Covered For Life

ANCHOR LEAD:
QUALIFYING FOR LIFE INSURANCE IF YOU HAVE A CONDITION LIKE DIABETES, CANCER, OR HEART DISEASE CAN BE NEAR IMPOSSIBLE. AND IF YOU DO GET COVERAGE, YOU'RE PREMIUMS MAY BE HUGE. BUT NOW THAT'S CHANGING... HERE'S____ WITH AN IMPORTANT HEAD'S UP!

NAT SOT Length :01
(Getting kids ready for school.)

TRACK ONE Length: 06
JOYCE HARNEY'S BEEN LIVING WITH DIABETES FOR THE LAST TWENTY TWO YEARS, BUT SHE DOESN'T LET IT SLOW HER DOWN!

SOT
KEY @: 08 (quick) Joyce Harney, Diabetic
"I have a great career. I have two children and a husband. I do everything else that anyone else does."

TRACK TWO Length: 14
AND LIKE ANYONE ELSE, JOYCE WANTS HER FAMILY TAKEN CARE OF IF SOMETHING HAPPENS TO HER.
SHE LOOKED FOR LIFE INSURANCE TO SUPPLEMENT THE SMALL POLICY SHE HAD THROUGH WORK... BUT HER DIABETES MADE PREMIUMS SKY HIGH OR SHE WAS FLAT OUT DENIED.

SOT
KEY @: 29 (quick) Joyce Harney, Diabetic
"Without life insurance, there's a big void. I mean, we're a two income family. They would feel that."

TRACK THREE Length: 10
JOYCE ISN'T ALONE... OTHER DIABETICS, HEART DISEASE AND CANCER PATIENTS FACE THE SAME BATTLE. BUT STEVE WEISBART WITH THE INSURANCE INFORMATION INSTITUTE SAYS THAT'S CHANGING.

SOT
NO KEY Steve Weisbart, Insurance Information Institute
"Some life insurance companies are offering them standard rate policies."

TRACK FOUR Length: 06
EARLIER DETECTION RATES AND MEDICAL ADVANCEMENTS MEAN MORE SURVIVORS ARE LIVING HEALTHY LIVES.
TO QUALIFY...

SOT
KEY @: 55 Steve Weisbart, Insurance Information Institute
"You need to be following your doctor's prescribed medications and other treatment protocols. In some cases, they're requiring a certain amount of time post treatment."

TRACK FIVE Length: 04
WEISBART SAYS AN ELIGIBLE PATIENT CAN SAVE THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS PER YEAR....

SOT
NO KEY Steve Weisbart, Insurance Information Institute
"In some cases, they were paying two maybe even more than three times the rate that they'll be charged now."

TRACK SIX Length: 06
JOYCE SAYS IT'S ABOUT TIME...... SHE NEVER THOUGHT IT WAS FAIR SHE WAS DENIED SINCE HER DIABETES IS IN CONTROL.

SOT
NO KEY Joyce Harney, Diabetic
"I do what I need to do; I have a bag of food. I carry my insulin. I carry my tester."

TRACK SEVEN Length: 03
AND SHE'S GOING TO LOOK INTO GETTING SOME COVERAGE AGAIN...

SOT
NO KEY Joyce Harney, Diabetic
"To know that I could have life insurance would give me great peace of mind."

ANCHOR TAG:
AMONG THE FIRST TO OFFER STANDARD RATE POLICIES TO CONSUMERS WITH SERIOUS OR CHRONIC CONDITIONS... HARTFORD LIFE AND U.S. FINANCIAL LIFE.
BUT WEISBART EXPECTS MORE COMPANIES TO JOIN IN VERY SOON... SO CHECK WITH YOUR AGENT.
HE ALSO SAYS...ALTHOUGH PEOPLE WITH PRE- EXISTING CONDITIONS WILL SEE BIG SAVINGS, THEY STILL MAY NOT QUALIFY FOR THE BEST, PREFERED RATES.

SOURCE INFORMATION:

Steve Weisbart, Ph.D., CLU
Insurance Information Institute
110 William Street
New York, NY 10038
PR Contact:
212-346-5500
Steve Weisbart is an economist with the Insurance Information Institute.

INFORMATION FOR ANCHOR TAG:

Hartford Life
Press Contact:
Dave Potter
860-843-8993

Potter says they will offer standard rates to people who have survived breast and prostate cancer if they meet the qualifications.

US Financial Life
Press Contact:
Carrie E. Showalter
513-686-2010

US Financial Life sent us the following statement:

"Applicants with diabetes, heart disease and depending on the time frame some cancers (such as thyroid, testicular and prostate), may receive standard rates from U.S. Financial Life Insurance Company if qualified through their Clinical Underwriting process."