Life insurance with type 1 diabetes in Canada
Type 1 diabetes is insurable in Canada. Most well-managed applicants receive a rated offer rather than a decline, and the size of that rating varies more between insurers than people expect.
1. The likely outcome
| Your situation | Likely outcome |
|---|---|
| Stable A1c, no complications, regular endocrinologist care, several years of steady control | Rated offer; the rating level varies meaningfully by carrier |
| Diagnosed in adulthood, short time living with the condition | Often viewed more favourably than an early-childhood diagnosis of the same duration |
| A1c 9%+ or complications (eye, nerve or kidney involvement), or recent severe hypoglycaemia/DKA | Heavy rating or postponement; No-Medical life insurance is worth considering |
| Recent diagnosis or recent major treatment change (for example, starting a pump) | Often postponed until control is demonstrated |
2. What underwriters actually ask
- Age at diagnosis and years living with the condition
- Insulin regimen (injections or pump) and any recent changes
- Your last two A1c results and when they were taken
- Episodes of severe hypoglycaemia or DKA and their dates
- Complications affecting eyes, nerves or kidneys
- Blood pressure and cholesterol
- Whether you see an endocrinologist or diabetes clinic regularly
Honest, complete answers protect your beneficiary. A policy paid for years can be contested if the application was inaccurate.
3. Documents to gather before applying
- Recent lab work (A1c, lipids, kidney function) from your patient portal or family doctor
- A pharmacy printout of the last 12 to 24 months
- Your most recent endocrinologist or diabetes-clinic letter
- Continuous glucose monitor or pump reports if you use them, since time-in-range data can tell a better story than a single A1c
Bringing your own evidence can shorten underwriting by weeks.
4. How carriers differ
Insurers weight different drivers: some focus on the A1c number, others on hospitalisation history, hypoglycaemic events, complications, or the quality of specialist follow-up. The same file can receive noticeably different ratings at different carriers, which is why we pre-check anonymously with two or three insurers before anything formal is submitted. No Medical life insurance has also broadened for people with diabetes, including some insulin users, and works as a base layer when fully underwritten terms aren't attractive yet.
5. Timeline, and what "postponed" would mean
With your own evidence attached, a fully underwritten decision commonly lands within about five weeks. A postponement means the insurer wants to see a period of demonstrated control, typically with a date attached. We calendar that date, tell you exactly what evidence to build in the meantime, and reapply when it arrives.
6. What to do next
Start with a quote request. It takes two minutes, creates no insurance record, and a licensed advisor reviews every file before anything is sent to an insurer.