[Warning!] You May Be Declined for Life Insurance if You Carry Naloxone (Narcan)

The U.S. surgeon general recommends:
“Be prepared. Get Naloxone. Save a life.”

Naloxone, better known by the brand name Narcan, is an opioid reversal drug that can save the life of an opioid overdose victim IF administered in time.

Because the timing of administering Naloxone is crucial to saving the opioid overdose victim’s life, the drug has been made more readily available. It can even be obtained over the counter without a prescription in some states.

However, if you go and get a naloxone rescue kit at your pharmacy, it will show up on your list of medications. This is because of Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs.

Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs collect, monitor, and analyze electronically transmitted “prescribing and dispensing data” submitted by pharmacies and dispensing practitioners.

Will I Be Declined for Life Insurance, If I Buy Narcan (a Naloxone Rescue Kit) at My Pharmacy?

There was a story featured on NPR, a few years back, about a nurse in Boston who had purchased a Naloxone Rescue Kit, at a pharmacy; and was subsequently declined —by two different companies— when she tried to buy Life Insurance.

Naloxone was on her list of prescribed medications because of Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs.

Life insurance companies check these programs as part of the underwriting process.

The nurse was declined by 2 Life Insurance Companies, even though:

the kit is NOT for personal use,
she is a medical professional,
she carries it to potentially save lives!!!

Unfortunately, she paid an unexpected price for her EXCELLENT & ADMIRABLE intentions :'(

Let’s make sure this doesn’t happen to you OR someone you know…

How Can I Avoid Getting Declined for Life Insurance, If I Want/Need to Carry Narcan (a Naloxone Rescue Kit) to Save Someone’s Life?

IMPORTANT! Make sure you inform your agent or broker that you carry a naloxone rescue kit, BEFORE you submit an application for life insurance.

Put it in writing and explain why you the carry a naloxone rescue kit and state it is NOT for your personal use.

A written explanation, ahead of time; will give the underwriter a chance to say “yes” or “no” — without having to do a formal application, resulting in a potential DECLINE.

Being preemptive is not a guarantee that you will be approved for life insurance, but you can (at least!) avoid getting declined and having that decline reported to the Medical Information Bureau (MIB).

What is the Medical Information Bureau?

The MIB is a coded database that all insurance companies use to report their underwriting results. If you are declined by company A, company A will report the decline and reason to the MIB. If you then try to apply to company B and not mention you were declined by company A, company B will see the decline on the MIB and will most likely also decline you.

A decline for life insurance will always follow you. It will always be on the MIB and you will always have to answer “yes” to the question “Have you ever been declined for life insurance?” on every life insurance application you fill out for the rest of your life.

The Opioid Crisis

Number Of Drug Overdose Deaths, 2000-2021

The Bottom Line

It is important to consult with an experienced Life Insurance Broker!

If you are in the medical profession —OR you want/need to carry a Naloxone Rescue Kit, so you can potentially SAVE A LIFE— you should NOT be penalized for that!!!