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Have you had any issues obtaining life insurance because of T1D?
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My parents bought a life insurance policy for me as an infant before being diagnosed with T1D. I have never purchased life insurance individually because of the extremely high cost, proof of eligibility, and low benefit. I have purchased life insurance through employers, but extending it has the same issues as individual purchase.
I am not able to get life insurance on my own. I have high blood pressure also but for some reason the industry seems to think I am going to drop dead tomorrow. The only life insurance I am able to get is Group insurance or if I am luck to be able to get guaranteed issue – which I found and took advantage of for a small amount of coverage.
In early 1980s had offer of group insurance for diabetics. Disqualified bc I was diagnosed before age 5. Missed cut off by 5 months. I’m still here. Dropped individual $10K policy that had been converted from group life after retirement. Increase in rates showed that company was encouraging people to drop it. Holding down funeral costs by choosing cremation & burial in church memorial garden.
I was lucky, my parents bought life insurance for myself & my brother before either of us were diagnosed. Thankful for this, as my brother was diagnose at 7 months old.
Fortunately, I had life insurance before diagnosis and so does my son who is an adult now with T1D. He has very low premiums because he was young and healthy when his policies were purchased. My husband bought 2 policies rated up because of his T1D and the premiums ballooned higher and higher each year that he lived. We managed to keep those policies, but they became cost prohibitive as he aged into his 80s. I had trouble getting health insurance and was on the state high risk plan which was replaced with OBamaCare. Thankfully, the doors opened up that year and I could get onto Medicare with a supplement and RX plan. Who knows what to expect forthcoming.
I am lucky to get basic life insurance for myself through my employer’s benefit package, but I can’t “enhance” the policy without “evidence of insurability” (the insurer’s term) and T1 disqualifies me.
Was able to purchase but was rated.
Tried to get it when Our son was born, for myself, but t1d at age 12 made it way too expensive. We bought land in California instead. He will be well fixed when we die
I only have term life through my employer. I can increase it by 10k every year without having to do the evidence of insurability, so I do that as it isn’t too expensive. Otherwise, it is much too cost prohibitive or I won’t be approved to have a policy on my own. I prefer to save through other avenues because of that.
Expense was a major issue. I was rated at 400% even with good control and no meaningful complications, many years ago. I got it with multiple small policies over time, some as term which did not require medical screening, but have now let them all lapse, because their cost was going up too much based on my age, and my kids are grown, etc. No longer worth it.
I did not have an issue obtaining life insurance but I did have to pay a higher premium because of T1d
My mortgage company denied life insurance for me, but accepted for my healthy husband. Instead we went to our independent insurance agent who found a great life insurance option for me, although it is about $100 more per year than my husband, but I’m happy with the coverage.
The only way I could get life insurance that was not tied to an employer was on a chance employment that offered a roll over policy upon leavjng.
I have term life but it is more expensive than my husband’s and he has more family history or problems. All I have against me it the T1D.
Years ago I was charged a higher premium for whole life. I subsequently cancelled that policy and obtained term life through my Federal employment. That policy got more expensive as I aged, but I had less need of the insurance once my kids were grown and let it revert to 25% (free) once I retired,
I have term but pay 3X what my wife’s premium is. Both the same age. Fortunately the policy has been the same price for 20 years and we’ll probably drop it in 4 years once my son’s out of college.
I find that insurance companies do not distinguish between Type 1 and 2, with the result that the larger and generally older Type 2 population obscures the Type 1 data and skews the ratings so that Type 1 is penalized with unfairly inflated premium rates — as far as i am aware, this hasn’t changed since 1983, when i first applied, at the 10-year mark of living with Type 1.
No problem what so ever just super expensive.
I’ve been flat denied life insurance a couple of times. I didn’t even get a chance to be offered super expensive life insurance!
Like many have already said, my parents purchased LI for me as a child, which I’m certain has a TINY payout. I also get guaranteed coverage from my employer, but will never apply for any additional coverage that requires a statement of fitness. The actuaries do not seem to care that my A1c is below 6%, or that my weight is stable, or that people diagnosed before the age of 5 statistically have a lower rate of kidney failure or other life-threatening complications. Sigh. Now that my kids are older, it’s less of a concern, but I’m still a bit cranky about it all.
Yes, I am unable to get an affordable individual life insurance policy. However, I always have taken out supplemental life policies through my employer. At exit from the company, they are normally convertible to private policies without re-enrollment questions about health conditions.
Insurance companies treat T1Ds like we’re a walking death sentence. They’re basing this on extremely outdated data about the longevity of people with T1D and it’s really, really wrong!
It has always been an issue. Anyone with diabetes or cancer is done. I can now only get it through work.
I was able to get it during the one time my school district (I was a teacher) offered it from a company that had no medical questions. I had researched and researched and no company would do it and they absolutely did not care how well controlled I was and had no side effects although I’d been Type 1 already for 35 years. so I was lucky.