Life Insurance for Diabetics on Insulin: What to Expect

Yes, many people who take insulin can get life insurance. Insulin use doesn't disqualify you by itself, but it tells an insurer your diabetes needs more treatment, so it usually affects which policies you qualify for and what you pay. Underwriters look at insulin together with your type of diabetes, how long you've had it, your A1C history and whether you have complications.

This guide explains why insurers ask about insulin, what else they weigh, how pumps and glucose monitors fit in, and which kinds of coverage tend to work for insulin users. It describes common underwriting practice, not any one company's rules, and it isn't medical advice.

Can you get life insurance if you take insulin?

Often, yes, though no one can promise approval before an insurer reviews your application. 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.

Insulin users are a large group. The CDC's National Diabetes Statistics Report estimates that in 2023, 1.8 million U.S. adults aged 20 and older reported having type 1 diabetes and using insulin, and 3.8 million adults aged 20 and older started insulin within a year of their diabetes diagnosis.

Because each company sets its own diabetes guidelines, two insurers can make very different offers to the same person. That's why comparing companies matters more for insulin users than for most applicants.

Why do life insurers ask whether you use insulin?

Insulin use is a quick signal of how your diabetes is treated and how far it has progressed. Underwriters use it as a starting point, then dig into the details.

• Type 1 diabetes. The CDC says people with type 1 diabetes need to take insulin every day to survive. For them, insulin is expected from diagnosis, so an underwriter focuses more on age at diagnosis, control and complications.
• Type 2 diabetes. NIDDK says some people with type 2 manage it with lifestyle changes, while many need medicines that may include pills or insulin, and over time may need more than one. Moving from pills to insulin can suggest the condition has changed, which is why insurers ask when you started.
• Low blood sugar risk. NIDDK notes that some diabetes medicines can cause hypoglycemia (low blood sugar). Insurers may ask about severe lows, emergency visits or hospital stays.

For a closer look at how the two main types are treated differently, see our guide to type 1 vs. type 2 diabetes and life insurance.

What do underwriters look at besides insulin?

Insulin is one factor among several, and the others often carry more weight. Common questions include:

• Type of diabetes and age at diagnosis. A diagnosis at a young age means more years living with the condition, and some insurers treat diabetes diagnosed before a certain age differently.
• How long you've used insulin and your usual dose. Changes over time help show whether your treatment is stable.
• Recent A1C results and the trend. Our guide to A1C and life insurance rates explains how underwriters generally read them.
• Complications. Diabetes-related eye (retinopathy), kidney (nephropathy) or nerve (neuropathy) problems can affect the offer, and insurers often ask about them specifically.
• Other health factors. Tobacco use, weight, blood pressure and heart history all factor in.
• Ongoing care. Regular checkups and lab work show an underwriter the diabetes is being managed.

Do insulin pumps and continuous glucose monitors hurt your application?

Usually the device itself isn't the issue. Underwriters care about why you use it and what your records show about control.

NIDDK lists several ways to take insulin: a needle and syringe, an insulin pen, an insulin pump, and less often an inhaler or jet injector. It also describes the artificial pancreas, a system that links a continuous glucose monitor (CGM) with an insulin pump and is mainly used to help people with type 1 diabetes.

An insulin pump mostly tells an insurer you use insulin, which it can already see from your prescriptions. Records from a pump or CGM showing steady readings, few severe lows and regular visits can help an underwriter understand how well you manage your diabetes.

Which types of life insurance fit insulin users?

The right type depends on your health details, age and how much coverage you need. Here's how the main options compare.

Fully underwritten coverage usually offers the most coverage for the money if you qualify. The Texas Department of Insurance also notes that many term policies are convertible, which lets you switch to permanent coverage later without a medical exam. That can matter if your health changes.

If you mainly want to cover a funeral and final bills, read our guide to final expense insurance for diabetics. For how the no-exam options differ, see guaranteed issue vs. simplified issue.

How do insurers verify your insulin use?

Insurers commonly check your prescription history, so insulin is likely to show up even if you don't mention it. The CFPB lists Milliman IntelliScript as a company that collects prescription drug purchase history for life insurance applicants and provides risk scores for underwriting. The CFPB says the company will provide a free copy of your report on request, and you have the right to dispute errors.

That's why honest, complete answers matter. The Texas Department of Insurance explains that during a policy's two-year contestable period, an insurer can deny a claim if you gave wrong information or left something out, even by mistake and even if it had nothing to do with the cause of death. If it denies payment, it must return the premiums to your beneficiary.

How can you prepare before you apply?

A little preparation helps the application go smoothly and keeps your answers consistent with your records.

1. List every medicine by name and dose, including each insulin, any pills, and non-insulin injections.
2. Note key dates: when you were diagnosed and when you started insulin.
3. Gather your last few A1C results and the name of the doctor who manages your diabetes.
4. Write down any complications, severe lows or hospital stays, with approximate dates.
5. Check your prescription report so there are no surprises.
6. Keep any current coverage in force until a new policy is issued and you've reviewed it.

What if you're declined or offered a graded policy?

A decline from one insurer doesn't mean every insurer will say no. Each company weighs diabetes differently, so an agent who works with several companies can compare how each one may treat your history.

If your health rules out other options, a guaranteed issue policy can still provide a small amount of coverage. Many of these policies pay a limited graded benefit if you die of natural causes in the first two years, then the full amount after that. Our diabetes life insurance hub covers each option in more depth.