an application for a lower rate for your Medicare Supplement any time of year.

1. Has a member of the medical profession recommended that you have medical tests, treatment, therapy, or surgery (including cataract surgery or joint replacement) or do you have pending diagnostic evaluations, that have not yet been performed or are anticipated? (This excludes mammograms, pap tests, colonoscopies, or PSA tests which were advised for routine screening purposes only).

2. Are you currently:

• Hospitalized, in a nursing facility or assisted living facility, hospice, or receiving home health care?
• Receiving any occupational, speech, or physical therapy from a medical professional?
• Confined to a bed, receiving assistance to perform any activities of daily living such as dressing, eating, bathing, toileting or transferring, or are you dependent or been advised by a medical professional to use the assistance of a wheelchair or motorized mobility device? 

3. Have you been treated for or diagnosed with metastatic cancer (cancer that has spread to other parts of the body) or had a recurrence of a previous cancer (excluding basal cell or squamous cell skin cancer)?

4. Do you currently have a cardiac defibrillator implanted?

5. Have you:

a. Been diagnosed with or treated for diabetes:

• Requiring more than 50 units of insulin daily
• Requiring three (3) or more medications (oral or injections) to control your blood sugar?

b. Had diabetes in combination with a diagnosis at any time in the past of:

• Stroke/transient ischemic attack (TIA)
• Heart disease or disorder
• Nephropathy
• Congestive heart failure (CHF)
• High blood pressure requiring 3 or more medications
• Any circulatory disease that effects the heart and/or blood vessels
• Peripheral vascular disease (PVD)
• Retinopathy (excluding mild, non-progressive)
• Neuropathy
• Kidney disease/failure
• Heart attack
• Skin ulcer
• Diabetic coma or insulin shock

c. Had or been advised by a medical professional to have a bone marrow, stem cell, or organ transplant (excluding corneal transplant)?

d. Had, been treated for, or diagnosed by a member of the medical profession with acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) or AIDS-related complex (ARC), or tested positive for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)?

e. Been diagnosed, treated for, tested positive, or been told by a medical professional that you have a mild cognitive impairment, Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, organic brain disorder, or a cognitive disorder?

6. Within the past 24 months, have you:

a. Had, been treated for, or diagnosed with internal cancer, leukemia, melanoma, Hodgkin’s disease, myeloma, or lymphoma?

b. Had, been treated for, or diagnosed with:

• Parkinson’s disease
• Huntington’s disease
• Amyotrophic lateral (ALS) or Primary lateral (PLS) sclerosis
• Multiple sclerosis
• Myasthenia gravis
• Muscular dystrophy
• Bipolar disorder
• Schizophrenia

c. Had, been treated for, or diagnosed with chronic liver disease including cirrhosis, hepatitis B or C?

d. Had, been treated for, or diagnosed with chronic kidney disease, kidney/renal failure or

insufficiency, or kidney disease requiring dialysis?

e. Had, been treated for, or diagnosed with:

• Congestive heart failure (CHF)
• Cardiomyopathy
• Heart attack
• Angina or cardiac chest pain
• Implantation of a pacemaker
• Heart or circulatory surgery
• Aneurysm
• Embolus/DVT
• Stent placement/replacement of any vessel
• Peripheral vascular disease (PVD)
• Stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA)

f. Had, been treated for, or diagnosed with any lung or respiratory conditions such as:

• Emphysema
• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
• Condition requiring the use of oxygen
• Any other chronic pulmonary disease (excluding mild asthma)

g. Had, been treated for, or diagnosed with:

• Degenerative bone disease
• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Arthritis that is disabling or restricts mobility
• Spinal stenosis (severe, disabling, or surgery advised)
• Systemic scleroderma
• Systemic lupus
• Osteoporosis with related fracture(s)
• Amputation due to disease

h. Been hospitalized, treated for, diagnosed with, or recommended to have treatment for addiction or abuse of alcohol, drugs, or opioids?

7. In the past 12 months, have you had, or been advised by a member of the medical profession to receive injections or infusions including, but not limited to, the following conditions:

• Eye conditions
• Back/spine pain
• Migraines
• Overactive bladder
• Osteoporosis
• Joint pain/arthritis 
• Other

8. Are you currently under the care of a pain management doctor or clinic and/or do you require ongoing use of opioid or narcotic medication to control pain?

9. In the past 24 months, have you had, been treated for, diagnosed or advised by a member of the medical profession with:

• Psoriatic arthritis
• Atrial fibrillation or other heart rhythm disorder
• Mental/nervous condition or major depression
• Epilepsy or seizures
• Crohn’s disease
• Ulcerative colitis
• Blood disorder (excluding mild anemia)

10. Have you been or has a member of the medical profession recommended that you be hospitalized, confined to a nursing facility or assisted living facility, or received home health care within the last 60 days?

11. Have you been hospitalized or in the emergency room two or more times within the past 12 months?

*Please review the height and weight chart below. Applicants whose weight is outside the limits in the chart do not qualify for coverage. Selected conditions include tobacco use, diabetes or maintenance medications for heart and vascular conditions. Applicants with one of the selected conditions whose weight is greater than the maximum weight in the “Maximum weight with selected conditions” column do not qualify for coverage.