Most people with diabetes can still buy life insurance after 60. What it costs depends mostly on four things: which type of diabetes you have, your A1C (your average blood sugar over about three months), whether you take insulin, and whether you have complications such as kidney, eye, nerve or heart damage. Someone with well-controlled type 2 diabetes, diagnosed in middle age, with no complications, can often get a standard-rate policy. Insulin use, a high A1C or complications usually mean a higher "table rated" price, a smaller final expense policy, or a guaranteed issue policy with a waiting period.
This page explains what insurers ask, how they check your answers, what sample prices look like, and which policy types fit which situations. It is general information, not a recommendation of any company or plan. Each insurer sets its own rules and prices, and nothing here promises a rate or an approval.
How Common Diabetes Is After 60
About 27% of adults 60 and older have diabetes, counting diagnosed and undiagnosed cases (CDC National Center for Health Statistics, Data Brief No. 516, August 2021 to August 2023 data). Insurers see diabetic applicants every day and have written rules for them, so diabetes alone is rarely an automatic decline. The details move the price.
What Insurers Ask About Your Diabetes
Expect these on a full application or phone interview. Final expense applications ask fewer, usually as yes or no "knockout" questions.
| Question | Why it matters | What tends to help |
|---|
| Type 1 or type 2? | Type 1 usually starts younger and lasts longer, so insurers price it higher | Nothing to change, but report it accurately |
| Age when diagnosed | Earlier onset means more years with the disease | A diagnosis after 50 often gets better pricing |
| Most recent A1C and your average over the past year | Shows how well your blood sugar is controlled | A steady A1C, often under about 7 to 7.5 for type 2 |
| Medications | Pills only, or insulin, and how much insulin per day | Stable doses over time |
| Complications | Kidney disease, eye damage (retinopathy), nerve damage (neuropathy), poor circulation, amputation | No complications on record |
| Heart and blood pressure history | Diabetes raises heart risk, so insurers look at both together | Blood pressure and cholesterol under control |
| Height and weight | Weight is rated on its own and adds to diabetes risk | Weight within the insurer's chart for your height |
| Tobacco or nicotine use | Smokers pay much more, and rating tables stack on top of smoker rates | No tobacco for at least 12 months |
| Doctor visits and hospital stays | Shows whether your care is regular | Routine checkups and lab work on file |
The broker Policygenius, for example, says insurers ask for your most recent A1C and your 12-month average, and that a type 2 applicant with an A1C below 7.5 who follows their doctor's plan may qualify for average rates. That is one broker's general guidance, not a rule every company follows. Published A1C cutoffs vary from company to company.
How insurers check your answers
Even a policy with no medical exam is checked against outside records. Insurers commonly use:
- Prescription history reports. These show which drugs you filled, when, and at what doses. Metformin, insulin and other diabetes drugs show up here.
- MIB. A shared database of coded information from past applications for individually underwritten life or health insurance. You can request your own MIB file once a year at no charge at mib.com, plus another copy if an insurer turns you down or charges more based on an MIB record.
- Attending physician statements. Notes and lab results requested from your doctor, common for larger policies.
- Medical exam and labs. A blood and urine test that can include an A1C, used for fully underwritten policies.
Answer every question honestly. Most life insurance policies have a contestability period, usually the first two years. If you die during that period and the insurer finds a misstatement, such as an insulin prescription you left off, it can deny the claim. A higher premium is far better than a policy your family cannot collect on.
How Diabetes Affects Your Rate Class
Insurers sort applicants into rate classes. From cheapest to most expensive, the usual order is Preferred Plus, Preferred, Standard Plus, Standard, and then table ratings for higher risk. Tobacco users get their own, more expensive classes.
A table rating is a surcharge on top of the standard price. A common setup adds about 25% of the standard premium per table, so Table 2 costs roughly 150% of standard and Table 4 roughly 200%. Insurers label tables with numbers or letters, and some use different steps, so ask what a table means at that company.
