From Making the Shot to Uninsurable (for 6 months)

Life can change in a matter of seconds.

It was a Saturday morning in late September this year at our local Y, playing half-court basketball with the 30-and-over crowd (I’m 46). I got past my defender, pulled up from the foul line, and just as I released the ball, another defender came flying in to block my shot. The shot went in — but he collided into me on the way down.

The result? A ruptured patellar tendon in my right knee and immediate surgery.

Now, orthopedic injuries alone typically don’t cause major issues in life insurance underwriting. However, complications sure can. About two weeks after surgery, I noticed unusual pain in my left calf. My doctor ordered an ultrasound, and sure enough — a blood clot (DVT).

I’m now on blood thinners for three months, and temporarily uninsurable for at least six.

Simultaneously, my brother and I are applying to increase our Buy-Sell and Key-Person life insurance at our firm. As our business has grown, so has the value we need to protect — for each other, our families, our clients, and our employees. Thankfully we have planned and already have significant coverage in place. These applications, that I’ve since had to withdraw and now need to reapply in 6 months, were to have us protected for the future. But now, I have to wait six months before I can even reapply. And even then, I’ll likely never again qualify for the Preferred Best Non-Smoker rating I’ve held my entire adult life.

Here’s the ironic part: I’m in excellent health. I take care of my body, eat well, and exercise almost every day. Yet for the next several months, none of that matters — I can’t buy more life insurance, no matter how much I want to