Complete Guide: Life Insurance For People Over 80

While we don’t recommend waiting any longer than necessary to buy end of life coverage, life insurance for people over 80 is available. Whether you have reached the 80 year mark or not, you should find your answers here.

In this guide, we’ll lay out some options, low cost insurance carriers, what to avoid and finally, how to qualify.

To get your best possible offer, you want to work with professionals that understand your personal situation and know the senior insurance market inside and out.

You can see instant quotes on burial insurance for people over 80 by filling out the quick quote form on this page. If you struggle with some major health issues, be sure to call us at 269-244-3420  for an accurate quote. We will work hard to find you a company that accepts all of your health issues.  They are out there.

The Over 80 Life Insurance Options For You

Most seniors are on a fixed income and want to make sure they are getting coverage at the best possible price on a reliable insurance policy.

Sound about right?

Trying to get elderly life insurance from the local homeowners insurance agent is probably not a good solution.  Senior life insurance is really a specialty best life to a professional who understands end of life planning needs and has the right companies and plans designed to meet those needs.

With that said, choose an independent specialist who works with senior life insurance products, daily.  Have him or her do a complete comparison of the companies you qualify for.

Take a minute to shop the life insurance market. Use our instant quoting tool on this page to get started.  If you are fair about evaluating your health as a senior, you will see which carriers you can apply to for coverage. The free quoting tool here will be pricing only final expense whole life insurance plans. All of these are no medical exam and designed for people 50-85. Dozens of companies and their pricing may show up for you. The vast majority of people qualify for the “Excellent Health” catagory. Just compare yourself to your peers.  You will have a good ballpark cost to figure into your budget.

At Maple Valley Insurance Group, we work to help people on fixed incomes and often less than perfect get the best coverage without being overcharged. 

Be sure to work with an agency that offers you good service and products that meet your specific needs.

Don’t let your age or hearsay convince you that you cannot qualify either… life insurance for seniors over 80 is within your reach.  Many of our clients have qualified for full, immediate coverage.

Ideally, the best life insurance for seniors will have the following features:

  1. The policy will not expire at any age. Benefit amounts are guaranteed.
  2. Your monthly premium will be locked in for life upon issue. This is regardless of your age or health.
  3. Permanent, lifetime protection is possible even for applicants at age 90.

Obtaining a policy without a limited benefit period will depend on your overall health. Is your health decent compared to your peers?

By all means, if you are in your 80’s and are looking for a life insurance plan to cover your end of life costs, pay off debts, or just leave legacy money behind… act right now!!  All life insurance is based on your age at application. The younger you are, the better. For the lowest pricing and best benefits, your overall health will always play a role. 

Beware of “guaranteed acceptance” whole life. It should only be purchased after consulting with a final expense life insurance professional. It is way “overprescribed.”

Why?

It always includes a 2-3 year waiting period for full benefits. Futhermore, it is very expensive for a senior in their 80’s. In addition, your family could get caught without the full benefits of the policy if you pass away due to natural causes during the “waiting period.” This is always the tradeoff for ‘no medical questions’ and “guaranteed acceptance.” There are no exceptions to this rule.

Moral of the story, lock in the family protection right now. Prices don’t go down as you age while overall health tends to decline.

We’ve helped many seniors, easily and painlessly.  There are no medical exams required which as means no needles or extra effort on your part is required.

Burial policies for 80 year old seniors are meant to be easy to qualify for.  Most people aren’t their healthiest during their “golden years” are they?

We can walk you through how simple the process is if you want our help.  Roughly 85-90% of our clients qualify for first day, lifetime coverage.

In our article here, we’ll bring you the key points about getting life insurance and show you how senior burial insurance works.  We’ll also cover some current costs of a funeral.

Whole Life Insurance For People Over 80 Years Old

A whole life insurance policy for those 80 + is usually purchased as final expense or as burial insurance.  Typically, these policies have benefit amounts ranging from $5,000-$25,000.

Yes, they can be a bit smaller or larger, but this is the most common range in 2023 for people in their 80’s.

Whole life insurance coverage is somewhat self explanatory. It is designed to cover you for your lifetime at a “locked” premium with never increases. The benefit amount for your loved ones will never decrease.   The standard application will be just a few health questions to pass.  Again, these are “no medical exam” policies, have very quick issue times and are designed to be easy to qualify for.

