Can I get life insurance with diabetes?
What an insurance company looks at when you have diabetes, why two companies can answer the same file differently, and how to apply.
- Diabetes is one of the most common conditions in South Texas, and life insurance companies review applications with it every day.
- Each company writes its own rules, so one may charge a well controlled Type 2 applicant its usual rate while another puts the same file two price levels higher.
- Do not apply to several companies at once without checking first, because each application is recorded and a stack of them looks worse than one.
Yes. Diabetes is one of the most common conditions in South Texas, and companies review applications with it every day. What varies is the price, and it varies more than with almost any other condition.
What the underwriter is looking at
Underwriting is the review a company does before it answers your application. It reads your health history and decides the price, or whether to offer at all. With diabetes, these are the things it looks at.
- Type 1 or Type 2.
- Your age at diagnosis, and how long ago it was.
- Your recent A1C readings, a blood test the company asks for, and whether they hold steady.
- Whether you use insulin, and how much.
- Complications, meaning kidney, eye, nerve or heart history.
- Other risk factors stacked on top, mainly tobacco and blood pressure.
One file shows Type 2 diagnosed at 55, an A1C around 6.8 and no complications. Another shows Type 1 diagnosed at 19 and a history of hospital stays. Both are insurable, but they will not be priced the same way.
Why the answer changes by carrier
A carrier is the company that issues the policy, and each one writes its own underwriting rules. Those rules sort you into a rate class, the price level the company charges you. One may cap a well controlled Type 2 applicant at standard rates. Another may offer standard plus, the class above it. A third may rate that same person up two classes, which means a higher price.
Nothing about your health changed between those three answers. That is why applying to one company and accepting its answer is the most expensive way to buy this coverage.
How to give yourself the strongest shot
- Get your recent A1C numbers before you apply, not after.
- Be exact about medications and doses, because the prescription database will show them anyway.
- Do not apply to several companies at once without checking first, since each application is recorded and a stack of them looks worse than one.
- Let an agent pre screen your file with underwriters informally first, which costs nothing and creates no record.
If you have been declined before
A decline is not permanent, and it does not speak for the other companies. Underwriting rules change. Your recent numbers may read better than the ones that company saw, and the carrier that declined you may have been the wrong one. Bring the decline letter. It tells us what to avoid.
If nothing standard is available
There is still guaranteed issue coverage, which asks no health questions at all. It costs more, and during the first few years it limits the death benefit, the money paid to your family. It is real coverage, and it is often the right answer for someone with recent complications.
Let us shop it properly
We know which carriers treat diabetes well and which do not. Get your recent A1C numbers together, and we will run your file past underwriters before you apply anywhere. Call our McAllen office at (956) 687 3334, or use the ZIP form on this page. Se habla español.
Common follow-up questions
Will they test my blood?
If the company is doing full underwriting, yes, and the lab work includes an A1C. There is no lab on a simplified issue final expense policy, which means the company asks health questions instead of drawing blood. It checks your answers against a prescription record.
Does gestational diabetes count?
Carriers usually treat gestational diabetes that has gone away very differently from ongoing Type 2. Say so clearly on the application, with the dates.
Should I wait until my A1C improves?
If your numbers sit close to a company's cutoff and are trending down, waiting a few months can move you a rate class. If they are steady, waiting only adds age, and age raises the price.
How much should it pay?
The death benefit is what your family receives. Most final expense policies here run between $5,000 and $25,000.
What kind of coverage?
Not sure is a fine answer. Your agent will walk you through the difference.
Male or female?
Rates are set separately for each, so this one changes the number.
When were you born?
Age is the single biggest thing that moves a final expense premium.
Any nicotine in the last year?
Cigarettes, cigars, chew or vape. Answering honestly keeps the quote accurate.
Who are we quoting?
So your agent knows who they are calling.
Where should we call you?
One call with your prices. No robocalls, no list selling.
Want a copy by email?
Optional. It means you have the numbers in writing after the call.
By pressing “Get my quote” you agree a licensed McAllen Insurance Group agent may contact you by phone, text or email at the details you provide, including by automated dialing. Consent is not required to buy. This is a request for a quote, not an application, and not an offer of coverage.
Getting your request to an agent
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An agent will call you with the prices. If you would rather not wait, call us now.
Call (956) 687 3334Monday to Friday, 9 AM to 6 PM. Se habla español.
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Gerino Alejos
Licensed insurance agent · License 3128710 · NPN 18243381
Owner of McAllen Insurance Group, an independent agency on North 10th Street in McAllen. Works with clients across Hidalgo, Cameron and Starr counties on Medicare, Marketplace health, life and auto coverage. Se habla español.