Here is how diabetic applicants over 60 commonly land, based on published broker guidance. Treat it as a rough map, not a prediction.
| Your situation | Common outcome |
|---|
| Type 2, diagnosed after 50, pills only, A1C well controlled, no complications | Standard or Standard Plus. A few companies offer Preferred to older type 2 applicants with excellent control |
| Type 2 on insulin, controlled, no complications | Often a table rating, commonly Table 2 or higher |
| Type 2 with a higher A1C or one mild complication | Higher table rating, or a simplified issue final expense policy |
| Type 1, any age at diagnosis | Usually table rated |
| Kidney disease, amputation, insulin shock, diabetic coma, or several complications | Often declined for traditional coverage. Graded or guaranteed issue final expense may be the option |
Final expense insurers often ask yes or no questions instead, such as whether you needed insulin before a certain age (some use 45 or 50) or whether you have diabetic complications. A "yes" can move you from full coverage on day one to a graded benefit, or to guaranteed issue.
What Life Insurance Costs With Diabetes: Sample Prices
There is no official price list for private life insurance. Each company sets its own rates, and prices change with your state, sex, health and tobacco use. The samples below show how the numbers move. They are not quotes.
Sample term life prices with diabetes
Policygenius published these sample monthly rates for a 20-year, $500,000 term policy for nonsmokers. The illustrations are dated May 1, 2024, so current prices may differ.
| Age when you apply | Type 2, woman | Type 2, man | Type 1, woman | Type 1, man |
|---|
| 50 | $120.85 (Table 2) | $170.62 (Table 2) | $196.31 (Table 6) | $278.11 (Table 6) |
| 60 | $257.13 (Standard) | $359.01 (Standard) | $535.46 (Table 6) | $763.34 (Table 6) |
Source: Policygenius sample rates, 20-year term, $500,000, nonsmokers, valid as of 05/01/2024. Rates vary by insurer, health class and state.
Type 1 at 60 cost roughly twice the type 2 price here, because of the Table 6 rating. And $500,000 is more coverage than many people over 60 need; a smaller policy or a shorter term costs less. For sample prices on smaller policies by age, see our guide to life insurance for seniors.
How a table rating changes your premium
Using the common 25% per table setup, here is the math on a policy that would cost $100 a month at Standard:
| Rate class | Approximate monthly premium |
|---|
| Standard | $100 |
| Table 2 | About $150 |
| Table 4 | About $200 |
| Table 6 | About $250 |
This is arithmetic, not a quote. Moving one or two tables can matter more than the base price.
Official example: VA life insurance (VALife)
If you are a veteran, check VALife before anything else. It is guaranteed acceptance whole life insurance from the Department of Veterans Affairs for veterans with a service-connected disability rating, including a 0% rating. There are no health questions, so diabetes does not change the price. Veterans 80 or younger can apply with no time limit; those 81 and older qualify only under narrower rules. Type 2 diabetes is one of VA's presumptive conditions for veterans exposed to Agent Orange, so many Vietnam-era veterans already have, or could get, a rating. See our Agent Orange VA disability guide.
VA's monthly rates, based on your age when you apply (VA.gov, page updated October 13, 2026):
| Age when you apply | $10,000 coverage | $40,000 coverage |
|---|
| 60 | $50.00 | $200.00 |
| 65 | $62.00 | $248.00 |
| 70 | $78.00 | $312.00 |
| 75 | $99.50 | $398.00 |
| 80 | $127.50 | $510.00 |
Coverage goes up to $40,000 in $10,000 steps. Full coverage starts 2 years after you apply. If you die during those 2 years, VA pays your beneficiaries the premiums you paid plus interest (4.23% for a death in 2026).
Policy Types for Diabetics Over 60
| Policy type | Health review | Typical size | Waiting period | Fits best when |
|---|
| Fully underwritten term | Full application, often an exam and labs | $100,000 and up | None | Type 2 well controlled, need coverage for a set number of years |
| Fully underwritten whole or guaranteed universal life | Full application | $25,000 and up | None | Controlled diabetes, want lifelong coverage |
| Simplified issue final expense | Short yes or no questionnaire, no exam | Roughly $5,000 to $25,000 | None if you pass all questions | Insulin use or older age, funeral and final bills |
| Graded benefit final expense | Questionnaire | Roughly $5,000 to $25,000 | Partial payout for the first 2 to 3 years | You answer "yes" to some health questions |
| Guaranteed issue | No health questions | Roughly $5,000 to $25,000 | Usually about 2 years, with premiums refunded plus interest if you die of illness | Serious complications rule out everything else |
| Group life through work, or converted | Usually none at enrollment | Varies | None | You still work, or you are leaving a job with group coverage |
| VALife | None | Up to $40,000 | 2 years | Veterans with any service-connected rating |
Check coverage through work before you retire. Many group life plans let you convert to an individual policy with no health questions when you leave. New Hampshire law, for example, gives you 31 days after group coverage ends to apply, priced at your age then. Ask your plan for its deadline before your last day.
