Diabetics often walk into the term insurance journey blind, unsure of how their condition affects approval odds, pricing, or what insurers look for. And the consequences can be steep: from a 25–100% premium hike to a complete rejection.
At Ditto, we’ve guided over 1,000 diabetic applicants through this process in the past year alone. We’ve reviewed hundreds of underwriting decisions, analysed insurer questionnaires, and mapped out how blood sugar levels, treatment history, and lifestyle habits shape the final outcome.
In this guide, we’ll explain:
- How insurers typically treat Type 1 vs Type 2 diabetes
- What medical red flags trigger loadings or rejections
- What you can do to improve your chances—and lock in a fair premium
Not sure if you’ll qualify? Talk to a Ditto advisor today, and we’ll help you find the right plan.
What Diabetics Should Expect When Applying for Term Insurance
If you’re diabetic and applying for term insurance, expect more scrutiny than usual. Insurers view diabetes as a chronic condition with long-term risks, especially related to heart and kidney health. However, not all diabetic conditions are treated equally.
Type 1 diabetes, which typically requires early-onset insulin, is almost always declined. In fact, we haven’t seen a single successful case approved at Ditto so far.
For Type 2 diabetes, insurers are more flexible, but the outcome still depends on how well your condition is controlled. The key marker is your HbA1c—a measure of long-term blood sugar levels—but it’s never looked at in isolation. Underwriters also consider other diabetic indicators like fasting and random blood sugar levels, sugar/glucose in urine, BMI, blood pressure, duration since diagnosis, medication history, and any related complications.
That said, here’s an indicative range of outcomes we’ve observed when all other diabetic markers are within normal limits:
| HbA1c (with normal BMI, BP, no complications) | Likely Outcome |
|---|---|
| ≤ 5.6% and no history of diabetes | Standard premiums; No bumps |
| ≤ 5.6% but maintained via medication (history of diabetes) | Premium loading applied (treated as pre-existing) |
| 5.7–6.4% (Pre-Diabetic) | Expect a Medical Questionnaire (discussed below) + Counter-offer with some premium loading |
| 6.5%-8% | High loading (up to 100%) or postponement |
| > 8% or any complications/comorbidities | Most likely declined |
Disclaimer: These are directional estimates based on real cases we’ve tracked. Insurer decisions vary based on internal underwriting guidelines.
How Insurers Underwrite Term Insurance for Diabetic Applicants
Whether or not you declare diabetes, your insurer will conduct a standard set of medical tests after you submit your term insurance proposal.
If you declare diabetes, the proposal form itself will include a few condition-specific questions upfront. For instance, in Axis Max Life’s digital journey, applicants are asked to provide:
- The year of diagnosis
- Current treatment (oral medication, insulin, or both)
- Any complications or recent hospitalisations
Additionally, some health-based add-ons, including but not limited to critical illness riders, waiver of premium, and hospital cash benefit, may disappear from the journey entirely. Insurers often disable these riders for diabetic applicants, since they significantly increase risk exposure.
If you don’t declare diabetes or don’t know you have it, your medicals will still include:
- HbA1c levels
- Fasting and random blood sugar tests
If any of these results are elevated, or if you’ve disclosed diabetes, the insurer may ask you to fill out a detailed diabetes questionnaire. Based on what we’ve seen across insurers, this typically includes:
- Type and duration of diabetes
- Latest HbA1c readings (often two values, months apart)
- Insulin dosage and stability of treatment
- Lifestyle compliance (diet, exercise, checkups)
- Any complications: retinopathy, neuropathy, nephropathy, or foot issues
- Co-morbidities like hypertension, high cholesterol, or obesity
- Family history of diabetes
- Smoking or alcohol consumption
Finally, underwriters combine these responses with your vitals—BMI, blood pressure, and any other test results to take a call on your application.
Ways Diabetics Can Cut Term-Insurance Premiums
- Avoid “Testing” Applications: Don’t submit a term insurance application just to see what premiums you’ll get. Withdrawn or declined proposals are recorded in industry databases and can hurt your chances with other insurers—even if your health improves later. If you want to understand how your health impacts pricing, get medical tests done privately first, address any issues, and only apply when you’re ready.
- Understand Counter-Offers (CO): Once you receive a counteroffer, there’s rarely room to renegotiate. If the loading is substantial (e.g., over 50%) and you’re actively improving your health, you can reapply later—but there’s no guarantee the earlier decision won’t carry over. In most cases, it’s better to accept the CO for basic protection and then explore other insurers or plans for better pricing and terms.
- As for insulin use: If you’ve just started insulin, your proposal will most likely be postponed until stability is proven. If you’ve been on insulin long-term, even with consistent HbA1c levels, most applications are rejected.
- Using Multiple Applications: You can apply to more than one insurer at the same time to compare offers, but you must:
- Be financially eligible for the combined cover you’re applying for.
- Disclose all concurrent applications in every proposal form.
Are there any term plans for diabetics?
Bajaj Allianz briefly sold an exclusive Diabetic Term Plan II (Sub 8 HbA1c) for well-controlled Type-2 cases, but the product no longer appears in the company’s active term-plan catalogue as of August 2025. With that option gone, most applicants must rely on mainstream term policies:
Best term plans for diabetics
Note: Insurers formally say they evaluate Type 1 diabetes too, but in practice nearly every case ends in a decline. Well-controlled Type 2 applications, on the other hand, are usually accepted—albeit with loadings.
Conclusion
Getting term insurance as a diabetic isn’t impossible. But it does require better prep than most other applicants. If you’re Type 2 and in control, you’ll likely get approved, though with a loading. If you’re Type 1, the odds are low, even if insurers don’t say it outright.
So get tested first. Know your HbA1c. And only apply when your reports are stable. It gives you the best shot at clearing underwriting without wasting an application.
Still unsure where you stand? Talk to a Ditto advisor. We’ll help you read your reports, compare plans, and time your application right.
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