- Am I uninsurable?
The answer is more than likely NO. Life insurance underwriters are real sticklers for control when it comes to diabetes. If your hbA1c is above 10, you would likely be postponed until your glucose levels are below 10 and showing steady improvement. This is not different than your own doctor’s goal for you. It is possible you could be declined if you have poorly controlled diabetes in combination with coronary artery disease.
- What are the criteria to get the best possible life insurance rates if I have diabetes?
Onset after age 50, hbA1c below 6.5, compliance with treatment and monitoring, and good control of any other risk factors such as blood pressure, cholesterol and weight.
- My doctor says that my diabetes is improving to the point that I may be able to control it with diet, no meds. Can I get better rates because I am cured?
There are really two separate issues. Having your diabetes controlled without meds, and having at least a six month track record of good control without meds, is a plus. We should be able to get you better rates at that point. You may never see preferred plus rates again, because the truth is that you still have diabetes, albeit well controlled.
- I don’t know what my A1c level is. Can I still get a quote?
The answer is no. Without the hbA1c, any quotes I could offer would be just a wild guess, and I don’t do that. The truth is that you SHOULD know your A1c for your own information. If you don’t know it, call your doctor and find out what it is.
- Does a family history of diabetes hurt my chances of getting good rates?
If you have a family history of diabetes, we would simply avoid the companies that use that as underwriting criteria. There are actually only a few companies that use that family history.
- I am overweight, 5’10, 285, and have type 2 diabetes. Can I still get insurance?
Yes, as long as your diabetes is well controlled. The rates won’t be as good as you would get at say, 5’10, 220, but you should still be able to get good rates.
- My doctor says that I am doing fine with my A1c at 7.5. How does a life insurance company view it?
Life insurance companies, in general, view an A1c below 6.5 as excellent, 6.5 to 7.5 as moderate, and above 7.5 as poor control. At 7.5 you would not get the best rates available for people with diabetes, but you should be able to still get affordable coverage.
- Can you get better rates than my Allstate agent?
Yes! The same goes for Farmers, State Farm, Farm Bureau, American Family and so on. Most captive agents, agents that can only write for one company, do not have access to the best rates available. By representing over 40 companies, we know where the best rates are, and are kept abreast of any changes in underwriting, so we can always steer you in the right direction.