Transamerica is one of the largest, most financially secure life insurance companies in the world. For final expense, they have one capability that no other major carrier has: they accept congestive heart failure for level benefit coverage. If you have any cardiac history — or COPD — Transamerica is almost always on our shortlist.
Transamerica Life Insurance Company has been in business since 1928 and manages hundreds of billions in assets. They are one of the most financially stable insurance companies in the world, with an A+ AM Best rating — the highest available. For final expense specifically, their financial strength is matched by underwriting flexibility that their competitors don’t come close to on cardiac conditions.
As independent brokers who place clients with 10+ A-rated carriers, we reach for Transamerica in two specific situations: any client with a cardiac history, and any client with COPD. In both categories, Transamerica offers options that the rest of the market either doesn’t match or can’t touch.
The call I get most often on cardiac profiles goes like this: someone has CHF, they called a few places, they were quoted guaranteed issue at $180/month with a 2-year wait, and they want to know if that’s really their only option. In most cases it is not — because Transamerica accepts CHF for level benefit. That’s a completely different product at a materially lower premium with full coverage from day one. No other carrier does this. If you have any heart condition and have only been quoted GI, call me: (754) 800-1152.
Transamerica is the only major final expense carrier that accepts congestive heart failure (CHF) for level benefit coverage — full payout from day one, no waiting period. Every other carrier in the market puts CHF patients on guaranteed issue with a 2-year wait and higher premiums. This single underwriting capability makes Transamerica irreplaceable for CHF patients.
| Cardiac condition | Transamerica | Mutual of Omaha | Lincoln Heritage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Congestive heart failure (CHF) | Level benefit ✓ UNIQUE | GI only | Modified Plan ⚠ |
| Heart attack 2+ yrs ago | Level benefit ✓ | Case by case | Modified Plan ⚠ |
| Heart attack within 2 yrs | Graded benefit | Limited | Modified Plan ⚠ |
| Bypass surgery 2+ yrs ago | Level benefit ✓ | Case by case | Modified Plan ⚠ |
| Stent placement 2+ yrs ago | Level benefit ✓ | Case by case | Modified Plan ⚠ |
| AFib (controlled, medicated) | Level benefit ✓ | Limited | Modified Plan ⚠ |
| Pacemaker | Level benefit ✓ | Case by case | Modified Plan ⚠ |
| Stroke 2+ yrs ago | Level benefit ✓ | Case by case | Modified Plan ⚠ |
| Stroke within 2 yrs | Graded benefit | Limited | Modified Plan ⚠ |
| Peripheral artery disease | Case by case | Limited | Modified Plan ⚠ |
✓ The CHF difference in real numbers: A 70-year-old female CHF patient quoted guaranteed issue pays roughly $145–$180/month for $15,000 with a 2-year wait. The same patient qualifying for Transamerica level benefit pays approximately $83–$95/month with full coverage from day one. That is $600–$1,140 per year in savings plus the elimination of the waiting period.
| COPD profile | Transamerica | Mutual of Omaha | Lincoln Heritage |
|---|---|---|---|
| COPD, no oxygen, controlled | Level preferred rate ✓ | Limited | Modified Plan ⚠ |
| COPD, mild-moderate, medicated | Level preferred rate ✓ | Limited | Modified Plan ⚠ |
| COPD with supplemental oxygen | Graded benefit | GI only | Modified Plan ⚠ |
| Emphysema, no oxygen | Level preferred rate ✓ | Limited | Modified Plan ⚠ |
COPD and Royal Neighbors: Both Transamerica and Royal Neighbors of America offer preferred rate level benefit for qualifying COPD patients. Royal Neighbors often has slightly lower premiums for female applicants. We compare both on every COPD profile before placing a client. See our full COPD carrier guide.
| Age / Gender | Transamerica | Mutual of Omaha | Royal Neighbors | Lincoln Heritage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Female, 55 | $44/mo | $40/mo | $38/mo | $67/mo |
| Female, 60 | $52/mo | $47/mo | $45/mo | $81/mo |
| Female, 65 | $64/mo | $58/mo | $56/mo | $99/mo |
| Female, 70 | $83/mo | $76/mo | $74/mo | $131/mo |
| Female, 75 | $112/mo | $103/mo | $100/mo | $175/mo |
| Male, 55 | $58/mo | $52/mo | $50/mo | $88/mo |
| Male, 60 | $69/mo | $62/mo | $60/mo | $108/mo |
| Male, 65 | $86/mo | $76/mo | $74/mo | $132/mo |
| Male, 70 | $112/mo | $100/mo | $98/mo | $174/mo |
| Male, 75 | $154/mo | $137/mo | $134/mo | $232/mo |
⚠ Rate context: For healthy, non-diabetic seniors without cardiac history or COPD, Mutual of Omaha and Royal Neighbors beat Transamerica on rate by $6–$20/month. Transamerica’s strength is underwriting flexibility for cardiac and COPD profiles where the rest of the market falls short.
CHF, heart attack history, bypass, AFib, COPD — we run these profiles with Transamerica regularly. In 10 minutes we can tell you exactly which tier you qualify for.
See What I Qualify For →We run cardiac and COPD profiles with Transamerica and all 10+ carriers in our network. Free, no obligation.