Hard to insure? You have more options than you think.
A health condition, a past decline, or a risky job doesn't mean life insurance is out of reach. It means the order you do things in and which insurer you approach matter more. Here's how it actually works.
How underwriting really works
When you formally apply for individually underwritten life insurance, the insurer assesses your health, lifestyle, and finances and returns one of four outcomes: standard (or better), rated (approved at a higher premium), postponed (asked to reapply after a waiting period), or declined. Insurers genuinely differ: the same file can be standard at one carrier and rated at another, because each has its own appetite for specific conditions, builds, and occupations.
What a "rated" policy means
A rating is an approval, just at a higher price. Ratings come in steps of roughly 25% of the standard premium each (+25%, +50%, and up), or as a flat extra dollar amount per $1,000 of coverage. Two things people rarely hear: many flat extras are temporary (commonly expiring after three to five years), and even permanent ratings can be revisited later with new medical evidence showing stability or improvement. Our guide to rated life insurance covers the table system, flat extras and how to request a reduction.
The anonymous pre-check (preliminary inquiry)
Before any formal application, GetInsuredCanada can send a preliminary inquiry. This is an anonymized summary of your situation (age, condition, medications, control markers, no name) to several insurers at once. Each returns a tentative opinion. Because no application is submitted, no record is created with MIB (the insurance industry's data exchange), and nothing needs to be disclosed later. You learn the likely outcome before anything goes on paper. That is the core of how we work with harder files.
Why the order matters if a decline is likely
Formal applications you've made and their outcomes must be disclosed on later applications that ask, and some simplified products ask about recent declines. So for higher-risk situations the sequence is: pre-check anonymously first, secure a base layer of coverage if a decline looks likely, and only then attempt fully underwritten coverage with the insurer whose appetite fits your file.
Situations we work with
| Situation | Typical path |
|---|---|
| Type 2 diabetes | Fully underwritten at standard-to-rated when controlled; carrier choice driven by A1c and complications |
| Previously declined, rated, or postponed | Diagnose the reason, fix the file, re-route to a carrier with appetite |
| Mental-health history | Severity and stability decide; mild treated conditions are often standard |
| Cancer history | Waiting periods by type and stage; conversion and guaranteed issue bridge the gap |
| GLP-1 medications (Ozempic, Wegovy, etc.) | Carriers differ today; documented weight stability and adherence earn credit |
| High build / BMI | Build charts differ meaningfully between carriers |
| Hazardous work or hobbies | Exposure-based pricing; some carriers specialize |
Condition guides
Each guide explains the likely outcome by severity, what underwriters ask, and what documents to gather before applying:
- Type 2 diabetes
- Type 1 diabetes
- High blood pressure
- High cholesterol
- Obesity and high BMI
- Anxiety and depression
- Sleep apnea
- Smoking and vaping
- Cancer history
More guides are being added regularly.