How can I get a special-risk advocate for a good price?

Hiring an advocate on your own doesn't make sense unless you are looking for a lot of insurance with face values in the millions of dollars. The problem is finding someone other than yourself to pick up the tab - an insurance company with its own advocate on staff or an agent who knows what to do.

Richard Panther, director of underwriting for Target Insurance Services, a brokerage insurance company focusing on impaired-risk coverage claims, "In some cases your local agent may bark up the wrong trees trying to find you the best life insurance.'

If you find an in-house specialist who deals with impaired risks in your insurance agency, you should ask some questions in order to find out whether he is qualified to handle your case properly.

One of the questions you should ask is if the specialist of the agency is a former insurance company underwriter. Former underwriters are usually have excellent experience setting policy prices for those who suffer from medical conditions and often have good connections with current underwriters.

Special-risk advocates usually work with people who have one of the following cases:

• Depression
• Obesity
• Stroke
• Tobacco use
• Heart disease
• Hazardous
• Cancer
• Drug or alcohol abuse
• Diabetes
• Hazardous hobbies or occupations
• Hepatitis C
• Hypertension

If you don't have any of the diseases listed above, but still suffer from a serious disease, a good special-risk advocate will be able to handle your case. A special-risk advocate will be able to find you a policy. However, the policy that you will maintain will be expensive because of your medical condition.

Robert Litell, a special-risk consultant to individuals and insurers says, "By acting as the clearinghouse (advocate) can order the APSs, take excerpts from the file, and fax a summary to three or four underwriters to talk over the case.' Look for a good special-risk advocate who will be able to handle your case.