Guide to Life Insurance for Seniors Over 80
When you’re 80 and older, there are fewer senior life insurance options available than when you were younger, and you won’t be able to buy a large policy. The good news is that at this stage in your life, you don’t need as much coverage as you used to. Most adults in their 80s have paid off large debts like mortgages, have grown children who no longer depend on them, and don’t need a safety net to replace lost income. Plus, they usually have savings and assets that will cover the debt they leave behind.
When you reach 80, it makes the most sense to buy a whole life policy, especially final expense insurance, to pay for your funeral, burial, and other costs. There are also a few other policy types you may want to consider along with final expense insurance, especially if you have debt from medical bills or want to leave an inheritance to any of your loved ones.
Do I need life insurance over 80?
The answer is that it depends on your finances and how much money you have saved. People are living longer than ever before, which is good. However, this means that our financial security needs to change as well. In general, you’ll get some kind of coverage if you have people who depend on you, like grandchildren, children, or a partner.
Life Insurance options for seniors over 80
- No Medical Life Insurance
You can get insurance without having to go to the doctor. All you have to do to get covered is answer a few “Yes or No” questions about your health.
- Simplified Issue Life Insurance
Answer a few health questions and you can get insurance in a few days. up to the age of 80. Even if you’ve been turned down before, some policies will still cover you.
- Guaranteed Issue Life Insurance
You have insurance that you can never be turned down for. There’s no need for a medical exam or health questions. A great way to plan for your final arrangements.
- Funeral Insurance
There are special insurance plans that pay for your funeral and other final costs. To get insurance, you don’t have to get a medical exam. Funeral or Burial Insurance is a type of life insurance that you buy from an insurance company. It has a low face value, like $5,000 to $50,000.
Insurance For Seniors Over 80 Has The Following Features:
- The insurance policy will never end, no matter how old you are. Your premium will always be the same. It
- won’t change based on your age or health.
- The amount of the death benefit will never go down.
What Life Insurance Policies Can I Buy If I’m Over 80?
- Final expense
- Term
- Whole
- Universal
- Guaranteed universal
Final expense
Most seniors in their 80s looking for life insurance only need money to pay their funeral and other final expenses, such as medical bills. They don’t need whole or term policies worth tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars, especially because the premiums for these plans are very high for people in their 80s. In many cases, they are not even available to adults in this age group.
Term
Seniors who want to leave their families a big lump sum of money and pay for their funerals and other final costs often buy whole life or term life insurance as well as burial insurance. But when you’re in your 80s, it’s harder and costs more to buy either one.
Whole
The best whole life insurance policy for people over 80 is burial insurance, but some people choose to buy a traditional whole life policy instead. But this coverage costs even more than term insurance because it lasts as long as the premiums are paid. Also, the age limit to buy these plans is often 80, so if you’re older than that, you won’t be able to. Since each insurance company is different, the best way to find out what you can get is to talk to a representative.
Universal
Universal life insurance (UL) is a cross between term and whole life insurance. Some companies offer UL to adults up to age 89, but a medical exam is required. For this reason, it’s difficult to qualify for and the premiums are high, especially if you have a health condition such as diabetes. There are many factors that determine the cost of this type of policy, so talk to an insurance rep to learn what you may qualify for.
Guaranteed universal
Most companies offer seniors guaranteed universal life insurance (GUL) up to the age of 85. It costs a lot because it is guaranteed no matter what your health is like. Usually, the most you can buy at this age is $25,000, and your loved ones won’t get the money until two years after your death, unless it was an accident (for example, in a car accident).