Disclaimer: This article does not constitute medical advice. It’s for informational purposes only. Always discuss anything health-related with qualified medical personnel especially if you are diabetic.
When an underwriter decides your premium rate or whether to issue you insurance or not, they’ll look at a number of factors. Then, provided you qualify for coverage, they’ll calculate your rate based on the company’s policy which is usually presented in a table. The table features different categories each one related to a different rate. Here’s what you can and can’t do to get a more affordable life insurance premium.
Factors Under Your Control
These are some factors that underwriters take into account when doing a risk assessment for life insurance and that are under your control.
BMI
Getting a better BMI is about losing weight if you are over the healthy range or gaining if you are under it. The BMI, however, can be entirely inaccurate and is increasingly being replaced by other more useful assessments. For example, a fit pro-NFL Player might get the same BMI as somebody with obesity which doesn’t paint an accurate picture.
Accompanying Illnesses
A diabetic person with accompanying illnesses is a higher-risk than one without. Unfortunately, most people with diabetes develop other problems, mainly cardiovascular related. Fortunately, if they are treated, they can carry less weight at least when it comes to whether you get insured or not. So, working on prevention and treatment can get you a better quote.
Lifestyle Habits
What you eat and drink, how active you are, whether you smoke and drink alcohol, and how much sleep you get are all in your hands. These also happen to be things you need to pay extra care to when you have diabetes. Showing to the insurance company that you are willing to keep a healthy life despite your condition is one of the key ways of getting affordable life insurance.
Insurance Agent
Where you shop for insurance is also an essential element of getting approved. Insurance companies have different company policies relating to life insurance for diabetics, and some have lower entry barriers than others. Shopping for high-risk life insurance through American Term will give you the best options about your specific case; even if you have Type 1 diabetes or have been rejected before.
Life Insurance Exam
It is the life insurance medical exam that’ll show the insurance company whether you are really taking care of yourself or it’s all on paper. During the exam, you’ll give blood and urine samples though you may be asked to undergo additional testing—an EKG, for example. If you’ve been consistently keeping healthy lifestyle habits the tests will show and give you a bonus point in front of the insurance company. If you’ve been slacking—well, the opposite applies.
Factors Beyond Your Control
There are things that underwriters consider that are beyond your control. Nevertheless, it’s better for you to know them because some of them could be offset.
Age
Naturally, the elderly pay higher premiums on life insurance. If you are of senior age and have diabetes, you already carry two high-risk factors that you cannot change. What you can do, though, is show that despite your age you are keeping a healthy and active lifestyle.
Time Since Diagnosis
The longer you’ve lived with diabetes, the riskier you are considered to be from a life insurance point of view. If you’ve been diagnosed after the age of 50 and show that you are taking care of yourself, you’ll have more favorable chances of getting an affordable premium.
Type of Diabetes
Type 1 diabetes is considered more damaging to the body since it usually exists for longer than Type 2. Thus, it also comes with higher premium rates and a lower (but still existing) chance of being approved for life insurance. Type 2 diabetics have a higher chance especially if they show due diligence in managing the condition.
Company Policies
Some companies have stricter policies than others when it comes to providing life insurance to people with diabetes. You can’t change that, but you can pick a company with looser guidelines or turn to an experienced insurance agent for help.
Family Predisposition
Family predisposition to life-threatening diseases is also not something you can change. True, being predisposed to illness doesn’t guarantee that you’ll develop it during your lifetime, but insurance companies err on the cautious side. What you can do in such cases is to take measures to minimize the possibility of developing the illness in question.
As you see, the process of assessing risk for life insurance is multileveled especially when it comes to people with diabetes. Nevertheless, many of the factors are under your control. As for the rest, while you can’t change them, you can maintain a lifestyle that’ll give you more control over your wellbeing.