For those with very serious or even terminal health conditions, their are graded benefit whole life and even the guaranteed issue life insurance policies I discussed earlier in this post.  Both of these are lifetime options, but have modifications in the first couple years of buying your policy. After that period ends, full coverage is in force.

All final expense life insurance plans are meant to pay out quickly to help cover the costs of a funeral and burial… so our loved one are not burdened financially when that day comes.

The best life insurance for people 80 years ago or greater is going to be a final expense whole life insurance plan

CLICK HERE to get your instant, personalized quote for life insurance over 80.

Term Life Insurance Senior Options?

For those of you who may know me from a prior phone conversation or read other articles I have written regarding insurance, you may have noticed one common theme…

I do not like term life insurance for final expense planning. Truth is, term life insurance was designed specifically for a defined period of like and the “what-ifs” during that time. One of the reasons people pick up the phone to buy their policy is a bad experience with term life insurance. Policies expiring at age 75 or 80 based on term life insurance have sent plenty of people here for help.

Term life has gotten popular but for the wrong reason.  A few financial entertainers have polluted the industry with hot air about term life.

Term life is much cheaper…because it expires.  Simple as that.

An AARP Term Life policy expires on the insureds 80th birthday.  

Here you are…cooking along at age 80+, right?

How much help would that policy have been to you or your family?

Proves the point. Policies purchased for final expense planning need to offer lifetime protection and fixed, level premiums.

Life insurance for the elderly over age 80?

Heck there are good numbers of people living to 90 and beyond.  My Nana (grandma) lived to age 100 for heavens sake!!

I better stop here as I feel a rant coming on!!

As a senior already in the 80+ age bracket, you understand what I am talking about here. 

As wise as you are, you’re looking at end of life, burial insurance coverage for the most part.

You need guaranteed protection for your loved ones.

With a permanent policy, such as whole life insurance, you will not outlive the coverage.  Its design and purpose will quickly take care of your loved ones financially in your passing.

What makes the best elderly life insurance over 80?

True, whole life, burial insurance.

Best Life Insurance For Over 80

Most people that are purchasing life insurance over 80 are searching for end of life insurance.  It has a few different names. Maybe you’ve are familiar burial insurance, final expense insurance or even funeral insurance.  Regardless of the marketing name, the death benefit can be used by your loved ones for whatever purpose they choose. Monies paid to your benficiary(s) do not need to be used for a funeral, cremation, burial or other bills. It can simply be a legacy you leave behind for those you care about the most. This is something whole life insurance can guarantee, as long as you keep your policy in a paid status with the insurance carrier.

Estate planning is a broad topic altogether. We won’t discuss the best life insurance options for that application in this post.

For the vast majority of people age 50+ to age 90… this is a simplified issue, no exam, whole life policy we recommend. 

Futhermore, this policy would ideally have some health history questions to help “get to know you” so they can keep the price down and offer full coverage immediately if approved.

Is there a best company?  Yes and no.  Yes, most seniors have a health condition or 2 beyond high blood pressure by the time they are age 75. Some insurance companies will be able accept you while others may not.

Different carriers handle health issues differently and will charge considerably different premiums for the same benefit amount.  The best company is going to first offer you coverage and second, be affordable.

Why “no” then?

Because there are many different health conditions, some insurers are relaxed on how they handle certain conditions.  Certain health conditions can push you a high risk rating.  You will not get the best rates at that point.

It is vital that you work with an independent agency like Maple Valley Insurance Group who will have access to all of the top senior life insurance companies.  This kind of coverage is not bought at the local State Farm, Allstate or Farmers insurance office.  You are looking to the wrong people and wasting your time.  They do not have access to the insurance companies that specialize in these types of policies nor regularly insure people age 80+. Life insurance for seniors over 80 years old is found with agents who specialize in the needs of the elderly, not auto and homeowners insurance.

Obtaining Life Insurance For Elderly Parents Over 80

This guide would not be complete without answering common questions we hear from sons and daughters of seniors considering life insurance protection. Avoid making any assumptions about your parents ability to qualify for a good policy just because they are over 80. Utilize a good independent life insurance professional to assess what your mother and/or father may prequalify for. We provide, no exam, first day whole life insurance for elderly parents over 80 regularly. You may use the instant quoting tool on this page to check the pricing for them. Keep in mind, this tool will be quoting insurance designed for seniors. Having high blood pressure, and type 2 diabetes are pretty common. If they are in good health for their age, select “Excellent Health” in the “Health Class” dropdown menu.

