Can I get life insurance with type 2 diabetes, and what HbA1c reading do I need?
A diagnosis is not an application decision. The useful next step is explaining your actual history, understanding the evidence needed and comparing the terms that apply to you.
Prepared for Danyal Hyder. Editorial approval pending.
The short answer
People with type 2 diabetes can enquire about life insurance, but there is no single HbA1c reading that guarantees acceptance. Insurers assess the diagnosis, management, complications and wider health picture. Recent results can help explain your circumstances; the final price and any offer depend on the individual application.
Is there one HbA1c level that insurers accept?
There is no universal insurance pass mark for HbA1c. A result is one part of a wider assessment, alongside the length of time since diagnosis, treatment, complications and other health factors. Diabetes UK explains that people with diabetes can seek life insurance, while the information and offers depend on their circumstances. Do not treat a result mentioned by another applicant as your guaranteed acceptance threshold.
Provide the value, units and date if the insurer requests them. An old result and a current result are not interchangeable. A change in medication or an ongoing review may lead to further questions. Your diabetes team can explain the clinical meaning of results; an insurer decides how to assess them for the particular cover. This page does not set medical targets or suggest altering treatment.
Sources: Diabetes UK · Royal London adviser support
What if I take insulin or have complications?
Treatment type should be disclosed accurately, but it does not by itself give a universal yes or no answer. Describe the diagnosis, current medication and any complications the insurer asks about, including relevant eye, kidney, nerve or cardiovascular history. The insurer may want more evidence because two applicants with the same medication can have different medical histories and cover needs.
If an application is postponed, ask what information or review point is needed before trying again. A postponement is not the same as a promise of acceptance later. Keep any existing cover and avoid repeatedly submitting incomplete applications. Comparing relevant insurers can be useful, but it cannot remove the insurer’s need to assess the individual risk.
Sources: Diabetes UK · MoneyHelper
What information should I have ready before applying?
Prepare a factual timeline rather than trying to tell the insurer only the reassuring parts. Note when symptoms started, when a diagnosis was made, treatments, current medication, tests and any outstanding referrals. If you do not know a result, say so and ask where to obtain it. A diagnosis name alone does not describe severity, stability or the wider medical picture. Insurers may request a GP report or other evidence with the appropriate consent.
Answer the question as it is written, including its time period. Do not stop prescribed treatment, delay a medical appointment or change medication to influence an application. Treatment decisions belong with your clinician, not an insurance comparison. A short written summary helps the adviser understand what to ask, but it does not replace the insurer’s questionnaire or establish an acceptance decision.
Sources: MoneyHelper · UK legislation
How should I compare offers without losing useful cover?
Compare the same amount, term and benefit after underwriting. An estimate generated before the medical information is assessed is not the final offer. An insurer may offer cover, charge more, ask for evidence, postpone a decision or decline; the reason and scope should be explained. Life-only cover and life with critical illness are different contracts, so acceptance for one benefit does not promise acceptance for the other.
If you already have protection, do not cancel it while seeking a new decision. The existing contract may have been arranged before the condition developed. Check what it covers, whether any change must be notified and what a replacement would remove. Use final written terms and a confirmed start date for the comparison, not an optimistic price on a website. Existing cover should remain until a replacement is accepted and in force.
Sources: MoneyHelper · MoneyHelper
How do I turn this into a useful quote enquiry?
For diabetes and hba1c, start by identifying what needs protecting and the information that may change the decision. Choose an amount and term as a starting point, not a final recommendation. The short quote journey asks about your circumstances and contact details; it does not display fictional insurer prices or guarantee acceptance. Detailed documents or sensitive medical evidence can be discussed securely with the adviser rather than published in a page comment.
Before accepting cover, ask for the actual insurer decision, monthly premium, benefit amount, term, exclusions and premium basis. Check who owns the policy and how a valid claim would reach the intended recipient. If anything is unresolved, ask for it to be explained in writing. Keep existing protection while reviewing a replacement, and revisit the plan after a meaningful change in debt, dependants, health or work. A clear decision should be about the benefit you need, not just the fastest application.
