When the search for a reasonable offer on life insurance gives you palpitations…

…call a doctor!

The client who seeks advice on estate planning is usually older, and often not in perfect health. So when the strategy requires large amounts of life insurance, it's sometimes a challenge to get coverage at favorable rates - or at any rate. But at Stern Slavutin-2, the prognosis for an "impaired risk" client is excellent. We have a doctor in the house!

Our chairman, Lee Slavutin, is a seasoned life insurance agent and a licensed medical doctor. This unique mix of qualifications enables Lee to clearly and accurately convey a client's medical history to the insurer's underwriters, presenting it in the best possible light. Here are just two examples of successful efforts…

• A female client, age 68, was initially declined for coverage due to elevated liver enzymes. Lee's painstaking review of her medical records revealed this condition to be an inconsequential reaction to some medication taken 15 years previously. In light of this new information, the underwriter issued coverage at standard rates.

• A male client, age 75, came to us after being offered a "rated" policy based on a history of angina. His physician's statement indicated the single word "Angina" (under Medical Conditions). However, Lee's conversation with the client's doctor revealed only one episode of chest pain over 20 years ago, with no recurrences. By submitting years of normal EKG tracings and a detailed report from his doctor, we were able to secure coverage at standard rates.

Impaired risk underwriting isn't the only benefit our clients derive from Lee's medical training. The intellectual discipline required in surgical pathology has application to all the work we do in estate and succession planning.