Aetna Accendo Final Expense Review (2026): Level vs. Modified, and Who Qualifies

Aetna’s final expense whole life is issued by Accendo Insurance Company, part of the CVS Health family. There’s no medical exam and the application is a simplified yes/no form. It issues from age 40 to 89 with coverage from $2,000 to $50,000, through a Level plan that pays in full from day one and a Modified plan for people with more health history. It’s best for seniors who want a household name, for people older than many plans accept (Level coverage issues to 89), and for current Aetna or Accendo Medicare Supplement customers, who may qualify for a lower “super preferred” rate.

We’re an independent agency, not Aetna or Accendo. We place this product and compare it against our other carriers before recommending it. For ratings and company background, see our Aetna carrier review.

At a glance

	Level plan	Modified plan
Issue ages	40–89	40–75
Coverage	$2,000 up to $50,000 (ages 40–55), $40,000 (56–65), $30,000 (66–75) or $25,000 (76–89)	$2,000–$25,000
Natural-cause death, years 1–2	Full benefit	110% of earned premium
Accidental death	Full benefit	Full benefit from day one
Year 3 and after	Full benefit	Full benefit
Rate tiers	Super Preferred, Preferred, Standard	Modified
Riders	Accelerated death benefit; accidental death (issue ages 40–70); children’s term	None
How you apply	Simplified yes/no application plus a prescription check	Same
Medical exam	None	None

The age bands above come from Accendo’s consumer brochure. Maximums vary by age at issue, and plans can vary by state.

Super Preferred: the Medicare Supplement rate break

This is Accendo’s most distinctive feature. If an Accendo or Aetna Medicare Supplement policy was issued to you and underwritten within the past 180 days, you may qualify for the super preferred rate, which Accendo says is 10% lower than its Preferred rate. If you’re shopping for both a Medicare Supplement and final expense coverage, the timing is worth planning together.

Level plan (Preferred and Standard): who lands here

The Level plan pays the full benefit from day one for any cause of death. Healthy applicants get Preferred, and applicants with some health history get Standard.

Accendo’s prescription guide works differently from most. It has no lookback windows: it’s keyed to the medications you take now, and if a drug has several uses, you must state why you take it. A few patterns from the guide:

• COPD inhalers (Spiriva, Symbicort, Advair, Trelegy, or albuterol taken for COPD, among others) rule out Preferred only. That leaves Standard, with full day-one coverage, open to people with COPD who don’t use oxygen. (COPD)
• Common blood pressure drugs such as lisinopril, losartan and metoprolol are flagged only when prescribed for heart failure or angina. Taken for blood pressure alone, the guide doesn’t list them as unacceptable. (high blood pressure)

Modified plan: who lands here

The Modified plan issues from 40 to 75, with $2,000 to $25,000 of coverage. In the first two years it pays 110% of earned premium for a natural-cause death. Accidental death is covered in full immediately, and from year three the full benefit is paid.

By Accendo’s drug guide, medications taken for angina or cardiomyopathy — such as nitroglycerin, isosorbide, Ranexa, or Plavix taken for angina — rule out both Preferred and Standard, which leaves Modified. (heart attack history)

Your answers to the application’s yes/no questions can also place you here. That’s why we go through the questions with you, not just your medication list.

What rules out every Accendo plan

• Current oxygen use. It’s listed as unacceptable on every plan.
• Medications prescribed for congestive heart failure, such as Entresto, digoxin, spironolactone or furosemide taken for CHF. These rule out all three Accendo plans. (congestive heart failure)
• Cancer drugs, for as long as you take them. This includes chemotherapy, and also long-term hormone therapy many survivors stay on for years, such as anastrozole (Arimidex), letrozole (Femara), exemestane, Lupron and Zoladex. (cancer history)

The guide also warns that new drugs for serious conditions may be unacceptable even if they aren’t on the list yet, and the edition we work from dates to 2020. We confirm current rules before you apply.

A note on Aetna’s other final expense plan

Aetna also sells a separate Protection Series final expense plan through Continental Life Insurance Company of Brentwood, Tennessee. It issues ages 45–89 with level benefits and $2,000–$50,000 of coverage, and its prescription rules differ from Accendo’s. If Accendo’s rules don’t fit you, we check that plan too.

Pros and cons

What we like

• Level coverage issues all the way to age 89
• Up to $50,000 for ages 40–55
• A super preferred rate for recent Aetna/Accendo Medicare Supplement customers
• COPD without oxygen can still get day-one Standard coverage
• Billing can line up with your Social Security deposit date
• The Level plan offers an accelerated death benefit and a children’s term rider
• The Modified plan covers accidental death in full from day one

What to weigh

• The Modified plan stops at age 75 and $25,000
• The Level maximum drops as you age, to $25,000 from 76 on
• CHF medications or current oxygen rule out every Accendo plan
• Long-term cancer hormone therapy counts against you for as long as you take it
• Riders are only available on the Level plan

How it compares

• Mutual of Omaha Living Promise: a COPD maintenance inhaler means its Graded plan at best, while Accendo can still offer day-one Standard.
• Transamerica FE Express: congestive heart failure alone can rate a day-one tier, with up to $100,000 through age 75.
• Royal Neighbors Ensured Legacy: CHF and oxygen users can still get its guaranteed-issue tier (ages 50–80, up to $10,000).

Frequently asked questions

Is Accendo the same as Aetna?

They’re part of the same family. Accendo Insurance Company is part of CVS Health and an Aetna affiliate, and it issues Aetna-branded final expense whole life. The policy is administered by Aetna Life Insurance Company and its affiliates.

What is the waiting period on Aetna final expense?

The Level plan has none. The Modified plan pays 110% of earned premium for a natural-cause death in policy years one and two, covers accidental death in full from day one, and pays the full benefit from year three.

Can I get Aetna final expense with COPD?

Often, yes. In Accendo’s prescription guide, common COPD inhalers rule out only the Preferred tier, so Standard day-one coverage is still possible. Current oxygen use rules out every plan.

How old can I be to apply?

The Level plan issues ages 40 through 89 and the Modified plan 40 through 75, based on your age at your last birthday. Your maximum coverage depends on your age.

Do Aetna Medicare Supplement members get a discount?

They can. If you were issued an Accendo or Aetna Medicare Supplement policy underwritten within the last 180 days, you may qualify for the super preferred rate, which Accendo says is 10% below Preferred.

Compare it the honest way

Accendo is a great fit for some histories, like COPD without oxygen or a recent Medicare Supplement, and a poor fit for others, like CHF or ongoing cancer therapy. We’ll check your medications against it and our other carriers before you apply. Compare quotes or call 586-343-1505.

Sources: Accendo Insurance Company, Final Expense Individual Whole Life Insurance brochure (ACCFE06589CA, ©2022; California edition); Aetna, Product availability and benefits overview (CGFLP01577 / CGFMP01888, effective 9/4/2026; agent use); Aetna Senior Supplemental Insurance, DrugList prescription guide (CGFLP04363, effective 10/14/2020; agent use).

Verified October 2026. Guidelines change; carriers make final decisions.