06 Feb Type 1 Diabetes & Life Insurance
Carrying a diagnosis of Type 1 diabetes can make getting life insurance complicated. Some
people have been denied for a life insurance policy and told they would not be able to have the
coverage they need to take care of their loved ones. This is not true. While it may be more
expensive and tricky, that does not mean you cannot qualify for life insurance coverage. There
are several reasons life insurance companies see diabetes, both type 1 and 2 as a high risk, but
it’s not that straightforward. Let’s review and see what you can do to ensure you can protect your
loved ones with life insurance if you have diabetes
Diabetes
The best place to begin is to look at what diabetes is and what the difference is between type 1
and 2. Diabetes is an ongoing medical condition where the pancreas produces little or no insulin,
which is a required hormone for our bodies to manage sugar. Sugar, or glucose, needs insulin to
enter the body’s cells and produce the energy we need to do our regular life tasks. Without this
natural system working, it will cause the body to have problems, and those problems can lead to
more serious problems.
Type 1 diabetes was once termed juvenile diabetes or insulin-dependent diabetes because the
pancreas does not produce enough or any insulin. It usually appears in childhood or adolescence
and is often related to genetics or exposure to certain types of viruses. Type 1 can begin in
adulthood, but this is less common. There is no cure for diabetes, but it is manageable with
proper treatment of the required insulin and frequent blood sugar monitoring. Self-care is just as
important, such as eating healthy foods, carbohydrate counting, and regular exercise to maintain
a healthy weight.
Type 2 diabetes is more common and often develops as an adult because the pancreas stops
making enough insulin or the body develops a resistance to the insulin produced. The treatment
for Type 2 diabetes does not always include insulin, for some, it can be controlled with a healthy
diet and exercise. If you are overweight, it can add problems to your diabetic status, so weight
loss is often an important element in controlling Type 2 diabetes.
Complications
Type 1 diabetes can lead to complications in the long-run, which is one reason some life
insurance companies will deny an application and why it causes the application to be high-risk.
Type 1 diabetes can cause damage to the heart and blood vessels leading to cardiovascular
problems like stroke and heart attack. It can also cause nerve damage, neuropathy, by excess
sugar damaging the walls of the tiny blood vesicles that nourish the nerves. This is particularly
the case for the legs, and this causes problems for the limb affected. Damage can also affect the
kidneys, eyes, mouth, skin, and issues during pregnancy. The good news is that any damage that
Type 1 diabetes can cause can be minimized by a proper diet and exercise.
Best Rates
There are things you can do to help you get the best life insurance rates possible and to avoid being denied. The insurance underwriters, the people that rate your case, will want to know several specifics about your health and your treatment.
You should prepare yourself to answer these types of questions:
recommendations regularly
To show evidence of your health, treatment, and lifestyle, you will need to gather your medical
records and have your physician write a letter about how you manage your diabetes. These may
seem like a pain, but it will help you get the best rates possible and can keep your policy request
from being denied.
Underwriters
It’s good to know how the underwriters look at Type 1 diabetes cases. The lab results for the
A1c, technically the HbgA1c, is the most important information and where their main concerns
lie. It’s all about the blood sugar levels. They use the A1c levels over a period of three months
to determine how controlled your diabetes is on average. Each life insurance company’s rules
are a little different, but this is an average of how they view the A1c:
Obviously, you can see that you keeping your blood sugar levels under control is vital, and not
just for your overall health but also to help you get better rates for life insurance.
Options
You can go through the regular process of applying for life insurance, which requires a medical
exam. A regular policy procedure is the best choice for cost your best option if you are able to
keep your diabetes under control and your overall health is good.
Another option is to look at life insurance policies that do not require a medical exam.
Not having a medical exam for a term policy does not mean there is not any underwriting.
You will need to show your medical records and how you manage your diabetes. This option will be more expensive, but the process is
quicker, and no medical exam is required. The third option is a guaranteed life insurance policy,
which works similar to term policies, but it is the most expensive option and does not require a
medical exam.
What You Can Do
Applying for the life insurance you need to protect and take care of your loved ones when you
have Type 1 diabetes is complicated. After reading what is involved and the options available,
you know that it is going to be a time-consuming process. You can save yourself the hassles by
having some great help. The Life Insurance Store is an insurance comparison company that can do the work for
you.
Contact The Life Insurance Store by visiting them on the web or calling to visit with a friendly agent that
will take the work on for you. They have access to many companies and will find the right life
insurance option at the best price for you.
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