My Random Thought for Today:
Thirty five years ago the insurance actuaries told me they wouldn’t sell me life insurance because I had diabetes and was too high of a risk to die.
Now, the actuaries would tell me that they won’t sell me life insurance because I’m too old and at too high a risk to die during the insurance term.
WTF???
Weirdly, my work insurance policy wouldn’t let ME get supplemental life insurance because I had a child with diabetes. I don’t really get that one…
@TiaG , that is some crazy denial. That said, my wife got rejected for private health insurance at one point because she had been diagnosed with hay fever. I chalk it up to you cannot figure out insurance companies, some of whom only want the perfect slice of customer.
Actually, insurance companies aren’t in business to pay claims, they are in business to NOT pay claims. Not too hard to figure out.
but with life insurance, does my child’s illness increase MY chance of death? I mean, if I survive or not is presumably independent, and they don’t care what happens to the money once they have to pay out…
Well, isn’t it true that some people say that it’s your children who kill you?
They probably have some notion that if your child has a serious illness, than you have some genetic predisposition…That would be my guess.
That makes sense, but I wonder why they don’t jack up the price for risk groups instead of rejecting them altogether. Is there no profit to be made at all?
well this is through my work – my guess is that through work they are purchasing a pretty blanket policy and there isn’t much leeway to dial up or down the coverage level and cost. I have thought about purchasing a separate life insurance policy for myself because Samson’s care really would require additional expense, and have never gotten around to it.
If TiaG was buying an individual policy that is what would happen. I was looking for life insurance recently, and the price spread based on whether companies wanted to insure you was crazy. I mean, one company quoted $150 a month, and another quoted $1200 a month for the same coverage. But when dealing with employer offered insurance, the insurance company can’t change what they charge per employee.
Sorry for this serious answer, but if you really want life insurance there is a way to do it.
If you’re married, and you need life insurance, you can look at a Second to Die policy. My wife and I got that - it protects your estate if you have illiquid assets. This was when I had had T1 for maybe 35 years? They got all my health records and nurse did some blood (A1c) and other tests and were fine with it. The fact that both of you have to die before they pay makes the rate quite reasonable.
@jag1 Thank you for that information!
I am fortunate enough to have a fairly substantial policy through my work, and as I get older my life insurance needs are decreasing. But the concept of the Second to Die type of policy is intriguing, and I plan to look into it.
This is a great topic and of interest to me. Does anyone else have experience applying for LI with diabetes ?
Can someone link: Life insurance
Yes but employer based life insurance is far less valuable in terms of the security it provides your family. Unless you get ran over by a bus you are very likely to lose your employment before you lose your life
I don’t know much about that type of policy. I am wondering, would that remove some of the motivation for your spouse to kill you? 
@Sam At my age and in my profession Sam, I’m far more likely to retire before I get fired.
I just hope I’m sane enough to retire before I die.
Yea but it’s not an uncommon sequence of things for people to get too sick to work and become unemployed when their health fails, then die
I have tried a few times to get life insurance but have always been rejected because of diabetes.
My last employer offered basic life insurance of 2 x annual salary; however, there was a level of insurance above which you needed to answer “health questions”. I was rejected for insurance above the health question cap because of Type 1 diabetes. I complained to my employer that I was paying the same amount for benefits as everyone else and I should get a refund based on that I was not getting full coverage, but that did not go anywhere 
My current employer offers an “Insurance Choices” program where you need answer health questions to get more than 1 x annual salary. I tried for a higher level of coverage but again got rejected for additional coverage because of type 1 diabetes, but at least I am only paying for insurance for 1 x annual salary so I am not too concerned.
I have to say - they should just say “Don’t bother applying if you have these conditions” but instead they let you waste time filling out the forms and going through the process to just reject you anyways because of a condition.
I have never tried to get private life insurance as I figure it is not worth the effort.
I would be curious to hear if any T1s were successful in getting life insurance.
