While we don’t recommend waiting any longer than necessary to buy end of life coverage, life insurance for people over 80 is available from a few different insurance companies. Whether you have reached your 8th decade of life 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 get instant quotes on burial insurance for people over 80 by using the “final expense insurance” tool on this page. If you struggle with multiple major health issues, be sure to call us at 269-244-3420 for the most accurate quote. We will work to find you a company and policy that accepts all of your health issues. They are out there.
The Over 80 Life Insurance Options
Most seniors are on a fixed income and want to make sure they are getting the most benefits at an affordable price for the ideal policy that meets their family goals.
Sound about right?
Trying to get good life insurance for the elderly from the local homeowners or auto insurance agent is probably not a idea. Why? Over 80 life insurance is really a specialty best left to a professional who understands end of life planning needs and has the right companies and plans to cover this age group.
With that said, choose an independent specialist who works with senior life insurance applicants, daily. Have him or her do comparison of the companies you pre-qualify for.
If you’d like to take a minute to shop the life insurance market, you may 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 will be pricing only final expense whole life insurance plans. All of these are no medical exam and designed for people 50-90. Several companies and their pricing may show up for you. The vast majority of people qualify for the “Excellent Health” catagory even if you are over 80. 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 health. Don’t worry if you are taking prescription medications and aren’t in great health any longer.
Be sure to work with an company 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… life insurance for seniors over 80 is within your reach. Most of our clients have qualified for full, immediate coverage.
Ideally, the best life insurance for seniors will have the following features:
- The policy will not expire at any age. Benefit amounts are guaranteed.
- Your monthly premium will be locked in for life upon issue. This is regardless of your age or health.
- 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 expense. 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 only go up 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% 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. Depending on your overall health, typically, these policies have benefit amounts ranging from $5,000-$40,000.
Yes, they can be a bit smaller or larger, but this is the most common range in 2023 for people in their 80’s.
Over 80 whole life insurance coverage is somewhat self explanatory. It is designed to cover you for your “whole” life at a “locked” premium which never increases. The benefit amount for your loved ones will never decrease. The standard application will be just a few health history questions. Again, these are “no medical exam” policies, have very quick issue times and are designed to be easy apply and 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 policy ownership. 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 is designed specifically for a defined period of time. It is temporary insurance.
One of the reasons people pick up the phone to buy permanent life insurance 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 looking for something to secure their family
Term life has gotten popular but for the wrong reason. A few financial entertainers have polluted the industry with hot air not truely knowing the reality of what they are saying.
Term life is much cheaper…because it expires and it is harder to qualify for. Simple as that.
An AARP Term Life policy expires on the insureds 80th birthday.
Here you are…cooking along at age 80 years old and more.
How much help would an expired policy help your family?
Proves the point. Policies purchased for final expense planning need to offer lifetime protection and fixed, level premiums.
Clearly, final expense life insurance for the elderly over age 80 will not include a policy expiration.
There are good numbers of people living to 90 and beyond. My Nana (grandma) lived to age 100 for heavens sake!!
Can you get life insurance at 80 or more? Yes you can. I is going to be a whole life insurance policy, 95% of the time.
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 55 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.
Over 80 Life Insurance For Elderly Parents
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 life insurance just because they are over 80. Be sure to utilize a good independent life insurance professional to assess what your mother and/or father may prequalify for. At this age, only a few companies will offer coverage. Yes, if their health is very poor, options are very limited. Let your independent agent assess this though.
At Maple Valley Insurance Group, we provide, no exam, first day whole life insurance for elderly parents over 80 regularly. You may use the final expense instant quoting tool on this page to check the pricing. 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 As A Senior In Their 80’s
Buying life insurance over age 80 isn’t really any different than buying a senior whole life policy at age 65. The exception being, a greatly reduced number of companies offer new policies to seniors over age 80. As a buyer, you are looking for insurance companies that are willing to accept advanced age (beyond average life expectancy) and can still issue you a policy that meets your final wishes. Don’t waste time, call an independent life insurance agent/broker and tell them what you are looking for.
With that said, below are some of the questions that we come across working with the elderly and their family. 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.
Best life insurance for 80 year old people?
If your family needs aren’t more than $50,000, a no exam final expense whole life policy fits the bill very well. It has a few health history questions and very quick issue time. Price never goes up and the benefits never go down. Lifetime coverage. You can even get life insurance at 80 or more if your parents health is not the greatest. Use our free, final expense insurance quote tool on this page or give us a call for help.
Is there life insurance for people over 80 with no medical exam?
