CICA Life of America: A Final Expense Carrier Experienced Agents Should Have on Their Radar
May 6, 2026 1:33:34 PM
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Experienced final expense agents know that carrier selection is not just about rates; it’s about placement and knowing where to take the client who has a health condition, a complicated history, or a situation that does not fit cleanly into the average immediate benefit final expense product.
That is where CICA Life of America deserves attention.
For agents looking to add more flexibility to their final expense and whole life portfolio, CICA offers two important options: a Standard Issue whole life plan with an immediate death benefit for qualifying applicants and a Guaranteed Issue whole life plan available for ages 0–85.
For the right agent, this can create more placement opportunities, fewer dead-end conversations, and a stronger way to serve clients who still need permanent protection.
Why CICA Life of America Is Different
Many final expense carriers offer a version of simplified issue and guaranteed issue coverage. But not every carrier gives agents the same amount of room when it comes to health conditions, age ranges, or client fit.
CICA Life of America offers two final expense whole life options:
Standard Issue Whole Life for applicants who qualify for immediate benefit coverage.
Guaranteed Issue Whole Life for applicants who may not qualify for Standard Issue.
Where CICA becomes useful is in the placement strategy: agents can start with the immediate benefit conversation, and when the client does not fit Standard Issue, the GI option keeps the case in play.
CICA Standard Issue Whole Life: Immediate Benefit Coverage
The Standard Issue plan includes level premiums, lifelong protection, and guaranteed benefits. It is designed for final expense planning, burial insurance needs, and smaller permanent life insurance cases.
CICA’s Standard Issue face amounts are:
Ages 0–50: $1,000 to $30,000
Ages 51–70: $1,000 to $20,000
Ages 71–85: $1,000 to $10,000
This gives agents flexibility for clients at different life stages, including children, working-age adults, retirees, and older seniors who need smaller face amounts for final expenses.
A Strong Option for Health Conditions That Often Create Placement Issues
One of the most important reasons agents look at CICA is the way its Standard Issue underwriting can create opportunities for certain health histories that may not always fit well elsewhere.
CICA does not automatically decline every client with a health condition. In many cases, the difference comes down to whether the condition is controlled, treated, or actively managed.
For example, Standard Issue may be available in certain situations involving:
Controlled diabetes, including insulin use
Cholesterol treatment
Tobacco or nicotine use without additional co-morbidities
Obesity without additional co-morbidities
Past cancer with no recurrence, metastasis, or multiple occurrences
Single cancer occurrence, depending on details
Basal cell or squamous cell skin cancer
Sickle cell anemia
Organ transplant more than five years ago, if the client is following routine care
This is where field underwriting matters.
An experienced agent understands that a client’s diagnosis alone does not always tell the full story. The real question is often whether the condition is controlled, whether treatment is being followed, and whether there are additional risk factors involved.
That kind of flexibility can make CICA a useful carrier when you are trying to place more nuanced final expense cases.
No Height and Weight Requirements, No Tobacco Knockout, and No MIB
Another important feature is CICA’s underwriting approach.
CICA’s process does not include height and weight requirements, tobacco usage as a knockout factor, or Medical Information Bureau review.
That can be a major advantage in the final expense market, where clients often have imperfect health histories and may be difficult to place with carriers that have stricter underwriting filters.
Applicants seeking Standard Issue coverage answer a short series of health questions. If any health question is answered “yes,” the applicant would qualify for the Guaranteed Issue product instead.
That keeps the process straightforward for agents and clients while still helping determine whether Standard Issue or Guaranteed Issue is the appropriate fit.
CICA Guaranteed Issue Whole Life for Ages 0–85
CICA’s Guaranteed Issue whole life product is one of the most valuable parts of the portfolio for agents who regularly work with harder-to-place clients.
This product is available for ages 0–85 and provides a path to coverage for clients who may not qualify for Standard Issue.
Guaranteed Issue face amounts are:
Ages 0–50: $1,000 to $30,000
Ages 51–70: $1,000 to $30,000
Ages 71–85: $1,000 to $10,000
During the first two policy years, the death benefit is limited to 110% of premiums paid. In year three, the full death benefit becomes available.
For final expense agents, this gives you a reliable fallback option when a client has more serious medical concerns, recent health events, or conditions that prevent them from qualifying for immediate benefit coverage.
Health Conditions That May Fit Guaranteed Issue
CICA’s Guaranteed Issue product can be especially useful for clients with more serious or recent health concerns.
Examples of conditions that may point a client toward Guaranteed Issue include:
Current hospitalization, nursing facility confinement, hospice care, or needing help with activities of daily living
HIV, AIDS, or ARC
Current cancer treatment or cancer recurrence
Uncontrolled diabetes or uncontrolled high blood pressure
Stroke or TIA within the past 10 years
Congestive heart failure, heart disease, cardiomyopathy, or heart attack history
COPD, emphysema, or other lung disease
Kidney failure, dialysis, or chronic/end-stage kidney disease
Liver cirrhosis or liver failure
Dementia, Alzheimer’s, ALS, Parkinson’s, or other serious neurological conditions
Recent substance abuse treatment
Recent felony or misdemeanor conviction
Suicide attempt within the last two years
Terminal illness
Regular wheelchair or electric scooter use
For agents, the value is simple: instead of ending the conversation when a client cannot qualify for immediate coverage, you may still have a permanent life insurance option available.
Included Benefits and Rider Options
CICA’s plans also include additional benefits that can help agents present more value to clients.
The Standard Issue plan includes terminal illness and dismemberment benefits, with an optional accidental death rider.
The Guaranteed Issue plan includes terminal illness, accidental dismemberment, and accidental death benefits.
The terminal illness accelerated death benefit can provide access to a portion of the death benefit if the insured is diagnosed with a qualifying terminal illness, with a maximum accelerated benefit payment of $15,000.
The accidental death benefit option can double the policy face amount up to $30,000 for an additional monthly cost. This benefit is available through age 84 and ends once the insured turns 85.
For clients comparing final expense options, these added benefits can help strengthen the overall value of the policy beyond the base death benefit.
Why Experienced Final Expense Agents Should Consider CICA
CICA can be a strong fit for experienced agents who want more flexibility in their carrier lineup.
It may be especially valuable for agents who want:
A Standard Issue whole life product with an immediate death benefit
A Guaranteed Issue option for ages 0–85
Final expense coverage options for both children and adults
A carrier that can help with more complicated health histories
A backup option when another carrier grades, modifies, or declines the client
Simple product positioning for face-to-face and telesales agents
A way to place clients who still need coverage despite serious health conditions
For agents who understand underwriting, CICA can be more than just another carrier. It can be a useful placement tool.
The FEB Perspective
At Final Expense Brokerage, we have been in the final expense space long enough to know that the best agents do not build their business on one carrier alone.
They build their business on knowing where each client fits.
CICA Life of America gives experienced agents another option when they need flexibility, especially for clients who may not qualify for traditional immediate benefit coverage but still need permanent whole life protection.
The key is knowing how to use it.
Add CICA Life of America to Your Final Expense Portfolio
CICA Life of America is worth a closer look for agents who want stronger placement options in the final expense market.
With immediate benefit coverage available for qualifying applicants, Guaranteed Issue coverage for ages 0–85, and underwriting flexibility around certain health conditions, CICA can be a valuable addition to an experienced agent’s carrier portfolio.