Yes. You can get life insurance if you have cancer or have had cancer in the past. The type of coverage available depends heavily on whether the cancer is current or in the past, what type of cancer you had, and how long it has been since treatment. Whole life insurance is generally much easier to obtain than term life after cancer, and Guaranteed Issue whole life can provide coverage regardless of your health.
Yes. You can get life insurance if you have cancer or have had cancer in the past. The type of coverage available depends heavily on whether the cancer is current or in the past, what type of cancer you had, and how long it has been since treatment. Whole life insurance is generally much easier to obtain than term life after cancer, and Guaranteed Issue whole life can provide coverage regardless of your health.
One of the things we hear regularly is:
"I've had cancer, so I probably can't get life insurance."
That's not necessarily true.
Cancer can certainly affect your life insurance options, but it doesn't automatically mean you can't get coverage.
The first thing we need to determine is whether we're talking about current cancer or a past cancer diagnosis.
After that, we look at what type of cancer you had, when it occurred, what treatment you received, and how you've done since then.
If you'd like a broader explanation of how health conditions affect life insurance, Can I Get Life Insurance If I Have Health Problems?
In Short
- You can get life insurance after cancer.
- Some whole life policies may be available even after relatively recent cancer.
- The type of cancer and how long ago it occurred can make a major difference.
- Current cancer usually makes medically underwritten coverage much more difficult, but Guaranteed Issue whole life can still provide an option regardless of your health.
- Term insurance is generally much more difficult to qualify for after cancer than smaller whole life policies.
Is the Cancer Current or in the Past?
This is the first major distinction.
If you had cancer years ago, completed treatment, and have been doing well since then, you may have several life insurance options.
If you're currently being treated for cancer, your choices for medically underwritten coverage will usually be much more limited.
That does not mean you can't get life insurance.
This is where Guaranteed Issue whole life insurance can be a wonderful option.
Guaranteed Issue policies are designed specifically to make life insurance available without medical underwriting. There are no health questions and no medical exam.
That means current cancer does not disqualify you.
Neither does chemotherapy, radiation, surgery, or another serious health condition.
If you meet the policy's basic eligibility requirements, which commonly include being within the company's eligible age range and meeting its residency requirements, you can qualify regardless of your health.
Many Guaranteed Issue policies are designed for people approximately ages 50 through 80, although age ranges vary by company and some carriers offer coverage outside that range.
The important tradeoff is that these policies generally have a waiting period for death from natural causes, commonly two years.
If you die from natural causes during that period, the policy generally returns the premiums paid plus interest rather than paying the full face amount. Accidental death coverage generally begins immediately. Once the waiting period has been satisfied, the full death benefit is available for covered natural death according to the terms of the policy.
That waiting period is important to understand, but it's also what allows the company to make coverage available regardless of your health.
For someone dealing with cancer or another serious medical condition, that's an incredibly valuable option to have.
What If My Cancer Was in the Past?
Past cancer can be treated very differently from current cancer.
The amount of time that has passed matters.
In general, getting beyond the first couple of years after cancer can open additional options.
Getting beyond five years can open even more.
Those aren't universal rules.
Different insurance companies have very different underwriting guidelines, and some cancers are treated much more favorably than others.
That's why we don't want someone to assume they need to wait five years before even asking what is available.
There may already be good options today.
What Type of Cancer Did You Have?
This can make an enormous difference.
"Cancer" isn't one underwriting category.
Insurance companies know that different cancers have very different treatments, recurrence rates, and long-term outcomes.
They may want to know:
- What type of cancer you had
- When you were diagnosed
- When treatment ended
- Whether surgery was required
- Whether you received chemotherapy or radiation
- Whether the cancer spread
- Whether there has been any recurrence
- What follow-up care you're receiving
The company is trying to understand the severity and stability of your particular situation.
That same principle comes up repeatedly in life insurance underwriting.
The name of a medical condition matters, but the diagnosis by itself often doesn't tell the whole story.
Insurance companies want to understand how serious it was, how it was treated, and what your health looks like today.
Does Being Cancer-Free for Two Years or Five Years Matter?
It can matter quite a bit.
As more time passes without recurrence, more companies may become willing to consider immediate coverage.
Two years can be an important point with some companies.
Five years can be another important point.
But don't treat either number as a universal rule.
One company may be comfortable with a particular cancer sooner than another.
The type of cancer can also completely change the answer.
This is one of the reasons comparing companies is so important.
For more on how insurance underwriting works, Why Do Insurance Companies Ask Medical Questions If There's No Medical Exam?
Can I Get Whole Life Insurance After Cancer?
Often, yes.
For the smaller whole life policies commonly used for final expenses, previous cancer does not necessarily prevent someone from qualifying for immediate coverage.
Learn more: What Is Final Expense Insurance and How Does It Work?
The company will usually want to know some combination of:
- What type of cancer you had
- How long ago you had it
- When treatment ended
- Whether it returned
- What your current health looks like
Depending on those answers, there may be companies willing to offer immediate coverage.
