Life Insurance for Diabetics – A Wealth of Choices
- Can you get life insurance if you have diabetes? Absolutely.
- Can you get the kind of insurance you want at a reasonable price? That depends.
Insurance for people with type 1 and type 2 diabetes is a complex topic with as many variations as there are symptoms of the disease. That can make the search for life insurance an arduous process for people with diabetes. Dealing with a skilled and knowledgeable provider is essential, because each insurance company has its own standards for coverage. If you apply to the wrong one and get rejected, the rejection becomes part of your medical record for all other companies to see. That can lead to further rejections that otherwise might not have happened.
That’s just one of many tricky aspects of obtaining coverage for people with diabetes. On this page, we’ll show you what kind of life insurance policies you can expect to find for different types of diabetes, which companies provide the policies, and what kind of payouts the policies offer to your loved ones.
So read on. Even though you may not qualify for the same policy as a healthy person, you probably have more options than you think.
Learn More About Insurance for People With Diabetes
Type 1 Diabetes
According to the American Diabetes Association: “It Type 1 diabetes, the body does not produce insulin. The body breaks down the sugars and starches you eat into a simple sugar called glucose, which it uses for energy. Insulin is a hormone that the body needs to get glucose from the bloodstream into the cells of the body.”
While it’s possible to obtain life insurance if you have type 1 diabetes as long as your condition is well-controlled, the underwriting process is more difficult. If you’re approved, you most likely will be rated in a lower health class (“substandard”), which might only mean that your premiums will be higher or there will be a limit to how much life insurance coverage you are eligible for.
Type 2 Diabetes
According to the American Diabetes Association: “If you have type 2 diabetes, your body does not use insulin properly. This is called insulin resistance. At first, your pancreas makes extra insulin to make up for it. But, over time it isn’t able to keep up and can’t make enough insulin to keep your blood glucose at normal levels.”
Type 2 diabetes is also known as “adult onset diabetes.” It’s easier to get people with type 2 diabetes approved for life insurance coverage than those with type 1 diabetes. That’s because type 2 diabetes poses a lower risk to insurance companies as long as it’s controlled through medication or changes in health behaviors, there are no additional complications, and the disease is monitored by a physician. As a result, people with type 2 diabetes are able to get more affordable rates and better health ratings than those with type 1 diabetes can get.
Gestational Diabetes
According to Babycenter.com: “When you’re pregnant, your body naturally becomes more resistant to insulin so that more glucose is available to nourish your baby. For most moms-to-be, this isn’t a problem: When your body needs additional insulin to process excess glucose in blood, the pancreas secretes more. But if the pancreas can’t keep up with the increased demand for insulin during pregnancy, blood sugar levels rise too high because the cells aren’t using the glucose. This results in gestational diabetes.”
Since gestational diabetes is often a temporary situation involving glucose intolerance during pregnancy, many insurance companies aren’t overly concerned about a previous history of it. The biggest concern is if the diabetes continues after the pregnancy and becomes type 2 diabetes. If there are no additional signs of diabetes post-pregnancy, then obtaining good rates on life insurance should not be an issue.
True Blue Top 8 Diabetes-friendly Life Insurance Companies With No Medical Exam
Best for: | Minimum Age of Diagnosis | Maximum Face Value | |
---|---|---|---|
People with type 1 and type 2 diabetes | 50 | $250,000 | |
People with controlled type 2 diabetes | N/A | $50,000 | |
People with controlled type 2 diabetes | 50 | $250,000 | |
People with type 1 or type 2 diabetes | N/A | $50,000 | |
People with type 1 or type 2 diabetes | N/A | $100,000 | |
People with controlled type 2 diabetes (no insulin) | 50 | $500,000 | |
People with type 1 and type 2 diabetes | 30 | $400,000 |
True Blue’s Life Insurance Companies Without Medical Exams
At True Blue, we love life insurance companies that offer affordable rates and quality policies, and don’t require medical exams.
One of the biggest mistakes we see is customers overpaying for life insurance coverage because they thought they only had one or two choices of life insurance, given their diabetes. They didn’t realize that a diabetes diagnosis still allows for numerous options. Oftentimes people just settle for the first option they find. They end up buying a policy that isn’t affordable and may not be the best fit for them.
Qualifying for a no-exam life insurance policy is not complicated. As you begin working with your True Blue personal shopper, it’s important to be honest about any health or other issues you have, so they can best review the underwriting guidelines of the dozens of no-exam life insurance companies out there.
One of these no medical exam life insurance companies may be just the solution you need to get approved for the coverage you want, even with a diagnosis of diabetes. We work with many different carriers that are able to provide you life insurance and get you approved quickly. Most carriers will still request medical records and ask you about your current health status. Keep in mind that no-exam policies tend to be a little higher in price because the insurance company absorbs more risk.
Trying to secure a small business loan? Does a divorce decree or custody order require you have life insurance, but you’re finding it hard to get approved with your type 1 or type 2 diabetes? A no medical term life insurance policy will get you the protection you need quickly, without the monotonous process of a paramedical exam in your home or office.
True Blue Top 5 Diabetes-friendly Life Insurance Companies With a Medical Exam
Best for: | Minimum Age of Diagnosis | Maximum Face Value | |
---|---|---|---|
People with controlled type 2 diabetes | Assessed on a case-by-case basis | $500,000 | |
People with controlled type 1 or type 2 diabetes | Assessed on a case-by-case basis | $20,000,000 | |
People with controlled type 2 diabetes | Assessed on a case-by-case basis | $10,000,000 | |
People with controlled type 2 diabetes and some people with type 1 diabetes | 50+ (those with controlled type 2 diabetes can qualify for standard rate class) | $1,000,000+ | |
People with controlled type 2 diabetes | 30 | Varies based on age |
True Blue’s Life Insurance Companies With Medical Exams
Some of the best life insurance companies offer both no-exam and fully underwritten policies, but the savings are as varied as the companies themselves. There are times where a fully underwritten policy that requires a medical exam makes sense over a no-exam policy. Fully underwritten policies require a paramedical exam, where your vitals, a blood sample, and a urine sample are taken (the cost is covered by the insurance company), and the results are sent to the insurance company for review.
Once you purchase the policy and want a lower rate, you might be able to request a new medical underwriting at the anniversary of your policy being in force. It depends on the company. If the new results are better than the original ones, you can ask the company to re-evaluate your results and see if you meet the requirements for a lower price.
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