Can you get life insurance with pre-existing conditions?

What is a pre-existing health condition?

A pre-existing condition is a medical issue you were diagnosed with or treated for before you apply for life insurance. Usually, only chronic, reoccurring, or ongoing medical conditions have the potential to affect your application for life insurance. A broken leg five years ago won’t affect your eligibility, but diabetes, even if well managed, will. Common pre-existing conditions include:

• Heart disease
• High cholesterol
• High blood pressure
• Diabetes (see specific diabetes advice)
• Cancer (see cancer advice)
• Epilepsy
• Mental disorders and depression
• Asthma, COPD, and other breathing issues

If you have one of these persistent and difficult medical issues, you are not alone. The fact is that nearly half of Americans are living with at least one chronic health issue.¹ That doesn’t mean we can’t lead full and healthy lives. Chronic medical issues are often manageable. And these issues also shouldn’t shut the door on providing for and protecting our families. No matter what condition you may have, you can likely still qualify for life insurance, but it may mean extra steps or a slightly higher premium. Let’s start with some basics.

Can you qualify for life insurance with pre-existing conditions?

Yes, it is possible. It’s no secret that the younger and healthier you are, the lower your premium costs will be. However, pre-existing conditions do not automatically disqualify you from coverage. Life insurance underwriting is a complicated process, and your health plays an important role in your risk profile.

 For most policies, you will need to undergo a medical exam and medical history check. This is when chronic health issues will be revealed to the insurer. It’s important to be accurate and honest with your health history, as hiding aspects of your health can impact the guarantees of your policy. Some pre-existing conditions are mild and easily managed and may not affect your application much. Others can have more of an effect. You may also need to take extra steps or pay a higher premium to account for your ongoing medical issues. 

If you have never shopped for life insurance before, we have a handy guide to life insurance and tips for first-time buyers.

Factors influencing life insurance eligibility

There are several things that impact the cost of life insurance beyond your medical history. Your age, where you live, your lifestyle, whether you are a smoker, and many other factors may play a role. However, insurers pay extra attention to existing and ongoing medical conditions. When it was diagnosed, the severity of the condition, and how well it’s being managed can all play a part.

Based on all of these factors, applicants get categorized into different rate classes, and this classification can significantly impact your access to and premium costs for life insurance. They typically range from Preferred Plus to Standard, and below. Each insurer has a different rate class system and processes, so it’s difficult to predict how your specific scenario may change from one insurer to another.

Example of a life insurance application and rate classification

Suppose two individuals of similar age apply for the same type of coverage. The first is a 40-year-old non-smoker with well-managed high blood pressure and a family history of heart disease who exercises regularly and maintains a balanced diet. The second is also 40 years old but smokes, has unmanaged diabetes, and leads a sedentary lifestyle. The first applicant may be placed in a “Standard” or even a “Preferred” rate class due to proactive health management and stable medical conditions, resulting in lower premiums. Conversely, the second applicant may be categorized as “Substandard” because of compounding risk factors, which typically results in higher premium costs and potentially more limited policy options.

How much does life insurance with pre-existing conditions cost?

There are too many factors to say for certain how much a policy will cost you, but you may be surprised at how affordable quality life insurance can be, even with medical conditions. Your best bet is to shop around with trusted insurance companies. “Trusted” is important here, because today it’s very easy to find unverified and risky purchase options. That may be fine when you’re shopping for a new knick-knack for the kitchen, but insurance is a potentially lifelong purchase, and your policy is only as good as the company that issued it. That’s why it’s so important to go with a company with a solid history of delivering for its policyholders. To learn more about insurance pricing basics, you can read How much does life insurance cost?

Types of life insurance for people with health issues

The types of life insurance you qualify for may change depending on your health issue and how it’s managed. You may find some of the policies below more difficult to qualify for than others, but you still should have plenty of options. Here’s where you can start:

Group life insurance through an employer

The easiest option you may have access to is through your employer. Check with your benefits provider to see your options. Group life insurance is a common benefit option that you may already be enrolled in automatically. Or, you may have to select it and pay a small portion of your paycheck each month. Group life generally does not require a medical exam and is an easy way to get coverage. However, since it is tied to your employer, the main drawback of group life is that if you ever leave that job, you are likely to lose coverage under that plan.

Term life insurance

Term life coverage is designed to protect you for a specific amount of time—usually between a few and 30 years. Because of this, premiums for term life tend to be more affordable than permanent life insurance options. Term life is best used for specific scenarios like protecting a mortgage or providing for a child until they are able to set out on their own.

No-exam life insurance

Traditional life insurance policies in the past have always required a medical exam for underwriting purposes. That is starting to change. There are now options for life insurance without a medical exam. These policies tend to be a little more limited in the amount of coverage you can get, and are usually best for small policies to cover end-of-life expenses or when you don’t otherwise qualify for other policy options.

Whole life insurance

Whole life insurance is a guaranteed product.2 Once you are approved for the policy, it will remain in effect as long as you continue to pay your premiums. This guarantee means that your insurer cannot cancel the policy or raise the price for any medical conditions that appear in the future. However, pre-existing conditions will likely affect your eligibility and premium costs. How much will depend on many other factors, but once you find a policy you are comfortable with, you can rest assured that it will pay out to your beneficiaries. 

 Related: See the differences between whole life and universal life.

Tips if you get denied life insurance

If you try to apply for life insurance and are denied because of a pre-existing condition, don’t despair. You can always reapply later, and there are things you can do to improve your chances.

Know when to apply

Applying for life insurance immediately after a cancer diagnosis or heart attack will be difficult. It’s almost always better to wait a bit, until you are further along in your treatment plan and have the medical condition under better control. Some companies may even have set deadlines after certain medical issues appear before you can even apply. 

 Improve your overall health

If you find policies too expensive or you are outright denied, the thing that you can do to have the most impact on the future is to be in better health. Losing weight, getting more exercise, and finding the right balance of medication and lifestyle changes to better manage your health issues can all have a large effect, and not just on your life insurance application process. Also, if you do get life insurance with a higher premium, you can also ask for a re-rating in the future that could drop your premium costs. 

 Be persistent and find the right life insurance agent

Life insurance can be complicated. There are a lot of options and variations of policies. Trying to apply online can lead to limited understanding, lack of options, and frustration. Speaking to a real-life, qualified insurance agent can make all the difference. They can work with you to adjust your application and goals to find a policy that makes sense, so you can protect your family and move forward with confidence.

Life insurance with pre-existing conditions FAQs

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¹“Chronic Disease Prevalence in the US,” CDC, 2024

²Any guarantees of a policy are based on the claims-paying ability of the issuer.