Life Insurance For People With Parkinson’s Disease FAQ

Parkinson’s Disease, also known as Parkinsonism, paralysis agitans, or hypokinetic rigid syndrome, has been linked to dementia and other chronic neurological disorders, and possible symptoms include body tremors, loss of facial expression, and muscle rigidity.

girl and mum photoIndividuals who have been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease may consider applying for life insurance for the same reasons that others do: protecting your family against funeral expenses, mortgage repayments, and overall lifestyle maintenance are many such reasons that individuals with Parkinson’s buy life insurance.

Having a Parkinson’s diagnosis does not necessarily equate a shorter lifespan, but for many, it does indicate how vulnerable and uncertain life can be.

You may still apply for a life insurance policy if have Parkinson’s disease, but it likely that you will have to pay higher policy monthly premiums compared to individuals without Parkinson’s or another similar condition.



How much extra you pay per month depends largely upon which insurance provider you decide on, the number of benefits you need, your chosen terms, and the severity of your symptoms.

Critical Illness Cover

Under current laws, individuals with Parkinson’s disease unfortunately are not eligible for critical illness insurance because of the increased risk of Parkinson’s patients developing other serious medical conditions linked to their original illness.

Income Protection

There are currently no insurance providers who can offer income protection for individuals with Parkinson’s disease. It is possible for you to qualify for an accident, sickness, and unemployment policy, but you cannot be covered for anything related to your condition. We recommend you meet with and speak to a qualified insurance advisor before applying for coverage, so they can distinguish what is covered from what is not.

Possible Effects on Lifestyle

Parkinson’s disease is the type of condition that is impossible to forget about or pretend does not exist. For suffering individuals, the tremors, as the most common symptom, give them a constant awareness of their condition. Even if the tremors are invisible to the naked eye, individuals with Parkinson’s are aware of the internal tremors happening within them. With the right medication, those individuals can live a fully active life–however, the medication must be taken at precise times during the day to ensure it is working at maximum capacity.

Parkinson’s sufferers can at times look disoriented, be it slurring their words or stumbling, if their medication is not monitored and updated as the condition progresses. Easy things like discerning pedestrian crossings, choosing between coffee or tea, or leaving home without an alarm or case of medication can be daily hardships individuals with Parkinson’s face. They have to adapt to the daily routine of a four-hour cycle of medication.

Some examples of issues faced by people with Parkinson’s disease include the following:

  • Uncontrollable body tremors
  • Seizing up of joints (rigidity)
  • Slowness of movements (bradykinesia)
  • Sleep apnea and extreme fatigue
  • Loss of facial expressions and difficulty swallowing
  • Depression
  • Extreme, compulsive behavior (gambling, shopping, eating, etc.)
  • Nausea
  • Fine movement problems (cutting up food, writing, fastening buttons, etc.)
  • Loss of smell (anosmia)
  • Self-Control Issues

Medications and Treatments Available for Parkinson’s Disease:

Amantadine hydrochloride (Symmetrel)

Apomorphine hydrochloride (APO-go, APOKYN)

Benzotripine Mesylate (Cogentin)

Bromocriptine mesilate (Parlodel)

Cabergoline (Cabaser)

Carbidopa Monohydrate/Levodopa (Caramet, Duodopa)

Carbidopa/Levodopa (Parcopa)

Carbidopa/Levodopa (Sinemet)

Carbidopa/Levodopa/Entacapone (Stalevo)

Celance

Co-beneldopa

Co-careldopa

Eldepryl

Entacapone (Comtan, Comtess)

Madopar

Mirapexin/Pramipexole dihydrochloride monohydrate

Orphenadrine hydrochloride (Biorphen, Disipal)

Pergolide mesilate

Pramipexole (Mirapex)

Pramipexole Dihydrochloride extended release (Mirapex)

Procyclidine hydrochloride (Arpicolin, Kemadrin)

Rasagiline mesilate (Azilect)

ReQuip

Rivastigmine Tartrate (Exelon)

Ropinirole hydrochloride (Requip)

Rotigotine (Neupro)

Selegiline hydrochloride (Eldepryl, Carbex, Zelepar)

Sinemet

Tolcapone

Trihexyphenidyl hydrochloride (Artane, Broflex)