Advocacy & Safety - Can Cyclist Get Life Insurance?

My friend who is usually full of misinformation told me that road cyclists can't get life insurance. But I would think since the benifits far outweigh the risks that he is full of crap. Anybody know much about this subject?

Your friend is holding true to form.

Yeah your friend is right. This is how the form looked for me:



1. Do you ride road bikes? (Please check only one)

___ Yes
___ No

2. If you answered "Yes" to 1, don't bother to fill out the rest of the form.


:roflmao:

Road cycling is no more dangerous than many other activities. In fact, fitness increase should entitle to a premium discount. People with high risk professions do get life insurance, I don't understand why cycling would disqualify..

Cyclists can get life insurance at regular rates. If you participate in "mountain climbing, hang gliding, bungee jumping, helicopter skiing, sky diving, motorcycle or auto racing, big-wave surfing, deep-sea diving or flying," then you will pay higher rates [source (http://www.bankrate.com/brm/news/insurance/life-edge1.asp)].

My company provides my life insurance, and there was no "cycling" box to check. They were most interested in whether or not I smoked, since, statistically, that's a lot more significant than cycling.

- Warren

Insurance company actuaries must think that cycling is at least as safe as driving a car or walking.

If I can't life insurance as a cyclist, then no one should be able to get insurance since driving or riding in an automobile is 20X more dangerous.

My friend who is usually full of misinformation told me that road cyclists can't get life insurance. But I would think since the benifits far outweigh the risks that he is full of crap. Anybody know much about this subject?
An Urban Legend? Or as previously noted your friend is consistent in the quality of his information. Pay no attention to the fool.

BS detector BEEP BEEP

You can get life insurance if you snowboard or ski, if you deep sea dive or if you jump naked out of airplanes at 15000 feet and still get life insurance.

rates don't even change unless its professional.

I got very good insurance, and well... I ride.

Tell her just to calm down and relax. Plenty of cyclists get insurance.

Koffee

Life insurance should not be an issue for any major insurer. Disability insurance would be an issue for a pro cyclist just like any pro athlete. Issues would be: 1. is coverage available?, 2. how long benefit period?, and 3. premium. For none pro, there should not be a risk factor.

I'm not an agent or an actuary. I'm a programmer. But my previuos job was with a managing general agency and I saw a lot of forms. Light aviation, scuba diving and frequent foriegn travel were all common questions. BUT none of these prevented someone from getting insurance. Worst case was an exclusion (e.g. die during or as a result of the activity and they don't pay). But that was common only for the foreign travel, for the others it was just a surcharge.

I never saw a cycling question. If they don't ask they don't think it important on an acturial basis.

Keith99, why would scuba be an issue, I am certified for scuba, and if you ask me, it is safer then road biking (which I also do). So why would they care if some one had a c-card?

Scuba is an issue. Insurance companies think of this as high risk and will ask:

1. certification
2. dive frequency
3. depth of dives

All as a part of the underwriting process. The underwriting process is driven by acturial tables. The deeper you go and the more frequency the higher the risk. Snorkel is not usually rated higher, but whenever an applicant is an active scuba driver. There will be a question. The degree of scrutiny depends on the face amount of the insurance policy. It would be rare that a scuba diver is declined, but there well might be an additional surcharge, or rating, on the policy.

in my opion Scuba is safer the biking on the roads. When you go scuba diving your safty is fully in your own hands, while road biking your safty is in the hands of others, that would rather hit you then look at you.

Mpop,

I understand, but in the insurance game it's all about risk tables and the companies historical practices. Probably cause well healed purchasers are more likely to go scuba diving than to go cycling. All it takes is a few claims on large policies for some exec to ask for mortality risk data.

You could always get a rider to exclude death by scuba as an alternative to a premium rating.