Chris Stocker
Chris Stocker is a financial services professional and licensed insurance agent. He's also Owner and author of The Life of a Diabetic as well as Type 1 Detour. He's been writing about Diabetes related topics for over 10 years, and has been featured in HealthLine, Diatribe, Diabetes Advocates and JDRF.. He's been writing about Diabetes related topics for over 10 years, and has been featured in HealthLine, Diatribe, Diabetes Advocates and JDRF.
Last Updated on December 11, 2024
Many parents who have a child with type 1 diabetes will discover that obtaining life insurance will be a challenge. We’ll be the first to tell you that there are life insurance options for diabetic children, but your choices in companies and plans will be limited. Life insurance companies are going to view young children with juvenile diabetes as a very high risk. We do not agree with this view, but at this point in time it’s simply the reality of the situation.
Life insurance is often thought of as a means for covering costly funeral expenses in the event of a loved one’s untimely death. Or many parents may wish to have an insurance policy to accumulate cash value as an asset based policy. While this is certainly one benefit that accompanies the investment of purchasing life insurance, there are many other benefits of holding a life insurance policy that you, or your child, can take advantage of while living. Life insurance for children with diabetes is something that is highly overlooked.
While it is true that MOST life insurance companies will not offer coverage to a person with diabetes until they are age 18 or older, you would still have some life insurance providers to choose from. Here at Diabetes Life Solutions, we are 100% focused on assisting the diabetes community obtain the best life insurance policy possible. This includes life insurance for children with type 1 diabetes. We’ve successfully insured thousands of type 1 diabetic children as young as age 1.
Even if your child has been declined coverage by companies such as Gerber Life Insurance, Mutual of Omaha, or Globe Life, please do not give up hope! Simply stated, those companies are not the right ‘choice’ for a child with type 1 diabetes and life insurance. With our vast network of life insurance companies to choose from, most parents will be able to find some type of life insurance options for their children with diabetes. It’s best to complete an online quote request, or to contact us to discover what possible life insurance options are available to your child.
Here’s what we’ll cover in this post:
Even a healthy child is at risk for developing a chronic illness – there is no way to know whether your child’s health will remain the same or decline as they progress through life.
For a child who has already been diagnosed with a health condition like diabetes, the potential risk for developing further health complications as a result of the original diagnosis is amplified. For children with diabetes life insurance are the best for them.
By purchasing a life insurance policy for your child while they are young and primarily healthy, you are guaranteeing that they will be able to sustain coverage regardless of their health declining later in life.
In the future, if your child were to have a history of diabetes complications such as retinopathy, or neuropathy, they would have an even harder time finding life insurance coverage.
Parents, grandparents and/or legal guardians can all purchase a life insurance policy on a child. As long as there’s an insurable interest, coverage can be purchased without any hassle. Best of all, you can live in different states and still find affordable life insurance options.
Most companies offer whole life policies for kids that can be transferred into their name after they become adults, and as long as they continue to pay the premium, they remain insured indefinitely. It’s always a wise decision to make sure your child is financially mature before turning over a cash value based policy to them. Once they are the owner of a life insurance policy, whatever cash value is in the policy can be accessed by them.
Diabetes Life Solutions has access to companies who understand the risks of juveniles with type 1 diabetes, and have worked with specific insurance companies who may offer coverage.
If you secure a policy before any further significant health issues develop, you can rest easily. Once you have a policy ‘locked’ in, changes in your child’s health will have NO impact on the existing life insurance policy. Unfortunately, in some situations, a child’s health may decline in the future, or control of diabetes will worsen. Securing a policy before this happens allows your child to have a policy, even if they may not be able to re-apply again to secure more coverage. These policies taken out on your child may be the only one they can obtain throughout their life.
Parents, grandparents and/or legal guardians can all purchase a life insurance policy on a child.
Most companies offer whole life policies for kids that can be transferred into their name after they become adults, and as long as they continue to pay the premium, they remain insured indefinitely.
Diabetes Life Solutions has access to companies who understand the risks of juveniles with type 1 diabetes, and have worked with specific insurance companies who may offer coverage. Do not let other agents tell you your child cannot secure a policy simply because of their age and history of type 1 diabetes.
Before proceeding further let’s understand a little about type 1 diabetes, this might help you in understanding why you need life insurance for children with type 1 diabetes.
Type 1 diabetes, when known as juvenile diabetes or insulin-subordinate diabetes, is a long-term condition where the pancreas stops creating insulin. Insulin is a chemical expected to permit sugar (glucose) to enter cells to create energy.
Various variables, including hereditary qualities and some infections, may add to type 1 diabetes. Even though type 1 diabetes generally shows up during youth or youthfulness, it can create in grown-ups.
Regardless of dynamic examination, type 1 diabetes has no fix. Treatment centers around overseeing glucose levels with insulin, diet, and way of life to forestall complexities.
Side effects
Type 1 diabetes signs and side effects can show up somewhat abruptly and may include:
Counsel your primary care physician assuming you notice any of the above signs and side effects in your kid. And this is where life insurance for children with type 1 diabetes will come in handy. You can consult our experts and we can help you further in understanding the details.
Causes
The specific reason for type 1 diabetes is obscure. When one’s immune system damages the production of insulin that creates cells in the pancreas, that is islet, or islets of Langerhans that is when the risk of diabetes is at its highest.
The job of insulin
When a critical number of islet cells are obliterated, you’ll create practically no insulin. Insulin is a chemical that comes from an organ arranged behind and beneath the stomach (pancreas).
The job of glucose
Whenever your glucose levels are low, for example, when you haven’t eaten in some time, the liver separates the put-away glycogen into glucose to keep your glucose levels within an ordinary reach.
