Living with MS? Exploring Your Life Insurance Possibilities

Are you living with a hidden complex health condition like MS?

It's time for a fresh look at living with a Multiple Sclerosis (MS) diagnosis and getting your life insurance sorted.

People typically develop multiple sclerosis between ages 20 to 40, but late-onset MS can also affects thoses 50 and older. MS affects approximately 2.5 million people worldwide, but when you live with multiple sclerosis (MS), it may already feel tough to relate to people who don’t have the condition. As people with an often hidden condition, they face challenges because of their disability.

MS is not a fatal disease so planning for your future should still remain a priority. The majority of people affected by it are diagnosed between the ages of 20 and 40 and affects women more than men.

Jump Ahead

Ever wondered about how Multiple Sclerosis affects your Life Insurance options?

Many people who are living with a diagnosis of MS, still have life insurance options. Whether you qualify for traditional life insurance or accident-only life insurance or income protection, largely depends on the type and severity of your MS, how long you’ve had the condition, and your overall health. To better understand where a person may be on the scale of impairment, we use the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS).

Can I get life insurance while living with Multiple Sclerosis?

For many people, the answer is ‘Yes’, but be prepared for it to take more time to work through the underwriting process and medical reports. For those who may not qualify for standard Plan A, there is often still an alternative Plan B too, and we’d love to help you out with that.

What is multiple sclerosis?

In simple terms, MS is an inflammatory disease of the central nervous system (CNS).

The central nervous system (CNS) is comprised mostly of the brain and spinal cord, and includes the optic nerve and retina.

• Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic, inflammatory autoimmune disease that attacks the CNS.
• Healthy nerves in the CNS are protected by a fatty insulating layer called myelin.
• The ‘demyelination process' occurs in folks with MS when the myelin sheath around the nerves is damaged.
• These damaged nerves build up plaque, or scar tissue, also known as sclerosis; which is how the disease earned its name.

The 'demyelination of the nerves' interferes with the process where the brain sends and receives signals. It is the interruption of this process that causes the range and severity of multiple sclerosis symptoms.

Who can get Multiple Sclerosis?

Women are at least two to three times more likely to be diagnosed with MS than their male counterparts. The typical diagnosis usually occurs between the ages of 20 and 50 with the risk of being diagnosed with MS generally declining after age 50.

• a person has a one in 750 chance of being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in their lifetime
• these odds increase to one in 40 in folks who have a close relative with MS, and
• if a twin is diagnosed, the odds increase to one in four.

How is Multiple Sclerosis diagnosed?

Diagnosing multiple sclerosis early is important and there is presently no single test to diagnose MS.

What are the different types of Multiple Sclerosis?

No two people have the exact same symptoms. You may get a diagnosis of a form of multiple sclerosis that only flares up once or twice throughout your entire life. Equally, other people may get multiple flare-ups that cause disability and prevent them from being able to lead a normal life over time.

Generally speaking, there are four main categories of MS:

Four types of MS

Multiple sclerosis (MS) usually is said to fall into four different sub-categories:

1. Clinically isolated syndrome (CIS)
2. Relapsing-remitting MS
3. Primary progressing MS, and
4. Secondary progressive MS

• Clinically Isolated Syndrome (CIS) is diagnosed when a person has experienced a single episode of neurologic symptoms, such as visual blurriness, numbness, tingling and weakness of the limbs. It is caused by inflammation in the brain or spinal cord. CIS symptoms come on over a few days or weeks, then usually go away. To be classed as CIS symptoms, they must last for over 24 hours.
• Relapsing Remitting MS is the most common form of MS affecting about 85% of people who are diagnosed with RRMS. It is caused by flare-ups or exacerbations of the neurological symptoms of MS, also known as relapses, followed by periods of recovery or remission.
• Secondary Progressive MS is a secondary phase of relapsing-remitting MS and can develop years to decades following the initial onset of symptoms.
• Primary Progressive MS is diagnosed in approximately 10-15% of people with MS and is characterised by a progressive worsening of symptoms and disability right from the beginning, without periods of recovery or remission

Is there a cure for MS?

While there is currently no known cure for multiple sclerosis, there are many medications that can help reduce the frequency and severity of episodes and flare-ups (but do not slow the progression).

