Life insurance with diabetes

What actually happens when you apply

Most people with diabetes assume one of two things, and both are usually wrong: that they will be refused, or that it will not come up. Neither happens. Diabetes is one of the most common conditions underwriters see, every carrier has a published guideline for it, and the outcome is a rate class rather than a yes or no.

It will certainly come up. A prescription-history check shows metformin, insulin or a GLP-1 immediately, and medication histories are highly diagnostic. There is no version of this application where not mentioning it helps you — and a material omission gives the carrier grounds to contest a claim within the first two years.

The useful frame: you are not asking whether you can be insured. You are asking which carrier reads your file most favourably.

The rate class you can expect

Source: MoneyGeek, Best Life Insurance for Diabetes in 2026, last updated 13 August 2026. Rates shown are averages for non-smokers with well-controlled diabetes on a 20-year, $500,000 term policy. Source.

A table rating is a percentage loading applied on top of standard rates, usually expressed as Table A, B, C and so on, each step adding roughly 25% to the mortality charge. It is not a decline — it is a price. And it is reviewable: many carriers will reconsider a table rating after a year or two of good control.

What separates “well managed” from “not” in an underwriter’s eyes is mostly documentation: consistent A1C readings, a stable medication regimen, regular appointments kept, and no diabetes-related complications recorded. Age at diagnosis matters too — a diagnosis at 55 is read more favourably than the same diagnosis at 25, because it implies fewer decades of exposure.

A1C and the numbers underwriters use

Source: MoneyGeek, Best Life Insurance for Diabetes in 2026, last updated 13 August 2026. Rates shown are averages for non-smokers with well-controlled diabetes on a 20-year, $500,000 term policy. Source.

This single table is the most actionable thing on this page. A1C is a rolling three-month measure, which means it is one of the very few underwriting inputs you can genuinely move before you apply — unlike your age, your sex or your family history.

Underwriters also look at complications, and these move the file far more than the A1C number alone: retinopathy, neuropathy, nephropathy or any kidney involvement, cardiovascular disease, and a history of hospitalisation for diabetic ketoacidosis. A clean A1C alongside documented complications is read differently from a clean A1C alone.

What it costs

Average monthly premium, 20-year $500,000 term, non-smoking, well-controlled diabetes:

Source: MoneyGeek, Best Life Insurance for Diabetes in 2026, last updated 13 August 2026. Rates shown are averages for non-smokers with well-controlled diabetes on a 20-year, $500,000 term policy. Source.

What the application will ask

Expect these, and have the answers ready before you start rather than guessing:

• Type 1 or type 2, and the date of diagnosis.
• Your most recent A1C reading and the date — often the last two or three readings.
• Every medication, the dose, and how long you have been on it. Changes in insulin dose are read as a control signal.
• Height and weight.
• Tobacco or nicotine use. Diabetes plus smoking is the combination that does serious damage to a rate class.
• Any complications: eyes, kidneys, nerves, circulation, heart.
• Hospitalisations related to diabetes, including any episode of ketoacidosis.
• Your treating physician’s name, and how often you are seen.

The carrier will verify most of this against prescription records, the MIB exchange and, with your authorisation, your medical records. Consistency between what you say and what the records show is what a clean file looks like.

How to get a better offer

Get your A1C below the thresholds before applying, if you can. Because it is a three-month rolling measure, meaningful improvement takes a quarter, not a week. If your last reading was 8.2 and your doctor expects the next to be materially lower, waiting one quarter to apply can move you a rate class. That is a discussion to have with your physician, not with an insurance agent.

Bring recent documentation. An underwriter with current labs, a stable medication list and a note from your physician has less uncertainty to price for. Files with gaps get priced conservatively.

Apply to more than one carrier. This matters more with diabetes than with almost any other condition, because guidelines diverge sharply — on age at diagnosis, on acceptable A1C, on how insulin use is treated, on what counts as a complication. An independent agent who places diabetic cases regularly knows which carriers read which profiles well, and that knowledge is worth more than a price comparison.

Deal with the other levers. Tobacco, build and blood pressure are all underwritten alongside the diabetes, and all of them are movable.

Ask about reconsideration. Many carriers will review a table rating after 12 to 24 months of documented improvement and reduce it. Ask at the point of sale whether the carrier does this, and put a reminder in your calendar.

If you are declined

A decline from one carrier is information about that carrier’s guidelines, not a verdict on your insurability. In order, the routes that remain open:

1. Another fully underwritten carrier. The first and usually the best step.
2. Simplified issue. Health questions, no exam, smaller face amounts, faster decision. See no medical exam cover.
3. Group cover through work. Employer group life is usually guaranteed issue up to a limit with no health questions at all. It ends when the job does, but it costs nothing to take the full amount offered.
4. Guaranteed issue. Nobody is declined, the face amount is small and there is a two-year waiting period for natural-cause death. A genuine last resort, and explained fully in our final expense guide.

Frequently asked questions

Can I get life insurance with diabetes?

Yes. Well-controlled type 2 commonly qualifies for Standard or Standard Plus rates from many insurers and in some cases Preferred; type 1 usually results in a table rating, which raises the premium above standard (MoneyGeek, 13 August 2026). Preferred Plus is generally unavailable with either type.

Will I pay more?

With type 1, yes — published averages show roughly 10–13% above the type 2 figures. With well-controlled type 2, the published averages are the same as for applicants without diabetes. Complications, a high A1C or insulin use can change that materially in either case.

Does the insurer find out if I do not tell them?

Almost certainly, through the prescription-history check alone. Metformin, insulin and GLP-1 medications are unambiguous. Concealing it risks the carrier contesting a claim during the two-year contestability period, which is the worst possible outcome for your family.

Is pre-diabetes treated the same way?

No. Pre-diabetes is generally underwritten far more leniently than a diagnosis, and applicants with pre-diabetes often reach Preferred classes. It is still a question on the application and should still be disclosed.

Do I need a medical exam?

Not always, but a full exam can help rather than hurt if your numbers are good. Database-only underwriting sees a prescription list without the context of a recent clean A1C. If your control is strong and documented, full underwriting is often the route to the better rate class.

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