Q & A: How to Get Life Insurance For Over 80

Final expense life insurance for 80+ isn’t really any different than buying senior whole life insurance at age 65. The exception being, a greatly reduced number of companies over new policies for seniors over age 80. With that said, below are some of the questions that we come across with the elderly.  While this is a short list, we find that many families aren’t sure and searching for clarity.

Parents Life Insurance – Can I take out a policy on Mom and/or Dad?

I may have answered this question earlier in this article, but yes, you may take out coverage on your parents provided they give the appropriate consent.

Can you get life insurance for an elderly parent that is over 80?

Yes, with your parent(s) consent and ability to answer your agents health history questions. All life insurance carriers will require this as a general rule.

Is there life insurance for people over 80 with no medical exam?

Yes. Coverage over 80 wil be a whole life insurance policy.  The vast majority available will be no exam products designed for final expense needs.  These provide a good opportunity for affordable senior rates and no hassle.

Can you get life insurance over age 85 or higher?

Yes, you can buy life insurance to age 90. You must be in decent health for your age to obtain coverage though. I can count all the insurance companies that offer it on one hand.

Having access to as many life insurance carriers as we do, some very good options do exist.  Below is an example for a female, non-smoker for a $5000 whole life insurance policy roughly. The example is $100/mo or higher because of advanced age. Men will be more expensive…even 20%.   We have a couple of typical companies that we work with at age 85.  Guaranteed acceptance policies are not available at this point of life which are rarely a good solution at advanced ages anyway.

Quotes For Final Expense Coverage Thru Age 89

AGEMale
$10,000
Female
$10,000
Male
$20,000
Female
$20,000
65$55.76$41.01$108.31$78.82
66$59.35$43.44$115.49$83.68
67$62.93$45.86$122.66$88.52
68$66.53$48.29$129.85$93.38
69$70.11$50.81$137.02$98.42
70$73.70$53.24$144.20$103.28
71$78.36$56.63$153.51$110.06
72$82.92$60.12$162.64$117.04
73$88.01$63.93$172.82$124.65
74$93.16$67.78$183.11$132.36
75$99.53$72.41$195.85$141.62
76$106.87$78.25$210.54$153.29
77$113.64$83.51$224.08$163.81
78$119.86$88.44$236.51$173.67
79$126.23$93.41$249.25$183.62
80$132.65$98.43$262.11$193.66
81$143.00$106.21$282.79$209.22
82$153.54$113.96$303.88$224.71
83$163.41$121.31$323.62$239.41
84$173.28$128.55$343.36$253.90
85$183.15$135.90$363.10$268.60
86$220.83$174.17N/AN/A
87$242.50$186.67N/AN/A
88$264.17$198.33N/AN/A
89
$285.83$210.83N/AN/A

Can I Qualify For Affordable Life Insurance At This Point?

Well, let us take a look at some health questions to see where you are at.  Below are some health questions from a company that offers life insurance for people over 80.

These questions are somewhat challenging but will give you an idea.  If you don’t fair well, no worries.  This is just 1 company of many we work with.

Remember, every single life insurance company has different questions.  While one company may so no, the other says yes, we want your business.

Standard Questions You May Hear When Applying for Simplified Issue Life Insurance

The following are typical health questions for Senior Simplified Issue Life Insurance applications used to determine eligibility for full, immediate benefit life insurance.

  1. Have you been diagnosed with a terminal illness or are you currently hospitalized, confined to a nursing home, hospice, bedridden or receiving home health care?
  2. In the past 10 years, have you been diagnosed by or received treatment from a member of the medical profession for Acquire Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS); AIDS Related Complex (ARC); or tested positive (through the use of an FDA-licensed test) for the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)?
  3. During the past 12 months, have you been admitted to or confined to a hospital 2 or more times?
  4. During the past 12 months, have you received a diagnosis which would lead to surgery or admission to a hospital or nursing facility?
  5. During the past 12 months, have you been confined to a nursing facility or received home health care?
  6. During the past 24 months, have you had a stroke, heart attack, or any procedure to improve circulation to the heart or brain?
  7. During the past 24 months, have you had or been recommended to use oxygen for any respiratory disease?
  8. During the past 24 months, have you received or been recommended to have kidney dialysis?
  9. During the past 24 months, have you had or been treated (including medications or surgery) for melanoma or internal cancer?
  10. During the past 24 months, have you had or been treated (including office visits, medications or surgery) for any one of the following:
  • Alzheimer’s disease or any neurological disorder?
  • Leukemia?
  • Liver Disease, renal insufficiency, or kidney failure?
  • Irregular heart rhythm or congestive heart failure?
  • Alcohol and/or drug abuse?
  • Diabetic complications, including diabetic nephropathy, retinopathy, neuropathy, diabetic coma, insulin shock, or uncontrolled blood sugars?
  • Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)?