If immediate coverage isn't available, Guaranteed Issue whole life may still provide an excellent way to put permanent coverage in place.
Can I Get Term Life Insurance After Cancer?
This is where we need to make an important distinction.
Term life insurance is generally much harder to qualify for after cancer than the smaller whole life policies we discuss throughout much of this website.
Term policies can provide hundreds of thousands of dollars, or even millions of dollars, of coverage.
Because the insurance company is taking on a much larger potential risk, underwriting is usually more extensive.
A cancer history that might still allow someone to qualify for a smaller whole life policy could make obtaining a large term policy much more difficult.
That doesn't mean you shouldn't ask.
People with previous cancer can and do qualify for term insurance.
It simply means we need to evaluate term and whole life separately rather than assuming approval for one means approval for the other.
If you're trying to decide which type of coverage you need, Should I Choose Whole Life or Term Life Insurance?
What If I Have Cancer Right Now?
Even if you're currently being treated for cancer, life insurance may still be available.
This is one of the situations where Guaranteed Issue whole life can be especially valuable.
There are no health questions and no medical exam.
You don't have to pass a health screening.
You don't have to wait until you're cancer-free to apply.
You don't have to hope the insurance company overlooks your medical history.
The policy is specifically designed to accept people regardless of their health, provided they meet the company's basic eligibility requirements.
The waiting period for natural death is an important limitation, and we want you to understand exactly how it works before choosing the policy.
But Guaranteed Issue accomplishes something extremely important.
It gives people with serious health problems an opportunity to obtain permanent life insurance when medically underwritten coverage may not be available.
Guaranteed Issue Isn't a Bad Policy
We sometimes hear Guaranteed Issue insurance discussed as though it's something you should only reluctantly accept.
We don't look at it that way.
Our first choice is generally to see whether you qualify for immediate coverage because medically underwritten policies frequently provide more coverage for your money.
But Guaranteed Issue serves an extremely important purpose.
It allows people with serious medical conditions to put permanent life insurance in place.
There are no medical questions.
There is no medical exam.
Your health doesn't determine whether you're accepted.
For someone currently fighting cancer or dealing with another serious medical condition, that's a valuable option to have.
The important thing is understanding what you're buying.
We'll always look for immediate coverage first when it makes sense. If Guaranteed Issue is the best option, we'll explain the waiting period clearly so you and your family understand exactly how the policy works.
What If I Was Declined Because of Cancer Before?
A previous decline doesn't necessarily mean you'll receive the same answer today.
Time may have passed since your treatment.
Your health may have remained stable.
You may now be farther from the original diagnosis.
Or another insurance company may simply evaluate your particular cancer differently.
If you've been declined before, tell us.
That information can actually help us determine which companies we should look at next.
Will the Insurance Company Verify My Cancer History?
If you're applying for medically underwritten coverage, the insurance company may use several sources to verify the information on your application.
Depending on the policy and company, that can include prescription history, previous insurance underwriting information, and sometimes medical records.
Accurate information helps us choose the company most likely to view your history favorably before we ever submit the application.
You can learn more about how that process works here: Why Do Life Insurance Companies Check Prescription History?
You can also learn how to see some of the information insurance companies may see during underwriting: How Can I See the Information Insurance Companies Are Seeing?
Should I Wait Longer Before Getting Life Insurance?
Sometimes waiting can improve your options after cancer.
That doesn't automatically mean waiting is the best decision.
If coverage is available today, some people choose to put that protection in place now.
If more time passes, their health remains good, and additional companies become available later, we can compare the market again.
If they qualify for something better, they can consider replacing their existing coverage at that time.
If their health gets worse instead, they already have insurance in place.
This can be especially important after a serious health event. Nobody knows for certain what their health will look like a year or two from now.
Getting coverage today means you're covered based on what you qualify for today. If your options improve later, we can look again.
The important thing is to understand both choices.
We can look at what's available today and explain whether waiting is likely to create significantly better options.
The Bottom Line
Cancer does not automatically mean you can't get life insurance.
If your cancer is in the past, the type of cancer and the amount of time since treatment can make a major difference.
More than two years can improve your options with some companies.
More than five years may improve them further.
Whole life insurance is generally much easier to obtain after cancer than term life insurance.
And even if you're currently being treated for cancer, Guaranteed Issue whole life may still allow you to obtain permanent life insurance regardless of your health.
That's why we don't want you to decide for yourself that you're uninsurable.
Let us find out what's actually available.
Sometimes the answer is immediate coverage.
Sometimes Guaranteed Issue is the best fit.
Sometimes the best decision is to put coverage in place today and see whether improved health or additional time creates better options later.
The important thing is that serious health problems don't necessarily mean you have to go without life insurance.
Our job is to compare the options, explain them clearly, and help you decide what makes sense for you.
You Might Also Be Wondering...
Can I get life insurance if I have health problems?
Why do insurance companies ask medical questions if there's no medical exam?
Why do life insurance companies check prescription history?
Should I choose whole life or term life insurance?
How can I see the information insurance companies use during underwriting?
Have more questions?
A few common ones that come up alongside this article.
