Life insurance with diabetes
Diabetes is the most common condition on final expense applications, and most people with it are approved for a level plan with full coverage from day one. What carriers care about is control and complications, not the diagnosis itself.
What carriers ask
- Type 1 or type 2, and the age you were diagnosed
- How it is treated: diet, oral medication, or insulin
- Any complications: neuropathy, retinopathy, kidney disease, amputation
- Whether you also have heart disease or have had a stroke
- Recent hospital stays for blood sugar
What usually qualifies
Usually a level plan, day-one coverage
Type 2 controlled with diet or oral medication, no complications. Several carriers also accept insulin use for type 2 diagnosed after age 40 or 50.
Often a graded plan
Insulin use with an earlier diagnosis, or diabetes together with mild neuropathy. Partial benefit for the first two years, full benefit after.
Guaranteed issue
Diabetes with kidney disease, an amputation, or a recent diabetic coma. Two-year waiting period for natural causes, accidental death covered from day one.
What helps your application
- 01
Know your medications by name. Metformin reads very differently from insulin to an underwriter.
- 02
If you take a blood pressure or cholesterol medication as a precaution, say so. Carriers see it as good management.
- 03
Carriers differ widely on insulin. One decline just means we quote another carrier.
Diabetes questions
Does an A1C matter for final expense?
Most final expense carriers do not ask for an A1C. A few larger whole life policies do. Either way, a stable A1C under 8 helps.
I use insulin. Am I automatically graded?
No. Several carriers accept insulin for type 2 diabetics diagnosed later in life at level rates. It depends on the carrier, which is why we quote more than one.
Get a life insurance quote
A licensed agent calls you back, Mon to Fri, 8am to 5pm MT. Health questions are asked on the call, never on this form.
Declined before? Ask us before you give up.
Carriers rate the same condition differently. We quote the ones likely to approve you.