Sources: MoneyHelper · UK legislation
What will the insurer or adviser look at?
| What matters | Why it matters | Have ready |
|---|---|---|
| Diagnosis and dates | Time course helps the insurer understand the history. | Diagnosis, treatment and follow-up dates. |
| Current management | A condition label does not show stability or severity. | Medication, results and clinician follow-up. |
| Other conditions | The whole application is assessed together. | Relevant health history and outstanding tests. |
How can I prepare?
- Diagnosis and treatment timeline.
- Medication names, doses and recent changes.
- Recent results, follow-up letters and outstanding investigations.
- Existing policies and the benefit, amount and term you want.
What can make this harder?
- An investigation is still in progress.
- Results or dates are unclear.
- An estimate is mistaken for a completed underwriting decision.
Illustrative scenarios
These are examples, not real customers or insurer quotes.
Example: recent diagnosis
An illustrative applicant has recently been diagnosed, started medication and is waiting for a follow-up result.
Give the actual timeline and explain the pending test. An insurer may request the new evidence; no acceptance date or premium is assumed.
Example: established diabetes
An illustrative parent has several years of treatment records and wants a policy lasting until the children are independent.
Prepare recent results and any complication history, then compare final life-only and critical illness decisions separately.
Proposed perspective for Danyal’s approval
I would not reduce your application to one HbA1c number. A clear timeline, recent results and an honest account of treatment give us a more useful starting point than searching for an insurance pass mark.
Draft wording, not an approved quotation or claim of first-hand experience.
Which mistakes should I avoid?
- Withholding a diagnosis because symptoms improved.
- Assuming life and critical illness have identical decisions.
- Cancelling existing cover before replacement is in force.
More questions
Does a good HbA1c guarantee ordinary rates?
No. HbA1c is only one element of the health information and there is no universal acceptance threshold. The insurer assesses the whole application and may need further evidence.
Does insulin automatically prevent life cover?
Do not assume that. Explain the actual treatment and medical history. Diabetes type, complications and wider health factors need to be considered individually.
Should I wait until my next review?
Ask what evidence the insurer needs and consider the protection gap while waiting. Do not change or delay clinical care for an application; keep existing cover where appropriate.
Will I need a medical examination?
Not every application requires an examination, but the insurer may request reports or tests depending on age, cover amount and the health details. Consent to a GP report and attendance at a medical assessment are different steps. Ask what evidence is required for your application.
Can I keep a policy taken out before my diagnosis?
Check the existing contract rather than assuming a later diagnosis ends protection. Do not cancel valuable cover while seeking a new policy. Any notification duties and claim requirements remain governed by the actual terms.
Does acceptance for life cover include critical illness?
No. These benefits have different triggers and underwriting criteria. Ask separately about each benefit, read the accepted terms and do not describe life-only protection as a payout while you are alive with any serious illness.
Related reading
- Explore matching cover
- Calculate my cover
- How term life insurance works
- Depression and anxiety
- Blood pressure and cholesterol
Sources and editorial checks
General information, not personal insurance, tax or legal advice. Editorial and compliance approval pending. Access dates are not publication dates.
- Diabetes UK — Life insurance for people with diabetes (Access checked 2026-10-21)
- Royal London adviser support — Medical conditions and underwriting (Access checked 2026-10-21)
- MoneyHelper — Buying insurance if you are ill or disabled (Access checked 2026-10-21)
- Royal London adviser support — Medical underwriting limits (Access checked 2026-10-21)
- MoneyHelper — What is life insurance? (Access checked 2026-10-21)
- Association of British Insurers — Life cover (Access checked 2026-10-21)
- UK legislation — Consumer Insurance (Disclosure and Representations) Act 2012 (Access checked 2026-10-21)