Diabetes and Life Insurance: The Complete Guide

Last updated September 2026

A diabetes diagnosis — type 1, type 2, or gestational — does not close the door on life insurance. Most applicants qualify, and how well-managed the condition is matters far more than the diagnosis itself.

Diabetes: at a glance

Coverage is available — type 1 and type 2 diabetes don’t rule out life insurance on their own.
Your A1C trend and how long you’ve been diagnosed matter more than the diagnosis label itself.
Rate classes vary a lot by carrier for the same profile, so comparing more than one matters here.

Can You Get Life Insurance With Diabetes?

Yes. Diabetes is one of the most common conditions life insurance underwriters evaluate, and most carriers have well-established rate classes for it rather than a flat yes-or-no. What moves the needle is how long you’ve had the diagnosis, your recent A1C readings, whether you’ve had any complications, and how consistently you manage it.

Someone recently diagnosed with a well-controlled A1C and no complications is viewed very differently than someone with a decade-long history and related heart or kidney involvement — even though both carry the same underlying diagnosis.

A1C: The Number Underwriters Watch Most

Your A1C reflects your average blood sugar over roughly the past three months, and it’s the single lab value underwriters lean on most heavily. The clinical diagnostic ranges, per the CDC, are below:

A1C Result	Clinical Category	General Underwriting Significance
Below 5.7%	Normal	Not applicable to a diabetes diagnosis
5.7% – 6.4%	Prediabetes	Usually has little to no effect on its own; often reviewed alongside weight and family history
6.5% – 7.0%	Diabetes, well-controlled	Frequently the best available tier for a diabetes diagnosis
7.1% – 8.0%	Diabetes, moderately controlled	Often a mid-tier outcome; a stable or improving trend helps
Above 8.0%	Diabetes, less controlled	More likely to see a higher-risk tier, especially with related complications

Clinical diagnostic ranges per the CDC (see Further Reading below). The underwriting column is a general pattern, not a guarantee — every carrier sets its own thresholds and some weigh recent trend over a single reading.

Type 1 vs. Type 2 Diabetes: How Underwriting Differs

Both types are underwritten on the same core factors — A1C, duration, complications, and management — but carriers typically start from a different baseline for each, and type 2 is broken into meaningfully different tiers depending on how it’s treated.

Type 1 Diabetes

Because type 1 is typically diagnosed earlier in life and requires lifelong insulin, carriers weigh age at diagnosis, years living with the condition, hypoglycemia history, and complication status. Consistent glucose control and no history of severe low-blood-sugar episodes requiring emergency care both work in your favor.

Type 2 Diabetes: Diet-Controlled

Type 2 managed through diet and lifestyle alone, with a well-controlled A1C, is generally the most favorably underwritten tier — some carriers treat it very close to a non-diabetic applicant if there are no other risk factors.

Type 2 Diabetes: Oral Medication

Metformin and similar oral medications (including newer classes like SGLT2 inhibitors and GLP-1 agonists) are extremely common and, alongside a controlled A1C, typically land in a solid standard-range tier.

Type 2 Diabetes: Insulin-Requiring

Needing insulin for type 2 diabetes is reviewed more closely, since it can signal a longer or more advanced history — but a stable A1C and no complications still keeps most applicants in a reasonable tier.

Type 2 Diabetes in Remission

Significant weight loss, bariatric surgery, or lifestyle changes can bring some type 2 cases into remission (normal blood sugar without medication). Carriers vary on how they treat this — some reassess you closer to non-diabetic status after a sustained period of normal labs, others still underwrite based on your diabetes history.

Diabetes Technology as a Positive Signal

Continuous glucose monitors (CGMs), insulin pumps, and structured diabetes self-management education programs are increasingly common — and increasingly viewed favorably by underwriters, since they’re strong evidence of active, consistent management rather than sporadic control.

CGM or flash glucose monitoring data showing time-in-range
Insulin pump or hybrid closed-loop ("artificial pancreas") system use
Completion of a structured diabetes education program with your care team

Complications That Affect Your Rate

Diabetes itself is usually less significant to an underwriter than whether it has caused related complications elsewhere in the body. These are reviewed individually and can matter more than the A1C reading alone:

Diabetic Retinopathy

Eye damage from diabetes, ranging from mild to vision-threatening. Mild, stable retinopathy typically has less impact than an active or progressing case.

