Life Insurance for Diabetes

At Trusted Quote, we take life insurance for diabetics very seriously. Why? Because three of our very own are living with diabetes. Meet Heather, Steve, and Mike. We hope their stories inspire you...and show you that with good control, life insurance is just a click away. 

Nearly 26 million people in America have diabetes, and nearly 79 million more are at risk for developing this disease. Dale Evans, featured in our quote at the top of the page, is best known for writing the song "Happy Trails" as well as starring in 28 movies with her husband Roy Rogers, was one of the many affected by this disease. She persevered, starring in more than 40 movies, 4 TV shows, and writing 26 books during her long life.  

For those struggling to manage their diabetes, every day is a challenge. It might seem like an uphill battle to try and get life insurance while you've got your hands full just staying healthy, but we're here to help. If your diabetes is under control, you can get life insurance. 

Click Here for Life Insurance Quotes!

How does an insurer decide what my rate will be?

Steady blood glucose readings will help you qualify for life insurance.

They're going to take a lot of different factors into consideration. It's their job to figure out how big a risk you would be insure. If you're otherwise healthy and managing your diabetes, you're less of a risk to them, and you're more likely to be offered coverage. Others who have less control may be labeled high risk, or not offered coverage until they get their diabetes under control.

Here are the kinds of things the insurers look for:

• Your age of diagnosis
• If you were diagnosed 10 or 20 years ago, you’ll pay more than someone who was diagnosed 5 years ago.
• Your age now
• Insurance companies see you as less of a risk if you’re already old. The way they see it, young people diagnosed with diabetes have more time to develop complications. Onset at or after age 40 usually results in a better rate for you.
• Your height and weight
• Do you have a diet and exercise plan? Are you controlling your weight through diet and exercise?
• Your average glucose reading
• The medical examiner will want to know how well you’re managing your diabetes over time, not just on a particular day. How often do you test? Are your readings consistent? Do they show that you're doing a good job of keeping your blood sugar steady?
• A hemoglobin test (A1c)
  • Testing your A1c allows the insurance company to see how well you’re managing your diabetes.  It gives them a good idea of your blood sugar levels for the past couple months.
  • Average A1c for a non-diabetic: 5. 
  • Average A1c for diabetes that is well controlled:  6-8. (Under 6.5 is ideal.)
  • Average A1c for diabetes that is not well controlled: 10-12.
  • A1c above 12: It’s possible the insurer might decline your application or ask you to work harder on controlling your diabetes before approving you.
• Your medications and treatments
  • Insurers look more favorably on you if you treat your diabetes with oral medication, rather than insulin.
• Complications
  • It's harder to get insured if your medical record shows complications from diabetes, such as heart disease, nerve damage, liver damage, or eye problems.

How can Trusted Quote help me get insured?

We've helped hundreds of clients with diabetes get life insurance. Not all brokers are willing to do the work to help someone with diabetes go through the application process. We are.

Life insurance providers don't all do their underwriting in the same way. It's possible you could be accepted by one provider, but denied by another. It's important to work with someone who has a lot of experience with impaired risk applications and knows which insurers are likely to accept your application. This saves you time, money, and gets you insured much more quickly. It's all about experience—and at Trusted Quote, that's exactly what we offer.

No matter who you turn to when you're looking for high risk insurance, ask your agent:

• "How experienced are you with impaired risk underwriting?"
• "Have you insured many people with diabetes?"

If they can't answer your questions, it's a good idea to find another agent or broker.

We have an in-house underwriter who gets realistic quotes for our clients. He knows the ins and outs of coverage for diabetics, including the specific A1c numbers insurers want to see...and the ones they don't.

In some cases, we can even get diabetics approved at a "standard" health rating. The three key components of obtaining this rating are:

• Above average control, demonstrated in your glucose readings
• Regular check-ups with your doctor
• Good compliance with your doctor's suggestions regarding diet and exercise

What happens if I get denied?

Regular exercise is a part of keeping your weight under control.

Obviously, this isn't the outcome you're looking for...but it also isn't the end of the world. There are still two options at that point:

1. Take some time to get your diabetes under better control. You can reapply in a few months, when you can show a pattern of consistent glucose readings, along with a focus on healthy diet and exercise. If you lower your weight and your AIc reading, it could be a whole new ball game. (Plus, being in better health is always a good thing—do it for life insurance, but do it for you, too!)
2. If you're set on the idea of getting life insurance right this minute, you have another option in no medical exam life insurance. With this type of policy, you won't have to undergo a medical exam or answer questions about your health. The insurer will need to know your age and sex, and that's all. As you can guess, no medical exam life insurance costs much more than a policy that uses medical underwriting. It all depends on your health and your goals.

If you’re ready to apply for life insurance for diabetics, click the orange button below.

Click Here for Life Insurance Quotes!

Sources:
American Diabetes Association: American Diabetes Month