The basic purpose of underwriting is to identify the degree of risk represented by the applicant.  Long term care insurance underwriters look carefully at the health background of applicants. Because long term care covers a wide range of losses, it is very possible to be insurable with a history of medical problems.

Long Term Care Insurance Underwriters Generally Consider The Following:
 
The applicant’s ability to perform the Activities of Daily Living and maintain a self-care environment.

The applicant’s height and weight.

The applicant’s medical history.


Generally Acceptable Medical Conditions:

The applicant's health conditions must be well controlled and stabilized  The condition can not impede social activity or exercise.

The applicant's "Activities of Daily Living" such as bathing, dressing, toileting, must be able to be preformed. Other activities such as reading, administration of medications, using the telephone, writing, and meal preparation abilities are also taken into  consideration. 

The applicant's height and weight must be in range with the company's build chart.

The applicant's intellectual abilities such as orientation, attention, memory, judgment, and comprehension must be in tacked.


Medical Conditions That Are Considered Uninsurable For Long Term Care Insurance
 
1. AIDS
2. Untreated Alcoholism
3. Alzheimer’s disease
4. ALS/Lou Gehrig’s disease
5. Unstable Angina-cardiac work up is underway
6. Severe Osteoparthritis or rheumatoid arthritis
(with continual steroid use, surgery recommended or multiple joint replacements)
7. Severe Chronic Pulmonary Disease
(including asthma, chronic bronchitis and emphysema with use of oxygen; more than two hospitalizations in last year; evidence of congestive heart failure; and functional limitations)
8. Ataxia (unstable gait)
9. Some types of cancer (depending on history)
10. Cardiomyopathy with symptoms or with congestive heart failure
11. Cerebral Palsy
12. Cirrhosis of the liver with appearance of jaundice
13. Congestive heart failure (chronic, uncontrollable or accompanied by diabetes)
14. Dementia
15. Demyelinating disease
16. Diabetes
(with elevated blood pressure, neuropathy, retinopathy, nephropathy, skin ulcers, or morbid obesity)
17. Dialysis
18. Seizure Disorder/Epilepsy (uncontrolled and of unknown etiology)
19. Esophageal varices
20. Osteoporsis (with a history of multiple falls or fractures)
21. Fibromyalgia (with limitations of daily functioning)
22. Hepatitis B, C, E, F, G
23. Incontinence (complete or with use of a catheter)
24. Chronic kidney failure
25. Hairy cell leukemia
26. Systemic Lupus
27. Macular Degeneration (with vision loss in both eyes)
28. Multiple Myeloma
29. Multiple Sclerosis
30. Muscular Dystrophy
31. Myasthenia Gravis
32. Neuropathy (due to diabetes, alcoholism or polio)
33. Organ transplant (except corneal)
34. Organic Brain Syndrome
35. Osteomyelitis (chronic or active)
36. Pancreatitis (chronic with liver inflammation)
37. Paralysis
38. Parkinson’s disease
39. Peripheral Vascular Disease
(with regular claudication, poor exercise tolerance, continued smoking or history of skin ulcers)
40. Polycystic kidney disease
41. Renal insufficiency or failure
42. Schizophrenia
43. Schleroderma
44. Syncope (multiple episodes with unknown cause)
45. Stroke (multiple episodes, with certain other conditions)
46. Transient Ischemic Attacks (TIA) (multiple episodes)
47. Tremors
(with unknown cause or neurological workup in progress)
48. Tuberculosis (active)
49. Ulcers of skin (due to disease processes)