Diabetic Nephropathy (Kidney Involvement)

Even early-stage kidney involvement is reviewed closely, since it can signal broader vascular impact — see our chronic kidney disease guide for more on how that’s underwritten on its own.

Diabetic Neuropathy

Nerve damage, often in the feet and hands. Underwriters look at severity and whether it’s progressing or stable.

Cardiovascular Disease

Diabetes and heart disease are closely linked, so a diabetes application often includes a closer look at blood pressure, cholesterol, and any cardiac history.

Other Types of Diabetes

LADA (Latent Autoimmune Diabetes in Adults)

Sometimes called "type 1.5," LADA progresses more slowly than classic type 1 but is autoimmune like type 1. Underwriters typically want clarity on which type it more closely resembles clinically before assigning a tier.

MODY (Maturity-Onset Diabetes of the Young)

A rarer, genetic form of diabetes that doesn’t fit neatly into type 1 or type 2. Because it’s uncommon, expect more individualized underwriting and a request for detailed records from your endocrinologist.

Gestational Diabetes

Diabetes diagnosed during pregnancy that typically resolves after delivery. If your blood sugar has returned to normal postpartum with no ongoing diagnosis, most carriers do not treat this as an ongoing diabetes history — though it can be a factor in future risk assessment.

Prediabetes

An A1C of 5.7%–6.4% without a diabetes diagnosis. On its own, prediabetes usually has little to no effect on your rate, though it may be reviewed alongside weight, family history, and other metabolic factors.

Tips to Improve Your Outcome

Get recent labs (ideally within 6 months) showing a stable or improving A1C trend before applying
Bring CGM or pump compliance data if you use one — it’s a genuine positive signal
Be specific about complications (or the lack of them) rather than leaving underwriters to assume the worst case
Compare more than one carrier — diabetes is a category where the same profile can land in very different tiers from one company to the next
Consider simplified or guaranteed-issue coverage as a fallback if a more complex history makes traditional underwriting a harder fit

This is general education, not medical advice, and it doesn't guarantee a specific rate class or approval. Underwriting depends on your full health history and the guidelines of the insurer you apply with.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you get life insurance with type 1 diabetes?

Yes. Type 1 diabetes doesn’t prevent you from getting life insurance. Underwriters look at your age at diagnosis, years living with it, A1C control, and whether you’ve had any complications or severe hypoglycemic episodes.

Can you get life insurance with type 2 diabetes?

Yes, and type 2 is one of the more routinely underwritten conditions. Diet-controlled cases with a well-managed A1C are often rated close to non-diabetic applicants; oral medication and insulin-requiring cases are reviewed on their own control and complication history.

What A1C do I need for the best life insurance rate?

There’s no single universal number since every carrier sets its own thresholds, but an A1C in the 6.5%–7.0% range with no complications is frequently the best-available tier for a diabetes diagnosis. Lower and more stable is generally better.

Does using an insulin pump or CGM help my application?

It can. Consistent CGM or pump data is evidence of active, well-managed diabetes, which underwriters generally view favorably compared to sporadic self-monitoring.

Can I get life insurance if my diabetes is in remission?

Often, yes, and some carriers will reassess you closer to non-diabetic status after a sustained period of normal labs without medication. Carriers vary on exactly how they treat remission, so it’s worth comparing more than one.

Does gestational diabetes affect life insurance permanently?

Usually not, if your blood sugar returned to normal after delivery and you have no ongoing diagnosis. Most carriers don’t treat resolved gestational diabetes as an active diabetes history.

What do insurers ask about diabetes on a life insurance application?

Typically: type of diabetes, date of diagnosis, current medications or insulin use, your most recent A1C, and whether you’ve experienced any complications like eye, kidney, nerve, or heart issues.

What should I do if I’ve been declined because of diabetes?

A decline from one carrier doesn’t mean every carrier will decline you — appetite for diabetes varies a lot company to company. Simplified-issue or guaranteed-issue coverage is also worth exploring as an alternative path.