I've had cancer. Can I get life insurance?

Insurance companies may look at your medical history closely before giving you life insurance. The following suggestions may help you get the insurance you need:

• Contact large life insurance companies first. Many larger companies carefully grade insurance risks by type and stage of cancer. Depending on your diagnosis, you may be able to get a policy.

• Get prices from several companies. Policy costs can vary a great deal among companies.

• Request group insurance through a professional, fraternal, membership, or political organization to which you belong.

• Consider a "graded" policy (one with limited benefits) if you cannot get full death benefits. In the first few years of a graded policy, the company pays only the premiums and part of the face value if the insured person dies of a condition, such as cancer, that existed before the policy took effect. If the insured person dies after the specified waiting period, the company usually will pay the full face amount of the policy.

Also, your state's health insurance information and counseling service may be able to give you information about life insurance in your state. Every state has this service. For the number in your state, call the Medicare hotline at 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) or visit the Medicare Web site at http://medicare.gov.

For more information about insurance and other concerns of cancer survivors, call the Cancer Information Service at 1-800-4-CANCER (1-800-4-422-6237).

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