In type 1 diabetes, there’s no insulin to give glucose access to the cells, so sugar develops in your circulatory system. This can cause dangerous confusion.
Risk factors
Some realized gamble factors for type 1 diabetes include:
Difficulties
After some time, type 1 diabetes complexities can influence significant organs in your body, including the heart, veins, nerves, eyes, and kidneys. Keeping an ordinary glucose level can emphatically diminish the gamble of numerous inconveniences.
Prevention
There’s no known method for forestalling type 1 diabetes. Yet, analysts are chipping away at forestalling the illness or further obliteration of the islet cells in individuals who are recently analyzed.
Inquire as to whether you may be qualified for one of these clinical preliminaries, however cautiously gauge the dangers and advantages of any treatment accessible in a preliminary.
I hope this information will bring awareness to you and will help you take care of yourself and your loved ones.
Some policies are Non Medical Exam and are approved within 48 hours. Other types, usually larger amounts of coverage AND over the age of 16, may require a blood/urine test and review of medical records. For exact options and underwriting requirements, it’s best to contact us, or to complete a quote request.
If someone told you that paying a small monthly installment would provide financial security for your child, providing them emergency funding should they ever need it, would you commit? For a child with type 1 diabetes, whole life insurance provides more than just a death benefit.
Life insurance is much more affordable than most people think. Your premium amount is calculated depending on the age and health of your child when you open the policy, and it is typically very affordable for most families to secure a large amount of coverage. As the policy matures, it accumulates cash value – which can then be borrowed from in a pinch to pay for college and other living expenses. Knowing that a whole life insurance provides more than just a death benefit makes it very attractive for children.
Life insurance policies that have a cash value component can be withdrawn for buying a new car, college tuition, weddings, and other loans. This flexibility makes whole life insurance coverage all that more beneficial for your child. The cash value can be accessed and there’s no restrictions on how this asset can be spent or used.
When you purchase a form of permanent life insurance for your child, the rate will “lock-in”; meaning that it will never increase for as long as your child’s policy remains open and the premium is paid. It is important to shop around for the best quotes to secure the lowest rates. When your child matures into adulthood and you present the policy to them, they will be able to afford to maintain the protection that is so vital to a financially green young adult.
Even if your child were to suffer from future health issues, or diabetes complications ( Retinopathy / Neuropathy ) premiums will not be raised. Once a policy begins, no future health check ups are needed. Knowing your rates are guaranteed provides peace of mind to parents.
While most people aren’t comfortable discussing the possibility that their child may pass before them, it is important to have a financial plan in place to ensure that you will be able to take the necessary time off to adjust should your child pass unexpectedly. Life insurance for children with diabetes is a very important financial product to consider.
While discussing the potential death of a child is unsettling, it would be much worse for such a terrible loss to occur and not be prepared. A life insurance policy can provide enough to cover living expenses for an appropriate amount of time should you need it to. Or in some situations a policy to cover burial costs and final expenses would be suitable for your situation.
The loss of a child is devastating. There’s no other way to say it. For some families, losing a child may prevent you from going back to work for quite some time. A life insurance policy could offset lost wages if this type of situation were to happen to you. There’s no restrictions on how a life insurance death benefit can be used.
For children with diabetes, whole life insurance may be the only option while they are younger. If you cannot afford a whole life insurance policy with the exact death benefit you’d like, consider a policy that is lower in insurance coverage. Over time, you can always add an additional policy as more options become available. But please let us be clear. Life insurance options for a child with diabetes are extremely limited.
Whole Life Insurance available from ages 1 and older
Guaranteed Universal Life Insurance available for ages 16 and older
Term Life Insurance available for ages 18 and older
Premiums and exact life insurance options will be determined by the following:
Assuming your juvenile diabetes child is approved, please understand that premiums will be more expensive. Living with type 1 diabetes means your child is going to be viewed as a higher ‘risk’ to insurance carriers. Thus premiums will be higher compared to people who do not have a type of diabetes.
Unfortunately, it’s impossible to simply recommend one particular life insurance company. The same insurance company will not offer coverage to every child with diabetes. Rather eligibility is determined on a case by case basis. Because of this, it’s extremely important to reach out to us at 888-629-3064 and speak with an independent life insurance agent. Without knowing your child’s exact health profile we will not be able to determine what life insurance options are available.
Even if your child had diabetes, they may still very well qualify for life insurance coverage. However, finding a life insurance policy will require a little more research and work on your end. The overall condition of your child’s diabetes will determine the exact rates and options available to them. If your child is approved, please understand that the premiums will be more expensive compared to a child without any type of diabetes. In some cases, there may not be any options at the present moment.
To get your free life insurance quote for a child with diabetes, please request a free quote or give us a call at 888-629-3064. We Love working with people in the diabetes community, and have successfully found life insurance for thousands of children with diabetes. Let us help you out today! You’ll only receive real and accurate information when working with us. In the event we cannot assist you, we’ll be honest and will simply let you know this. You’ll never have your time wasted when speaking with us.
Find out how much life insurance with Diabetes Life Solutions costs
Matt Schmidt is a nationally licensed diabetes insurance expert. Over this time frame he's helped out over 10,000 clients secure life insurance coverage with Diabetes. He's frequently authors content to Forbes, Entrepreneur, The Simple Dollar, GoBanking Rates, MSN, Insurancenews.net, and Yahoo Finance and many more.
Matt Schmidt is also the Co-Founder of Diabetes Life Solutions and Licensed Insurance agent. He’s been working with the Diabetes community for over 18 years to find consumers the best life insurance policies. Since 2011, he has been a qualified non-member of MDRT, the most prestigious life insurance trade organization in the USA
