Now, getting life insurance while pregnant can have its own complications, getting covered while pregnant with gestational diabetes adds an entire different level of potential roadblocks.

That is why in this article, we wanted to take a moment to answer some of the most common questions we get from folks applying for life insurance after being diagnosed with Gestational Diabetes.

Questions that will be directly addressed will include:

• Can I qualify for life insurance if I have been diagnosed with Gestational Diabetes?
• Why do life insurance companies care if I’ve been diagnosed with Gestational Diabetes?
• What kind of information will the insurance companies ask me or be interested in?
• What rate (or price) can I qualify for?
• What can I do to help ensure that I get the “best life insurance” for me?

So, without further ado, let’ dive right in!

Can I qualify for life insurance if I have been diagnosed with Gestational Diabetes?

Yes, individuals who have been diagnosed with Gestational Diabetes can and often will be able to qualify for a traditional term or whole life insurance policy. In fact, they may even be able to qualify for a no exam term life insurance policy at a Preferred rating!

“But there’s a catch!”

You see…

While it is true that someone who has been previously diagnosed with Gestational Diabetes may be able to qualify for a traditional life insurance policy, they’re not going to be eligible while they are currently pregnant with Gestational Diabetes!

They’re only going to be eligible once they have given birth and their Gestational Diabetes resolves itself.

Why do life insurance companies care if I’ve been diagnosed with Gestational Diabetes?

Applying for life insurance while pregnant can sometimes really complicate that process of getting approved for a traditional life insurance policy because even in the “best” of situations, being pregnant can cause an expectant mother to experience a lot of “physical” changes.

And while…

Many of these changes aren’t going to be cause for concern, once you add some type of “complication” to a normal pregnancy, such as gestational diabetes, what you’re usually going to find is that most of the best life insurance companies are going to either “deny” one’s life insurance application or “postpone” it until the applicant has given birth and it is clear that they aren’t suffering from any lingering health issues as a result of their pregnancy.

And this is exactly what we see when it comes to those applying for a traditional life insurance policy while pregnant with Gestational Diabetic symptoms.

The good news is…

In most cases, an expecting mother’s Gestational Diabetes will disappear soon after they give birth. This is why most life insurance companies aren’t going to use a previous Gestational Diabetes diagnosis against someone once they have fully recovered from their “temporary” condition.

Which is actually quite…

Fortunate because studies do seem to indicate that women who have a history of gestational diabetes in the past appear to be seven times more likely to develop type 2 diabetes in the future.

And this is why one might think a life insurance company would use this kind of information against someone who has yet to be diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, but that’s just not the case (as of yet).

But…

This little “factoid” is definitely something you should consider when trying to determine what “kind” of life insurance policy that you want to purchase and how long you want to “own” that policy because if you ever do decide to apply for a life insurance policy later on, just know that having been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes will generally make your life insurance policy cost more.

Now…

Getting back to the topic at hand, let’s just take a moment and examine exactly what Gestational Diabetes is and briefly highlight some of the most common symptoms of this “condition” so that we can gain a better understanding of exactly what a life insurance underwriter will be looking for when making his or her decision about your application.

Gestational Diabetes Defined

Simply put, Gestational Diabetes is simply diabetes that develops during pregnancy. As a result, an expecting mother will begin to see a risk in her blood sugar level, which can potentially affect both her and her baby’s health.

Symptoms may include:

• Sugar in the urine,
• Unusual thirst combined with a need to frequently urinate,
• Fatigue,
• Nausea,
• Frequent UTI’s,
• Possible skin infections,
• Sudden vision changes,
• Etc…

The good news is…

That oftentimes, Gestational Diabetes can be treated/managed through diet and exercise alone. However, depending on one’s sugar levels, some medications may be required.

Fortunately, shortly after your delivery date, most individual’s blood sugar levels will return to normal, making the use of any prescription medications no longer necessary (and hopefully the new and improved diet and exercise routine will continue).

Now at this point…

We usually like to take a moment and remind folks that nobody here at IBUSA has any kind of “official” medical training, and we’re certainly not doctors. All we are is a bunch of life insurance agents who just happen to be really good at helping folks with pre-existing medical conditions like this one, find and qualify for the life insurance coverage that they are looking for.

But…

Not so great if you’re looking for answers to any specific medical questions. In cases like these, we would recommend that you contact a true medical professional who has the training to help. For everyone else, you’re in luck because now we’re going to get into some of the “nitty-gritty” about what you may or may not be able to qualify for.

What kind of information will the insurance companies ask me or be interested in?

If you’ve been diagnosed with gestational diabetes, the life insurance company may ask you a range of questions to better understand your health status and any potential risks. Some of the information they may ask about includes:

• Date of diagnosis: The life insurance company may ask when you were diagnosed with gestational diabetes and how far along you were in your pregnancy at the time.
• Treatment: The life insurance company may ask about any treatments you received for gestational diabetes, such as medication or dietary changes. They may also ask about the effectiveness of these treatments and whether you experienced any complications during pregnancy as a result of the condition.
• Follow-up care: The life insurance company may ask if you received any follow-up care after pregnancy, such as blood sugar monitoring or diabetes management, and whether you have continued to experience any issues related to gestational diabetes.
• Current health status: The life insurance company may ask about your current health status, including any ongoing medical conditions, medications you are currently taking, and any other health issues you have experienced.

It’s important to be as honest and accurate as possible when answering these questions, as any discrepancies or omissions could affect the coverage provided by the policy.  Which brings us to our next topic, which is…

What rate can I qualify for?

Ok, let’s assume that you’ve been previously diagnosed with Gestational Diabetes, but since then, you’ve given birth, and you are no longer suffering from any symptoms related to your previous pre-existing medical condition.

In cases like these, why you’re typically going to find is that whatever rate you would have been able to qualify for PRIOR to being diagnosed with Gestational Diabetes ought to be the same rate that you will be able to qualify for AFTER having been diagnosed with Gestational Diabetes.

“Which is great!”

And while…

We would love to be more specific about EXACTLY what kind of rate you might be able to qualify for, in truth, there are simply way to many factors that can come into play for us to be able to know for sure what kind of rate you might be able to qualify for without first speaking with you directly. Which is an important fact to consider and segues very nicely into the last topic that we wanted to discuss with you today, which is…

What can I do to help ensure that I get the “best life insurance” for me?

In our experience here at IBUSA, what we have found that works best for folks who have been diagnosed with a pre-existing medical condition where the “severity” of the condition is often “subjective” is for the applicant to make sure that they first find a true-life insurance professional who will work as an advocate for you.

Such an agent…

Will not only help guide you through the application process but also be perfectly “frank” with you about what options may or may not be possible for you.

From there…

You’ll also want to make sure that the very same agent you have chosen has access to dozens of different life insurance companies because after all, it really doesn’t matter how “great” of a life insurance agent you might have if they don’t have access to the “best” life insurance policy for you! Now, does it?

Lastly…

You’ll want to make sure that you’re completely honest with your life insurance agent prior to applying for coverage. By doing so, you will be helping him or her narrow down what options might be the “best.”

So, what are you waiting for? Give us a call today and see what we can do for you!