Yes. Coverage over 80 will 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 are very easy to apply for. Insurance companies generally make very fast approval decisions, from minutes (most common) to 3 business days.
Can you get life insurance over age 85?
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 their advanced age. Men will be more expensive…even 20%. We have a couple of typical companies that we work with at age 85.
Quotes For Final Expense Coverage Thru Age 89
| AGE | Male $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 | $174.17 | N/A | N/A |
| 87 | $242.50 | $186.67 | N/A | N/A |
| 88 | $264.17 | $198.33 | N/A | N/A |
| 89 | $285.83 | $210.83 | N/A | N/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 does offer life insurance for people over 80.
These questions are somewhat more challenging than others. 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,” other carriers may say “yes.” Let your life insurance professional find the right solution for you.
Example Questions You May Hear When Applying for Simplified Issue Life Insurance
Can you get life insurance at 80? For maximum benefit levels and lower premiums, the following are typical health questions asked on a application for a Senior Simplified Issue Life Insurance application. The information is used to determine eligibility for full, immediate benefit life insurance.
- 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?
- 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)?
- During the past 12 months, have you been admitted to or confined to a hospital 2 or more times?
- During the past 12 months, have you received a diagnosis which would lead to surgery or admission to a hospital or nursing facility?
- During the past 12 months, have you been confined to a nursing facility or received home health care?
- During the past 24 months, have you had a stroke, heart attack, or any procedure to improve circulation to the heart or brain?
- During the past 24 months, have you had or been recommended to use oxygen for any respiratory disease?
- During the past 24 months, have you received or been recommended to have kidney dialysis?
- During the past 24 months, have you had or been treated (including medications or surgery) for melanoma or internal cancer?
- 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 (CHF)?
- 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 likely pre-qualify for life insurance over 80 with full, immediate benefits and the lowest rates with this insurer.
These sample application questions above are used by a small, quality, mutual life insurance company.
All insurance companies have variations of these questions to suit their different underwriting practices. Each life insurance company will vary in what health conditions they will accept on their policy offerings.
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 to a small handful of carriers. Insurance companies know they are taking a lot more risk to insure a policyowner at this age. Though whole life insurance policies are permanent insurance, many life insurance companies end application acceptance beyond age 80.
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. As a result may be forced into a Graded or Guaranteed Acceptance whole life plan instead. This can be quite a bit more expensive life insurance for 80 year old people. 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 80 year Old Seniors?
No. Term life insurance is not designed for seniors.
Most of the quality term policies are difficult to qualify for. Term products that are easier to qualify for go up in price every 5 years regardless of your health and become very expensive to own. While term life insurance has its place, it is simply the wrong tool for the job. Term life insurance is for a defined period of time…for the “what-if’s.” You are “renting” temporary life insurance. Seniors are planning for their final day, the inevitable. Permanent protection such as whole life insurance is the ideal over 80 life insurance.
Final Thoughts On Buying Life Insurance Over 80
The best life insurance for people over 80 is a permanent life insurance policy that ensures full, lifetime coverage upon acceptance. It must be affordable, offer level benefits and locked in premiums especially for those seniors on a fixed income. If you have not already, you may use the free quoting tool on this page and find the best whole life insurance plan and 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 including full, first day coverage.
While certain policies may not be available due to tough medical conditions some seniors live with, the goal for the “best” must include coverage that offers you and your loved ones real peace of mind.
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 no grey areas. The key is being honest upfront and buying the right coverage for your needs.
Knowing this now…
We strongly encourage you to speak with a seasoned independent agent or broker regarding your specific goals for your family before purchasing any life insurance. We can provide the help and guidance you at looking for. The top burial insurance carriers on market will all be accessible as well. Get the best value for your money.
Sometimes picking the “best” is not so easy when you are not a life insurance guru. Getting professional help costs you nothing with Maple Valley Insurance Group. So often we see the wrong type of life insurance purchased because of misinformation. Well meaning friends and family offer their advice. Unfortunately, they don’t really what they don’t know…if you know what I mean.
Get pre approved for the company and specific policy you are considering so you don’t get ripped off. Remember, this policy will affect not only your wallet but also your family. Purchasing the wrong policy could really leave them in a lot of debt.
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, very poor health for your age, you may be better off prepaying your funeral and burial expenses. The high premiums of a very pricey 995 guaranteed issue policy from Colonial Penn will probably 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 or time consuming either.
We 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 I started this company with nearly 25 years ago.
Let us know how we can be of service to you. Call 269-244-3420
As always, feel free to comment below.
