Diabetes Life Insurance
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Diabetes Life Insurance
Terry Williamson explains how life insurance works if you have diabetes.
Podcast approved by The Openwork Partnership on 02/10/2025.
Can I get life insurance if I have diabetes?
Yes, you can get life insurance if you’ve got diabetes. I’ve been through it myself – I had Type 2 diabetes.
You’re probably going to pay more than someone with no health issues. Insurance companies want to know what type of diabetes you have – whether it’s Type 1 or Type 2 – and how well you’re managing that situation.
Type 1 is when your body doesn’t produce insulin at all, so you need to inject it. With Type 2, your body does produce insulin, but not enough, or your body’s not using it properly; this is treated with lifestyle changes or tablets. Insurance companies would be looking at your A1C level, your overall health, what medications you’re on, whether you smoke etc.
If you’ve got your diabetes under control, you’re going to have way more options and better rates. If it’s poorly managed, or you have other complications, you might still get covered, but it’s going to cost a lot more.
Not all insurance companies treat diabetes the same way – some are more diabetes-friendly than others. It’s worth shopping around or working with a broker that understands what insurance companies are looking for.
So, you can definitely get life insurance if you have diabetes, and the cost will depend on how well your diabetes is controlled.
What types of life insurance are available to Type 1 or Type 2 diabetics?
If your diabetes is under control – so decent A1C level, no complications – and you’re keeping up reviews with your doctor, the better your chances.
Type 2 diabetics generally get better rates than those with Type 1, but it really is all about control of your diabetes. You’ll be able to apply for any life insurance, same as anyone else. So, level term, decreasing term, family income etc. are all available to you as a diabetic.
The key factor will always be how well your diabetes is controlled.
Do diabetics pay higher life insurance premiums?
Yes. Unfortunately, as a diabetic you’re going to pay higher life insurance premiums than someone without it.
Insurance companies see diabetes as a high-risk factor, especially if it’s not well-managed.
They’re looking at long-term health complications such as heart issues or kidney problems. Because of those long-term health risks, they’re going to charge more.
How much? This could depend on a few things. Type 1, as we said, comes with higher premiums than Type 2, because it starts earlier in life and unfortunately requires injecting insulin for life.
With Type 2, if you manage it well, with a good diet and decent A1C level, there are no complications. You’re going to get some better rates – not as low as someone without, but not sky high either.
Will diabetic complications like neuropathy or kidney disease affect my life insurance rates?
Diabetic complications like neuropathy or kidney disease are definitely going to affect your life insurance rates.
I hate to say it, but once diabetic complications start to show up, insurance companies are seeing some major red flags.
Neuropathy is nerve damage, usually in your feet or hands. If you have neuropathy, insurers will know that your diabetes has either been around for a while or that it hasn’t really been controlled. It’s really dependent on how severe that neuropathy is.
If diabetes has started affecting the kidneys – even early signs like protein in the urine – it seems a major risk factor. If you’re in the later stage of kidney disease, such as dialysis, it’s going to mean a decline.
If you’ve got diabetic complications, you can still get life insurance, but it’s going to be expensive. The severity of these complications could even mean you have insurance declined or fewer companies willing to actually take you on.
How does A1C level affect life insurance rates? Will insurers ask for recent blood glucose readings or A1C results?
Your A1C level is important when it comes to insurance. The biggest insurers will definitely ask for your most up-to-date readings.
Your A1C level provides a snapshot of your average blood sugar over the past two to three months, acting like a report card to show how well you’ve been managing your diabetes.
A good score on your A1C is anything under 7%. That shows you’re well-controlled, and you’ve got a much better shot at getting reasonable rates. Between 7 and 8, you might pay a little bit more. Anything over 8, you’re showing as a real high risk – expect higher premiums and possibly decline, depending on other factors.
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Does age at diagnosis impact life insurance premiums for diabetics?
Yes – as a diabetic, your age at diagnosis does impact life insurance premiums.
If you’re diagnosed with diabetes young – in your teens or 20s – it tends to be that you have Type 1. Insurers do see that as a high risk. The longer you’ve had diabetes, the more time for potential complications to creep in, such as heart problems or kidney issues. Even if you’ve been living with diabetes for decades and your symptoms are well-controlled, there’s still a greater chance of long-term wear and tear.
If you’re diagnosed with diabetes later in life – 40s or 50s, for example – this is mostly going to be Type 2, which is actually seen by insurers as lower risk. The reason for this is you haven’t had the condition for as long – and if you manage it well, the chance of complications is lower.
However, it’s all about control. Type 2, unlike Type 1, is reversible, as it’s usually down to lifestyle. I had Type 2 diabetes through eating too much, so I had to lose weight. Once I lost the weight, all my readings came down. I’m now off treatment, but have regular yearly reviews to ensure I don’t slip up and that there’s no other complications.
So, Type 2 can be reversed – but you still need to diagnose that you’re in a state called ‘pre-diabetes’. It’s all about looking after yourself once you’ve had that diagnosis.
What medical information do insurance companies require from diabetics?
