Yes — with type 2 diabetes, the answer in the large majority of cases is that you can get life insurance; the diagnosis changes your rate class, not your eligibility. What decides the outcome is your A1C history, how long you’ve had the diagnosis, whether you have complications, and which carrier you apply to.
The qualifier: carriers genuinely differ. One insurer may decline a file that another offers standard rates on, because each company weighs A1C, complications, and years since diagnosis by its own guidelines. That variance — not the diagnosis — is where most bad outcomes come from, and it’s fixable by comparing.
What underwriters look at with diabetes
| Factor | What “good” looks like to an underwriter |
|---|---|
| A1C trend | Lower and stable over time; the ADA’s general adult target is 7% or less |
| Years since diagnosis | Longer history of demonstrated control helps |
| Complications | None diagnosed — kidney involvement, retinopathy, neuropathy, or cardiovascular disease are what push files toward steeper ratings |
| Treatment adherence | Consistent care and documented management |
This is a routine underwriting scenario, not an edge case. About 11% of South Dakota adults report diagnosed diabetes and another 7% report prediabetes, per the South Dakota Department of Health’s 2021 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System survey; nationally, the CDC’s National Diabetes Statistics Report (updated January 2026, with 2023 data) counts an estimated 28.8 million U.S. adults with diagnosed diabetes. Carriers have well-established ways of pricing it.
Exam-free paths exist here too: an average of 59% of individual life applications qualified for accelerated, no-exam underwriting industry-wide in 2025, per Gen Re’s December 2025 survey of 30 carriers. Whether your specific file fits a given carrier’s accelerated program depends on their guidelines — another reason the carrier choice is the decision that matters.
If your A1C has been stable for a year or more, waiting for it to be “better” usually just means paying more later, since your age at application also sets the price. Compare two or three carriers’ actual offers on your real file before assuming the door is closed.