For more on these products, see our guides to final expense insurance and term vs whole life insurance for seniors.
How to Apply for Life Insurance With Diabetes: Step by Step
- Decide how much you need. Add up final bills, debts, and what a spouse would lose in income. For a funeral, see how much a funeral costs.
- Check coverage you already have. Look at work coverage, a spouse's policy, and VALife if you are a veteran.
- Gather your diabetes records. Have your last few A1C results, your diagnosis date, a list of medications and doses, and your doctors' names and addresses ready.
- Get a recent A1C on file. If your control has improved, a fresh lab result in your doctor's chart shows it. Insurers look at the trend, not one good day.
- Ask about several companies at once. Diabetes rules vary widely by company. An independent agent who can quote more than one insurer can sort out which ones are friendlier to insulin use, your A1C and your age. Ask what rate class they expect and why.
- Try the strictest underwriting you might pass first. A fully underwritten or simplified issue policy usually costs less than guaranteed issue and has no waiting period. Guaranteed issue is the fallback.
- Read the offer before you pay. Look for the rate class, any waiting period, whether premiums can rise, and when coverage ends. Most states give you a short free look period to cancel for a refund after the policy arrives.
- Ask for a review later. If you were table rated and your A1C stays controlled for a year or more, some insurers will reconsider the rating. Ask the company whether it allows this.
How Life Insurance Affects SSI, Medicaid and SNAP
Term life insurance has no cash value, so it does not count as an asset for SSI or Medicaid. Whole life is different. For SSI, if the total face value of all the whole life policies on one person is $1,500 or less, they are not counted. Above that, the cash surrender value counts toward the asset limit. Medicaid rules for older adults generally follow SSI, with state differences. Federal SNAP rules do not count the cash value of life insurance (7 CFR 273.8(e)(2)). Details are in our guide to life insurance as an asset for SSI and Medicaid and whether life insurance affects food stamps.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a diabetic get life insurance after 60?
Usually, yes. Many people with type 2 diabetes in their 60s qualify for standard or table rated term or whole life coverage after a health review. People with serious complications can usually still buy a smaller final expense or guaranteed issue policy, though often with a waiting period.
What A1C do you need for life insurance?
There is no single number. Each insurer sets its own limits. Broker guidance often puts the line for average rates around an A1C under 7 to 7.5 for type 2 diabetes, with some companies accepting higher readings at a higher price. Insurers usually look at your past year of results, not one test.
Does taking insulin disqualify you from life insurance?
No. Insulin use usually raises the price, often to a table rating, but it does not rule you out at most companies. Some final expense policies ask whether you started insulin before a certain age, such as 45 or 50, and a "yes" can mean a graded benefit.
Is there life insurance for diabetics with no medical exam?
Yes. Simplified issue policies use a questionnaire instead of an exam, and guaranteed issue policies ask no health questions. Both still check prescription records in most cases. Guaranteed issue costs more per dollar of coverage and usually pays only premiums plus interest for a death from illness in the first two years or so.
Can diabetic veterans get life insurance from VA?
Veterans with any service-connected disability rating, even 0%, can apply for VALife, which asks no health questions. It pays up to $40,000, and full coverage starts after 2 years. Type 2 diabetes linked to Agent Orange exposure is one of VA's presumptive conditions.
Does Medicare pay a death benefit?
No. Medicare is health insurance and does not pay life insurance or a death benefit. Social Security pays a one-time $255 death payment to an eligible surviving spouse or child. Our guide to help paying for a funeral lists other sources of help.