Insurance companies will want to see your A1C level, to see how well your blood sugar has been controlled over the last two to three months. Obviously, the lower the number, the better. They will also want details of your medication – whether you’re on metformin for Type 2 diabetes or insulin for Type 1, and how long you’ve been on this.
They also want to know that you’re having regular reviews with your doctor and when your last review was. They’ll also be looking for ‘red flag’ complications – things like neuropathy, retinopathy (eye problems), kidney issues, foot ulcers and amputations. (Diabetes can, if untreated, lead to you having your foot amputated).
Other things considered include high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart disease and BMI (as obesity is a big contributing factor with Type 2 diabetes). Smoking and alcohol is also an issue for diabetics, so it’s all about managing yourself, staying on your medication and getting that A1 scale as low as possible.
If your diabetes is well-controlled, that will go a long way towards better insurance rates and more options for you.
Do diabetics always need a medical exam to get life insurance?
No. Diabetics would only need a medical exam to get life insurance if there was a lack of information, such as no up-to-date A1C readings, or if there were issues around blood pressure or obesity.
A medical screening would provide insurers with all of this information, and the opportunity to check on smoking or to obtain a urine sample. But the majority of cases would be assessed on information given at the outset.
Can managing diabetes better lower my insurance premiums?
Yes, absolutely. This is the key to what we’ve been talking about throughout this session. It’s all about managing your diabetes and getting that control. That’s the be all and end all of it, really.
Can I get life insurance with gestational diabetes? Is it better to apply before a gestational diabetes diagnosis resolves?
If you’re currently pregnant and you have gestational diabetes, most insurers are going to want to put your application on hold until after the baby is born and your blood sugar levels settle.
From insurers’ point of view, they don’t know whether your gestational diabetes is going to go away after your pregnancy or if it may develop into Type 2 diabetes. They’re going to want to see how it all plays out.
If everything goes back to normal and there’s no sign of any ongoing blood sugar issues, you’re going to be in the clear and probably get standard terms. If there are lingering issues, or signs of pre-diabetes, this could lead to postponements until a full diagnosis is confirmed.
If you’re pregnant, or planning a pregnancy, it is worth contacting a broker who can help talk these things through and provide options based on your current situation.
Are there diabetic-friendly insurers or those that offer better rates for diabetics?
Yes – there’s probably two insurers I’d consider to be slightly more diabetic-friendly than others; these are Royal London and Vitality.
Royal London generally seems to offer slightly better terms, and they are very vocal in the market about being good for diabetics.
Vitality rewards you for living a healthy lifestyle and providing information on this via an app, which keeps your premiums down. If you’re doing that, it probably means you’re also controlling your diabetes, which in turn gives you the best chance of keeping those rates down. As we’ve said, it’s all about control.
Do you have anything else to add? Any final thoughts?
Diabetes is not a lovely disease to have, but it’s all about making sure you look after yourself if you do have it.
Make sure you’re regularly consulting your doctor, managing your blood sugar levels and weight, and avoiding excessive drinking and smoking – all the usual things you need to do to live a healthy lifestyle.
This podcast/article is designed for guidance purposes only.
Approved by The Openwork Partnership on 02/10/2025.
Speak To An Expert
Our highly experienced Advisers are ready to help you with either buying or remortgaging a home, protecting your property and lifestyle along with saving you time and effort, ensuring you have a competitive deal right for you.
How much should I budget?
Whatever you can afford on a monthly basis. Each client’s income and expenditure is going to be completely different. Some will be able to afford more cover and others won’t be able to afford cover for everything. What’s really important is gauging what’s the most important level of cover for each individual.
It’s difficult to put an exact figure on how much you should budget, but as Mortgage Brokers, we will present different quotes offering different levels of cover, so that it remains affordable. Smokers have naturally higher premiums and ultimately someone with a larger mortgage should expect to budget more, as there is a bigger debt that needs to be protected. Budgeting between 5-10% percent of your monthly mortgage payment is probably a realistic amount to get an adequate level of cover.
What is business protection?
There are two main policies that could be taken out by a Limited Company Director. Relevant life insurance is usually used to protect the shares owned by a person, especially if you’re in partnership with another individual. This would pay out a lump sum to the business to ensure that the family of the person that’s passed away can be remunerated from the business for their shares so that the shares don’t fall to the family to then get passed away.
The other one is key person insurance, which is if you have an especially valuable worker that would be very hard to replace, you can take out a life policy that would pay out on their death to the business to help cover the costs of recruitment or training.
How can YBM help?
Many people believe that if they pay for cover, at the point of claim, insurance companies wouldn’t pay out. It’s important to be fully transparent with us or any adviser when arranging any form of protection policy, because if there is any missed declaration in terms of the medical questions that are given to the provider, then there is a chance that they could not pay out. If you have a legitimate claim and you are fully covered, then there’s no reason why they wouldn’t pay out.
When you speak to us here at YBM, we will only ever recommend a cover we believe is of a good enough quality to warrant paying for. On our website, there’s an about us page with all the team members or where you can contact us individually or you can give us a call on the central line.
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