How Your A1C Affects Your Life Insurance Rates

Last Updated on November 15, 2024

Not sure what a blood test has to do with obtaining a life insurance policy? Your A1C can have a bigger impact on your diabetes life insurance rates than you think. This isn’t our decision, as many people who follow Doctors orders still may struggle with keeping their A1C reading low.  But rather it’s how various life insurance underwriters will view your health profile.  Feel free to call us at 844-281-1503 and have a quick conversation with us. 

If there is anything that is going to tell the insurance underwriter whether or not you are taking proper care of your health and your diabetes, it is going to be your A1C. After all, he or she is trying to determine your level of risk for coverage. So if your current A1C is too high, you may be viewed too risky and postponed life insurance coverage. In some situations, a life insurance will ‘charge’ higher insurance premiums to an applicant if their A1C is viewed to be too high.

It’s extremely important to speak with an agent before applying for life insurance coverage.  You may benefit by holding off to apply, to work on your diabetes control, and overall health.  Generally you’ll want to be 100% that your lab results will be within normal range at time of applying for coverage.

Every person with diabetes will have a different health profile.  Because of this, it’s important to fill out a quote request from us, and share with us your diabetes and health history.  Once we have a better understanding of your current health profile, we can determine what options are available to you.  IN some situations, we are even able to find coverage for people with an A1C reading as high as 12.0. 

Life insurance underwriters view a person’s A1C reading as one of the most critical reading into their control of their diabetes. We all know an A1C isn’t the only way to view a person with diabetes health, but companies are going to put a greater emphasis on this than your Doctors do. If you are one of the several people who do everything they are told, and still struggle to get your A1C below 7.0, it’s possible to explain all this to an underwriter.

Here at Diabetes365.org we are 1000% Diabetes focused.  We only help those with Diabetes with their life insurance needs.  In fact, this entire website is solely focused on Diabetes related topics.  Our goal is to be a resource to you and your family.  Especially if needing assistance in finding the best life insurance policy possible. 

But, like anything else, it is not that cut and dry. Let’s dig deeper into the connection between your A1C and life insurance, shall we?

Definition of an A1C

If you are living with diabetes and have been seeing your medical professional regularly – as you should be – then you are likely already aware of what the A1C test is. However, for those who are not familiar, the A1C test is a blood test that those with diabetics take to measure blood glucose levels over a span of a few months. It measures the percentage of hemoglobin proteins attached to glucose.

Per the CDC “The A1C test—also known as the hemoglobin A1C or HbA1c test—is a simple blood test that measures your average blood sugar levels over the past 3 months. It’s one of the commonly used tests to diagnose prediabetes and diabetes, and is also the main test to help you and your health care team manage your diabetes. Higher A1C levels are linked to diabetes complications, so reaching and maintaining your individual A1C goal is really important if you have diabetes.”

Your A1C result can also be reported as estimated average glucose (eAG), the same numbers (mg/dL) you’re used to seeing on your blood sugar meter:

Please note that the A1C test does not provide day to day increases or decreases in glucose levels.

Having this test conducted regularly is crucial for proper maintenance of diabetes. It gives you and your doctor a very good idea as to whether or not your blood sugar levels are staying within the healthy, targeted range. And most importantly, it shows companies what your current control of your diabetes is.

If applying for a policy that requires a review of medical records, Underwriters love seeing people who see their Doctors two to four times annually. This will help them get an idea of your A1C history by reviewing these notes and records. We’ll also note that insurance companies prefer ‘level’ and steady A1C readings in your profile.

Important A1C limitations

It is important to keep in mind that, while the A1C can provide a lot of very important information regarding the state of your diabetes (or prediabetes), it does have its limitations. For instance, It cannot be used to diagnose or monitor gestational diabetes as there is a high probability of a false result.

Gestational diabetes is not the only thing to affect A1C results. In fact, there are quite a few health conditions that will likely give false results. These are:

• Sickle cell anemia (or those with family members who have this condition)

• Anemia

• Heavy bleeding

• Iron deficiency

• Kidney failure

• Liver disease

Why are we sharing this information? It is important that if you have these conditions and you are having your diabetes monitored using the A1C test, you could be getting false readings – and therefore should seek alternatives. Your underwriter needs to know this, as well.

How the A1C is performed and the results

First and foremost, the A1C test can be performed any time of day – and does not require fasting. It’s a simple test that can be performed in a regular doctor’s office setting. Or, a doctor may request that the lab be performed at a lab.

The lab method is the most common when attempting to diagnose diabetes.

Once the results of the A1C come back, they will give you a percentage figure that will fall into one of three categories:

1. Normal- This is for those with an A1C percentage below 5.7.

1. Prediabetes- For this with an A1C percentage that falls between 5.7 and 6.4.

1. Diabetes– Any A1C percentage above 6.5 is considered to be diabetes.

Depending on your diabetic medical history and your overall general health, your doctor will give you a target percentage. Typically, you want your A1C to fall into the standard category, but that is not always the case. In fact, for those who have severe hypoglycemia, limited life expectancy, a long history of diabetes, and advanced complications from diabetes, a resulting A1C level between 7.0 and 8.0 may be sufficient.

We’ll point out that Doctors may consider you prediabetic with elevated A1C readings.  Every life insurance company will have their own guidelines as to if you’ll be viewed as a person with diabetes or not.  So even if you feel you have pre-diabetes, the life insurance underwriter will use their underwriting guidelines and may rate you as a type 2 diabetic.

A1C results: low levels

What happens when you get your A1C results back from your test and you have a low percentage? Sure, it would absolutely indicate that you are not diabetic – or even pre-diabetic for that matter. Which is good news, right? Well, yes, but you also need to be aware that having low blood sugar can cause dangerous health problems of its own.

