Life Insurance for Diabetics: How to Get Covered

Yes, many people with diabetes can get life insurance, but your diabetes will usually affect which policies you qualify for and what you pay. Insurers look closely at your type of diabetes, when you were diagnosed, how it's treated, your recent A1C results and whether you have complications. Well-managed diabetes without complications is generally viewed more favorably than poorly controlled diabetes with complications, though every insurer sets its own rules.

You're far from alone. The CDC says more than 40 million Americans have diabetes. This guide explains what insurers ask, how they check your answers, which policy types fit people with diabetes, and what to do if you're turned down.

Can you get life insurance if you have diabetes?

Often, yes, though no one can promise approval before an insurer reviews your application. Individual life insurance is medically underwritten. The Texas Department of Insurance explains that insurers use underwriting to decide whether to sell you a policy, and that a company can charge more if you have health conditions, or refuse to sell if it considers you a high risk.

Each insurer sets its own guidelines for diabetes, and the details of your history matter. That's why two people with diabetes can get very different offers. One may have had well-managed type 2 diabetes for a few years with no complications. Another may have had diabetes for decades with kidney or heart problems.

What do life insurers ask about diabetes?

Insurers want to understand how long you've had diabetes, how it's treated and how well it's controlled. The questions below are common, though each company asks them in its own way.

• Type of diabetes. Type 1, type 2, gestational or prediabetes. Our guide to type 1 vs. type 2 diabetes and life insurance explains why the type matters.
• Age at diagnosis. Being diagnosed young means more years living with the condition. Over time, the CDC says, high blood sugar can cause serious problems such as heart disease, vision loss and kidney disease.
• Treatment. Diet and exercise only, pills or other non-insulin medicines, or insulin. The CDC notes that people with type 1 diabetes need insulin every day.
• Recent A1C results. The A1C test shows your average blood sugar over the past 3 months. Our guide to A1C and life insurance rates covers how underwriters look at it.
• Complications. Eye, kidney, nerve, foot or heart problems usually carry a lot of weight.
• Other health factors. Blood pressure, cholesterol, weight and tobacco use all factor in, just as they do for people without diabetes.
• Ongoing care. Regular checkups and lab work help show an underwriter that your diabetes is being managed.

How do insurers check your health history?

Insurers start with your application answers, then check them against records you authorize. Two checks come up often.

Your MIB file. MIB runs a database of underwriting information shared by its member insurers. According to MIB, a member insurer cross-checks your application against your file and follows up if something doesn't match, and insurers can't make underwriting decisions based on the MIB file without further investigation. You can request your own file free once a year.

Your prescription history. The CFPB lists Milliman IntelliScript as a company that collects prescription drug purchase history for life insurance underwriting. Insulin, metformin and other diabetes medicines can show up in reports like this, so your answers should match. The CFPB suggests fact-checking these reports before or when you apply, and you can dispute errors.

Depending on the policy and amount, an insurer may also ask for a medical exam or records from your doctor. The Texas Department of Insurance notes that underwriting often includes a medical exam and questions about your health, job and habits.

Which types of life insurance can diabetics get?

People with diabetes can apply for any type of life insurance, but the options that actually fit depend on your health picture. Here's how the main choices compare.

The Texas Department of Insurance notes that group underwriting "isn't as strict," so you might qualify for group coverage even if you can't buy a policy on your own. If you use insulin, our guide to life insurance for diabetics on insulin walks through how simplified and guaranteed issue forms treat it.

How much life insurance do you need with diabetes?

Diabetes doesn't change how much your family would need, only how much the coverage may cost. Start with what your income pays for: the mortgage or rent, debts, your children's needs, and final expenses. Our life insurance calculator can help you set a target.

If the full amount costs more than you expected, you have choices. You might buy a smaller policy now, pair group coverage from work with an individual policy, or choose a shorter term that covers your highest-need years. For example, a hypothetical 48-year-old with two teenagers might choose a 15-year term that lasts until the youngest finishes school, instead of a 30-year term.

Older adults whose main goal is paying for a funeral often need much less. Our guide to final expense insurance for diabetics covers those smaller policies, and our comparison of the best life insurance for diabetics shows what specific companies publish for each policy type.

How can you prepare before you apply?

You can't change an insurer's guidelines, but you can present your health clearly and accurately.

1. Gather your diabetes details. Note your type, the year you were diagnosed, your medicines and doses, and your doctors' names.
2. Collect recent lab results. Ask for your last few A1C results. The CDC says most people with diabetes have their A1C tested at least twice a year.
3. List any complications or related conditions. Include eye exams, kidney tests, blood pressure and cholesterol treatment.
4. Check your records. Request your MIB file and prescription history report so nothing surprises you.
5. Answer every question honestly. Mismatches slow things down and can put a future claim at risk.
6. Work with someone who knows several insurers. A licensed agent may be able to ask insurers how they would view your history before you formally apply.
7. Keep your current coverage. Don't cancel an existing policy until a new one is issued.

What if you're declined or offered a higher rate?

A decline or a high offer from one insurer isn't the final word. Ask for the reason in writing, then consider these routes:

• Try another insurer. Diabetes guidelines vary widely from company to company.
• Look at simplified issue. A shorter health questionnaire may fit a situation that didn't work under full underwriting.
• Use group coverage. Enroll in life insurance at work during open enrollment, or through a union or association.
• Consider guaranteed issue. These small whole life policies don't ask health questions, but they usually limit the benefit if you die in the first years. See our guide to guaranteed issue life insurance.
• Reapply later. If your A1C improves or your treatment has been stable longer, a new application may be reviewed differently.

For more on each topic, visit the life insurance with diabetes hub.