Dementia is a decline in mental ability that usually progresses slowly.  Memory, thinking, judgment, and the ability to pay attention and learn are impaired, and there may be marked personality changes.   Since dementia generally isn’t a sudden cause of death, many questions have come up as to whether or not it is an insurable disease state.

A gradual loss in intellectual ability and in information processing as we age is inevitable.  Many of us feel we experience this to some degree well before we attain an advanced age.  Dementia though is an acquired persistent and progressive impairment in intellectual function.  Multiple cognitive areas are usually affected (memory is the most notable) and these deficits must not only be severe but represent a significant decline in function and interfere with work or social interaction.

As the average age of the general population increases (and correspondingly so does life expectancy), dementia is becoming increasingly common.  Insurance needs that were never planned for or anticipated actually become real at the later ages.  Dementia is now the fourth leading cause of death in the United States and doubles every five years in the senior population.  The prevalence of dementia is about 20% over the age of 80 and closer to 40% by age 85.

It is estimated that dementia patients may live between 7-9 years after the appearance of symptoms.  Given that it occurs at an older age to start with, it leads to the impression that there is certainly enough life span to at least insure many of these applicants, even with a rated policy.  However, as with many things that seem too obvious, there are pitfalls that make it so that rarely do they end up being insurable.

First, the type of dementia is important.  Dementia caused by vascular insufficiency, or recurrent small strokes, is a much more serious kind.  There can be sudden step-downs in functioning, and larger strokes carry with them a much increased mortality, such as heart attack.  The decreased blood flow to body organs will affect all organs, not just the brain.  Any major compromise may cause death seemingly unrelated to the Alzheimer’s itself.

Depression is quite common with Alzheimer’s.  Those without a will to live and inability for self-care, even limited self-care, do poorly.  Accidents are much more common in those with dementia, in that affected individuals put themselves at risk constantly- they do not have the same level of knowing how to avoid danger or to anticipate problems.  Poor memory also causes increased risk, as do severe personality changes that evoke responses from others that may put the individual at danger. 

The biggest question in an applicant suspected of having dementia really becomes- is this just a gradual decline in function that is expected with age and is this a mentally competent person able to participate in decisions of estate preservation and protection for beneficiaries?   Dementia is a very difficult problem for insurers, and as such most cases where the diagnosis is definitely established are declined. When a doctor may have been overzealous about documenting an a related decline in memory or function, and the person involved is capable of self care and independent functioning, then there are much greater possibilities for a successful issue.

The information contained on this page is not intended to provide medical advice, which should be obtained directly from your physician.