If you can give a honest answer of “NO” to each all of these questions without sugarcoating, you qualify for full, immediate benefits and the lowest rates upon approval.

These sample application questions above are many years old from a small, quality, mutual life insurance company that is fairly particular who they will accept.

All carriers have variations of these questions to suit their different underwriting practices. All insurers vary in what health conditions they will accept.

Affordable Life Insurance For People Over 80 – Where Do Consumers Stand?

Once you hit the age of 86 affordable life insurance for people over 80 + starts to really dwindle down about a small handful of carriers. Insurance companies know they are taking a lot more risk now to insure a policyowner at this age. Many life insurance companies end application acceptance beyond age 85.

If you are healthy for your age, there are companies that can still offer, level benefit whole life insurance. No limitations at all.

Now, if your health is quite poor, most companies will not accept you and you may be forced into A Graded or Guaranteed Acceptance whole life plan instead. This can be quite expensive in the 80’s. This is full blown high risk life insurance status.

We recommend considering self insurance if we are unable to find a carrier who can medically approve you in your 80’s. Give us a call to see what you would pre-qualify for at 269-244-3420 or you can use the burial insurance quoting tool on this page if you would like to get started on your own.

Is Term Life Insurance For People Over 80?

No. Term life insurance is not designed for seniors at all. Most of the quality term policies are difficult to qualify for and expire at 80. While term life insurance has its place, it is simply the wrong tool. Term life insurance is for a defined period of time in your life,the “what-if’s.” Seniors are planning for their final day.

Life Insurance For People Over 80 – Final Thoughts

The best life insurance for those people over 80 is a permanent life insurance policy that ensures full coverage upon acceptance.  It must be affordable and offer level, predictable premiums above all for those on a fixed income.  Use the free quoting tool on this page and find out the best whole life insurance plan and it rates for you at 80 +. Unless you know your health is poor for your age, select “Excellent” health. Most of the people who we speak to who are 80 + are able to purchase coverage thru Aetna, American Amicable, Mutual of Omaha or SBLI with first day coverage.

While certain policies may not be available due to tough medical medical some seniors live with, the goal for the “best” must include coverage that offers guarantees for your peace of mind and that of your family.

Why pay for something your loved ones may never get the benefit from? 

All reputable, top notch life insurance companies pay their claims according to the terms written in the policy as long as people are honest with them and pay their premiums.  The insurance company might not like it, but they have a legal obligation to do so.

Unlike auto or homeowners coverage, a life insurance policy is a legal and binding contract enforceable in a court of law. There are now grey areas.  The key is being honest and buying the right coverage for your needs.

Knowing this now…

We strongly encourage you to speak with an independent senior specialist regarding your specific goals before purchasing any life insurance.  This will give you access to the top burial insurance carriers and get the best value for your money. 

There are often a number of options, and sometimes picking the “best” is not so easy.  So often we see the wrong type of life insurance get purchased because of misinformation. Well meaning friends and family often offer advice that don’t really what they don’t know…if you know what I mean.

Get pre approved for the companies and specific policy you are considering so you don’t get ripped off. Remember, this policy will affect your family. Purchasing the wrong policy could really leave them in a lot of debt.

If you are looking for a quick quote, you can use the quoting tool on this page.  You’ll have an instant pricing in under two minutes with all the top carriers.

The best life insurance for seniors over 80 is a very personal thing.  Everybody has different needs, health situations and financial means that will dictate the best end of life policy and insurance company to purchase from.  If you are over 80 and in very poor health, you may be better off prepaying your funeral and burial expenses. The high premiums of a pricey guaranteed issue policy might not make sense for you.

Anyway, this again, is another reason to give us a call and talk it over.

Finding good life Insurance for elderly people over 80 does not have to be frustrating. 

Let us give you the insight you need to reach a good decision.  You have everything to gain and nothing to lose.  If we can’t help you we sure aren’t going to hurt you!!  Those are the famous words of my deceased associate who started this company along with myself nearly 20 years ago.

Let us know how we can be of service to you.  Call 269-244-3420   As always, feel free to comment below.

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.