Can I get life insurance if I have Diabetes?
There are many myths about diabetes. These myths stand in the way of the facts about this very serious and sometimes deadly disease.
These myths often stand in the way of families obtaining the life insurance they need because they think a diagnosis of diabetes means that their life insurance premiums will be too high for them to afford or they might be turned down for life insurance altogether.
It also helps to know why you got diabetes in the first place.
Were you diagnosed with diabetes as a child or an adult?
Do you have type 1 or type 2 diabetes?
Do you take insulin to control your diabetes or do you take an oral medication such as Metformin? It is also possible that you keep your diabetes under control with diet and exercise.
There are myths about life insurance for a diabetic just like there are myths about life insurance for a cancer survivor.
What are the early signs of diabetes?
If you haven’t been to see the doctor but have the following symptoms, you should make an appointment and get checked out:
- Always thirsty
- Always hungry
- You have cotton/dry mouth
- Urinate more than usual and or have urinary infections
- You are losing weight but not dieting
- Always tired or weak
- Have blurry vision
- Frequent headaches
Can you get rid of diabetes?
It all depends on the type of diabetes that you have. Diabetes cannot be cured completely but with the right treatment and diet, you may be able to see your diabetes go into remission. This is when your blood glucose level returns to normal without any medications for at least a year.
Can you test yourself for diabetes?
Yes, you can always test yourself with a blood glucose meter to determine your level. It is wise to also have a checkup with your general physician for a professional opinion. A blood glucose meter can be purchased at most drug stores like CVS, Walgreens, Publix or Kroger.
Can diabetes kill you?
Diabetes can kill you. Type 1 diabetics are at the highest risk. Untreated diabetics can experience a diabetic coma. The most common side effects of diabetes that are life-threatening:
- Heart disease
- Stroke
- Kidney failure
- High Blood Pressure
- Blindness
- Nerve Damage
- Gum disease
The proper treatment can help control your diabetes and prevent the problems above.
Are rates higher for life insurance for diabetics?
Diabetes does have a direct influence on your life insurance rates. Life insurance for type 1 diabetes is generally the most affected. Applicants for life insurance with diabetes type 2 will also see strict underwriting to determine rates for life insurance.
Certain life insurance companies are better to work with than others. We can gather some information about your health condition and make recommendations as to what carriers to consider.
Life insurance is one of the most important safety nets that you’ll ever buy for your loved ones. An insurance plan will give your family the money that they need to get through a difficult time.
If you’re a diabetic, you may encounter some unique obstacles, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t get a quality plan at an affordable rate. If you’re wondering what’s the best life insurance for diabetics, we can answer your questions and help you get the coverage you deserve.
We Have Life Insurance For Diabetics
Type 2 diabetics often quality at standard rates. It is important to control your condition and work with the right insurance company to get the life insurance you and your family need.
Knowing the facts about diabetes and diabetic life insurance will help you understand your condition and how it will affect your plans for life insurance coverage. This list addresses some common misconceptions about diabetes and the truth behind these myths. If you’re wondering can diabetics get life insurance, keep reading to learn the facts.
Myth: Diabetes Is Not A Serious Disease
Wrong. Diabetes can cause skin, eye, and foot complications, heart disease, hypertension, stroke, nerve damage, and many other serious and often life-threatening conditions.
It could be that the frightening prevalence of diabetes, 9.3% of the U.S. population in 2022 according to the American Diabetes Association, has relaxed opinion as to the dangers of the 7th leading cause of death in the United States.
Finding life insurance for type one diabetes or type 2 diabetes should not be taken lightly. Yet, having this condition does not mean that the financial security for your loved ones that a life insurance policy brings is out of your reach.
Myth: If You Have Diabetes It Means Your Body Doesn’t Produce Enough Insulin.
This myth can lead to other misinformation about diabetes concerning its causes and prevention. Insulin is produced by the pancreas to help glucose in your bloodstream get to your cells for fuel.
If you have type 1 diabetes your body does not produce any insulin, but Type 1 represents only 5% of those diagnosed with diabetes.
There are some people with type 2 diabetes who don’t produce enough insulin but many people with type 2 diabetes have a condition known as insulin resistance.
They produce the insulin needed to get glucose to their cells, but the cells do not recognize and use the insulin correctly. This leads to high blood sugar levels because the glucose is not going where the insulin is supposed to help it to get, to your cells as fuel.
Myth: Everyone Who Is Overweight Will Eventually Develop Type 2 Diabetes
According to the American Diabetes Association, “most overweight people never develop type 2 diabetes, and many people with type 2 diabetes are at a normal weight or only moderately overweight.”
Being overweight and other dietary factors are not the only risk factors associated with diabetes. Other important risk factors such as family history and ethnicity are often overlooked because obesity and diet are the only causes of diabetes that many people consider at all.
When it comes to life insurance, obesity is a serious health concern whether you have diabetes or not, although neither condition will prevent you from obtaining the life insurance you need.
Myth: Eating Too Much Sugar Causes Diabetes
According to Everyday Health, “because type 2 diabetes is linked to high levels of sugar in the blood, it may seem logical to assume that eating too much sugar is the cause of the disease.
But of course, it’s not that simple. Research has found that a high-sugar diet certainly increases diabetes risk — adding just one serving of a sweetened beverage each day to your diet ups risk by 15 percent, but calories that come from both carbohydrates and fats also contribute to the development of diabetes.”
A high-sugar diet is not a good health choice, but again, concentrating on a single factor to control your diabetes risk, or any health risk for that matter, is shortsighted and unhealthy.
An overall healthy diet, including limited sugar intake, is the path to a decreased risk of diabetes and other diseases.