Those who have low glucose levels for extended periods of time may find themselves faced with one or more of the following:

• Brain fog
• Headaches
• Seizures
• Mood swings
• Sleep disturbances
• Unsteady on the feet
• Clammy skin

This is definitely not something to ignore. If you have low glucose levels, you should seek medical attention immediately.

A1C results: high levels

On the opposite end of the spectrum, having high A1C levels means that you may fall into the diabetic or prediabetic category. You’d want to speak with your Doctor and see what changes you can make to improve on your A1C reading. Thankfully, you can take steps on your own to attempt to lower your glucose levels naturally. 

• Eat healthily. Focusing on a whole-food diet, with very minimal carbohydrates can have a great impact on the glucose levels in your body.
• Start exercising. If you are looking for the best way to rid your body of extra glucose, it is by exercising. You don’t need an extended gym routine or aggressive workout to see a difference, either. A simple walk, yoga session, or bike ride every day can have a positive effect.
• Get on the right medications. There are many medicines for diabetes that are on the market. While they all work well, you have to find the one that works best with your body. Plus, if your A1C levels are continuously high, your doctor may want to consider having you take insulin several times each day. It’s important to have discussions with your doctor, and make sure they have you on the right medications.

Life insurance and your A1C results

Keep in mind that when you go to apply for life insurance, your health information will come up. And, this means your diabetes or prediabetes diagnosis. This is when the underwriter will review your A1C test results to get a good idea of just how well you are managing your overall health. A normal A1C reading is going to vary by insurance company, to insurance company. You may have even been declined life insurance coverage in the past due to your A1C history. If you fall into this category, do not get discouraged as you may still have options available to you. Just call us at 844-281-1503 and speak with a friendly agent.

Ideally, if applying for a policy that requires a paramedical examination, you’ll want the A1C results to be 7.5 or below to receive a policy at Standard ratings. For those who can show that their A1C is below 6.0, you’ll be well rewarded with lower rates and better underwriting classifications. Companies can apply healthy life style credits to your health profile, and lower rates by 20% to 25%. Generally the lower the score, the better you will be viewed in terms of your Diabetes control.

For those whose A1C range 7.3 to 9.0, you’ll still qualify for coverage, but at slightly higher rates. In event your A1C starts trending towards 10.0 or higher, you’ll be viewed as a higher risk. Many Underwriters will begin to view you as an uncontrolled diabetic and quite possibly declined for coverage all together. Now with this being said, there usually still life insurance options available.  Even some companies will consider you on a non medical exam basis.  But your options will be rather limited.

These are just some guidelines some companies use.  Depending on your entire health profile, it is possible to still be approved at no extra ratings with an A1C as high as 8.3.  We understand for certain people, getting an A1C clower to 7.0 is just not possible.  And some life insurance companies do understand this. This is where we come in being your agent.  We’ll explain all the details to the underwriter on your behalf.

If you are viewed as having uncontrolled diabetes, you may only qualify for guaranteed acceptance and burial insurance policies.  These policies may provide lower amounts of life insurance coverage, and also with limited death benefits for the first 2 policy years.  Over time, as your health improves, more life insurance options may become available to you.

There are many people who have diabetes and have been able to effectively manage it. There are others who are all over the charts and appear to be very high risk to underwriters – as this behavior is going to be sending them down a long road of serious diabetic complications if not under control. And if you have a high A1C in combination with a diabetes complication, you’ll find that you’ll only have a few options in terms of companies who’ll consider you for coverage.

Not wanting to complete a blood and urine examination? That isn’t usually an issue. Many people with Diabetes will qualify for a no medical exam policy. Certain companies will still review your past medical records, to determine your eligibility. If your A1C history is stable, and not going up and down like a roller coaster, you’ll have no issues getting approved.  Various companies would ask you for your most recent A1C reading, as well as various other health questions, to determine your eligibility and final rates.

If unsure of your A1C levels, you’d probably benefit from applying to a company who doesn’t ask about your A1C reading. It’s possible to secure a policy, and to then reapply in the future to try and obtain a better priced policy.  Some life insurance companies do not ask about your A1C history. We’ve successfully helped thousands of people with diabetes obtain affordable life insurance coverage.  Let us match you up with the perfect insurance company based on your diabetes profile.

Know that if you are interested in life insurance and you want to obtain the most reasonably affordable policy for a diabetic, you are going to have to show that you are healthy and being compliant with your Doctors orders. We know that living with Diabetes does not stop you from being an overall healthy person. Certain life insurance companies are starting to understand this.

It’s 100% possible to obtain term life insurance, whole life insurance, and universal life insurance policies without any extra ratings for having Diabetes. When working with Diabetes 365, we’ll try to steer you to the best possible companies, with the most competitive rates. In the end, your health profile will dictate what offers, if any, are available.

Final thoughts

If you have diabetes or prediabetes, it is important that you have an A1C test performed every 6 months at a minimum. This will allow your doctor to check for increases and decreases in your glucose levels. As you get tested and the results are reviewed, your doctor will surely be able to guide you in managing your health in an optimal fashion. For certain individuals, maybe your doctor only wants to test you annually. This is OKAY, and you will not be penalized.

Contacting an independent insurance agent at Diabetes 365 will open your options to those companies that work with people who have diabetes and prediabetes. This may be the best way to obtain the right policy for you. We would love to speak with you, and see what your best life insurance options are.

Contact us today and put our expertise to work.  After completing a quote request, a licensed agent will contact you, and will provide to you all the requested life insurance information.  Having diabetes and applying for life insurance is tricky at times.  It’s extremely important to communicate with an agent, provide them with your health profile, along with your financial goals in terms of life insurance coverage.  Once we have this necessary information, we’d be more than happy to assist in finding the best life insurance policy possible for you and your family.