Living with an MS diagnosis means living with uncertainty and learning to manage that process.

Getting life insurance when you have a Multiple Sclerosis diagnosis

Now that we’ve covered the basics of multiple sclerosis, let’s talk about getting life insurance when you're living with a diagnosis of MS.

Each insurance company will ask its own set of questions regarding your symptoms to determine your eligibility. Most insurance underwriters use the Expanded Disability Status Scale rating (EDSS), to quickly assess the disability level you have to manage, when you’re living with MS.

The good news is that living with an MS diagnosis doesn’t have to mean an automatic rejection from all life insurance companies, but you will need to help of an Unusual Risks Insured expert advisor to help guide you through the minefield that can be, Getting Life Insurance when you're living with an MS diagnosis.

What's the future for folks living with MS? “The truth is that 15 years after the onset of MS, only about 20% of patients are bedridden. Another 20% may require a wheelchair, or use crutches, or a cane to walk, but fully 60% will be walking without assistance and some will have little deficit at all. Perhaps as many as 1/3 of all patients with MS go through life without any persistent disability, and suffer only intermittent, transient episodes of symptoms - National Center for Biotechnology Information: Multiple Sclerosis: It's Not The Disease You Thought It Was

What insurance options are available for people living with MS?

Looking at the expanded disability scale a DSS, a rating more than level 6 on would progressively become harder to insure.

• The key issue may be whether an MS attack (or flare-up) occurs within the last two to five years, cover may be available for life insurance, but at an increased premium.
• If the condition had been stable for the last five years with no attacks (or flare-up) that same premium loading may decrease.

A report from your treating specialist Neurologist (normally your GP should have this annual report on file) would help us pre assess the level of disability we're working with.

What are some Key Factors life insurance companies look for?

When preparing for a pre-assessment for life insurance, these are the key factors we would look for:

1. The type of MS you’re living with

• clinically isolated syndrome (CIS)
• relapsing-remitting MS,
• primary progressing MS, and
• secondary progressive MS.

2. The date of your original diagnosis

• Early treatment for MS can push out the period of time in which they may ultimately need assistance with walking – or the time they may need to use a wheelchair.
• If you are considering a policy, time is a factor. It is easier to get life insurance within the first two years after diagnosis and if you have mild MS symptoms.

3. The symptoms and course since diagnosis

• Occasional attacks with long periods of remission
• More frequent attacks but overall still fully functioning
• More severe where day-to-day life and movement require external assistance

4. Your current treatments and medication and how you have responded to them

• Living with MS is all about managing uncertainty and sticking to your recommended medication plan is a positive sign you're proactively managing your health

Pro Tip: For our Unusual Risks Insured clients living with MS, we’ve created an MS Questionnaire to help guide the initial conversation.

Multiple Sclerosis is a lifelong disease and may cause a varied combination of symptoms. No one can tell you at the outset what course your MS will take, it’s an unpredictable condition with no clear prognosis. For many people living with MS there are still life insurance and income protection options available and the team behind Unusual Risks Insured is ready to help you explore them.

Stay connected to your GP and MS educator

Living with MS is a lifelong journey and a surprise diagnosis can mean you have to make some additional lifestyle changes to manage and minimise the flare-ups.

Stay connected with your Sapience risk insurance advisor

Our part to play in your journey is to help you get your Life Insurances sorted, as soon as possible even when you are living with an MS diagnosis, so you can protect your income, safeguard a home mortgage, and look after family, partners, and whoever may depend upon you financially.

Then you can get on with living a bigger life.

Drew Browne is a specialty Financial Risk Advisor working with Small Business Owners & their Families, Dual Income Professional Couples, and diverse families. He's an award-winning writer, speaker, financial adviser and business strategy mentor. His business Sapience Financial Group is committed to using business solutions for good in the community. In 2015 he was certified as a B Corp., and in 2017 was recognised in the inaugural Australian National Businesses of Tomorrow Awards. Today he advises Small Business Owners and their families, on how to protect themselves, from their businesses.  He writes for successful Small Business Owners and Industry publications. You can read his Modern Small Business Leadership Blog here. You can connect with him on LinkedIn.  Any information provided is general advice only and we have not considered your personal circumstances. Before making any decision on the basis of this advice you should consider if the advice is appropriate for you based on your particular circumstance.