Myth: Diabetics Must Eat A Special Diabetic Foods Diet
Unless you are someone who thinks fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and whole grains are special diabetic foods, this is not true.
You may have to change your diet and spend more time planning your diet, but you won’t have to buy special foods or prepare yourself a different meal from the rest of your family.
Diabetic Living’s list of ‘Top 25 Power Foods for Diabetes‘ includes apples and avocados, beans and blueberries, fish, garlic, melon, nuts, red onions, and raspberries. I think I could live on this list of ingredients alone!
Changing your diet to improve your health is good for you, your family, and your life insurance budget. Better health means you can be placed in a more favorable risk category and pay lower priced life insurance for a diabetic.
Getting Affordable Term Life Insurance for Diabetics
One of the most common reasons that people with diabetes don’t get insurance coverage is because they assume that it’s going to be too expensive to fit in their budget.
In most cases, this couldn’t be further from the truth.
If you want to save money, then you’ll need to make a few simple lifestyle changes, like cutting out tobacco if you smoke or chew.
In fact, smokers pay at least twice as much for a plan versus what a non-smoker is going to pay for the same sized plan. If you want to save money on your life insurance as a person with diabetes, you’ll need to cut those cigarettes once and for all.
Another way to secure lower premiums is by improving your overall health. Before the insurance company approves your application, you’re going to have to take a medical exam.
The results of the medical exam are going to play a major role in how much you pay every month. If you want lower premiums, you’ll need to get better results, which means better health.
Life insurance companies base their underwriting decisions for diabetic clients on many different factors, including:
- When were you diagnosed?
- Are there additional risk factors?
- Is there a history of diabetes in your family?
- Your current age, height, and weight
- Your overall medical history
- What type of diabetes do you have?
- What medications you are currently taking?
- What are your glucose/blood sugar levels?
- What is your A1C level?
The two main ways to do this is by starting a diet and getting exercise. Both of these can help you lose weight, manage your glucose levels, and reduce your chances of being diagnosed with other health complications.
These two simple changes could cut your premiums by 50% or more depending on the status of your current health. Your bank account and your doctor will both thank you.
The best way to ensure that you’re getting the lowest premiums is by using an independent insurance broker.
Every insurance company is different, and all of the companies are going to give you different rates based on your diabetes and their medical underwriting. Finding the right company could be the difference in getting affordable life insurance for a diabetic or paying for an expensive policy.
Example Of Getting Life Insurance With Diabetes Type 1 or Type 2
Luke applied for term life insurance when he was 56 years old and was diagnosed with diabetes at age 50. His A1C level is 6, which is just above normal. Luke keeps his diabetic condition stable through a healthy diet and regular exercise.
He has received positive results from follow-up appointments with his doctor and has no other medical conditions.
Luke will be able to be approved at a standard rating class. His yearly premium for a 10-year term $250,000 life insurance policy is around $900 per year.
Luke has brought his diabetes under control with lifestyle changes, not medication, and that is key. Medicines that treat disease often have harmful side effects that worry life insurance underwriters as much as the condition being treated.
Also, Luke was diagnosed later in life and insurers prefer this over someone diagnosed at a younger age. Adult-onset diabetes is much easier to insure at a better rate.
Leah was 45 when she applied for term life insurance. Her doctor told her that she had diabetes when she was 42. Her A1C level is 7, well above the level of 6.5 considered to indicate that diabetes is present.
She keeps her condition stable with medication and has had positive results from her follow-up appointments with her doctor.
With no other medical conditions, Leah was approved but her diabetes life insurance policy received a table rating and pay 50% more than the standard rate. Her condition is stable, yet slightly less under control than Luke’s, and with the use of medication, with no mention of diet or exercise efforts to improve her health.
Now we have Don. Don applied for term life insurance at age 60. He was diagnosed with diabetes at age 24. His A1C level is 10, which is through the roof.
Don has never treated his diabetes because he never thought he had a problem. Don also hasn’t seen his doctor in several years.
Don had no other medical conditions, but due to the fact that he wasn’t receiving any treatment for diabetes, he was declined for coverage.
He was diagnosed very early in life; which insurers do not like to see. Especially with type 2 diabetes, an early diagnosis is often an indicator of poor lifestyle choices that have led to their illness.
Luckily for Don, he was able to qualify for a final expense life insurance policy to cover burial cost down the road.
These policies can be more expensive and offer less coverage but with something as important as life insurance, that is sometimes the choice you must make.
We helped Don get a much-needed guarantee issue life insurance policy, even though he had been turned down for life insurance in the past.
We deal with clients with severely impaired risk every day and know which insurers will offer them the life insurance coverage they need, at the most affordable prices.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will my life insurance premium be higher if I have diabetes?
Diabetes does have a direct influence on your life insurance rates. Type 1 diabetes will have the largest effect. Type 2 diabetics will also see strict underwriting to determine rates for life insurance. Certain life insurance companies are better to work with than others. Ogletree Financial is a life insurance brokerage and can gather some information about your health condition and make recommendations as to what carriers to consider.
How can I get the lowest life insurance premiums if I am a diabetic?
If you are a diabetic, the best way to ensure that you’re getting the lowest premiums is by using with an independent insurance broker. Unlike a traditional insurance agent, independent brokers work with dozens of highly rated life insurance companies across the nation, and Ogletree Financial Services can bring all of the best insurance rates directly to you.
My diabetes is not well-managed, can I get life insurance?
Luckily, even people with more severe and less well-managed diabetes can get life insurance. There are guaranteed issue policies, and no health exam policies that cater to clients in this position. These policies can be a little more expensive and offer less coverage but with something as important as life insurance, that is sometimes the choice you must make.
