Written by · Reviewed by Smiths Insurance & KiwiSaver — licensed Financial Advice Provider (FSP712931) · Last updated 2026-10-20

Life insurance options for people with diabetes in NZ

You can apply for life insurance in New Zealand with Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes, but terms are individual. Chubb Life, the only insurer we found publishing its approach, says Type 1 most commonly gets life cover only, with a loading of at least 100%, and a recent diagnosis is often deferred 12 months. Guaranteed-acceptance cover asks no health questions but excludes pre-existing conditions for two years.

In short

For many people with diabetes, one of the first questions about financial protection is whether they can still get insurance. The honest answer is that it depends on the type of diabetes, how well it is controlled, how long you have had it and which insurer assesses you. The cost and the conditions attached follow from that. This guide sets out what is published, what underwriters ask for, and how guaranteed acceptance treats diabetes. It is general information, not advice on your own file. For a cost-focused view, see what life insurance costs with diabetes.

A person at a kitchen bench sets a small glucose meter down beside a half-completed application form and pen

What does one NZ insurer publish about diabetes underwriting?

Most NZ insurers publish nothing on diabetes terms. Chubb Life is the exception we found, in an article for advisers (Chubb Life, Diving into diabetes, read 20 October 2026). It is one insurer's position, not a market rule, and other insurers can reach different conclusions. The table below sets out each situation Chubb describes.

Situation What Chubb says
Type 1 diabetes Most commonly able to offer life cover only, with a loading of "at least 100%". Other benefits are the exception: a diagnosis at 40 or over, well controlled, with no complications
Recently diagnosed diabetes Cover often needs to be deferred for 12 months, to assess understanding and compliance with treatment and blood sugar control
Type 2, diagnosed at an older age with good control and no complications An example given: diagnosed at 60 may have a loading of 50% to 75%
Type 2, diagnosed younger "The younger a person is diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, the higher the loading." No figure is given
Current gestational diabetes Medical records needed to confirm good blood sugar control; if controlled, standard life terms can be offered
History of gestational diabetes Records needed to confirm full recovery with no abnormal blood sugar; all benefits may then be considered at standard terms
Pre-diabetes or impaired glucose tolerance Terms based on current and historical HbA1c; if diabetes is possible but undiagnosed, cover is likely deferred until investigated

Chubb also says loadings rise the longer a customer has had diabetes, and that age at diagnosis, BMI, smoking status, cholesterol, liver function, blood pressure and other conditions all affect terms. It gives no HbA1c bands, and neither does any other insurer we found, so this page does not publish "good" or "poor" control numbers. If you see a table of HbA1c cut-offs and loadings elsewhere, check where it came from.

What do underwriters ask for?

Chubb lists what it needs: the type of diabetes, age at diagnosis and duration, control (best shown by HbA1c results), treatment compliance, complications (retinopathy, vascular disease, renal insufficiency or neuropathy), cardiovascular risk factors such as hypertension and high cholesterol, and any abnormal urine or kidney function. Some can come from the application form and telephone underwriting, but underwriters usually request records from your GP. Chubb recommends a pre-assessment conversation with an underwriter for anyone with diabetes.

On evidence thresholds, Fidelity and Chubb both need only an application form or personal statement for life cover up to $500,000 at every age band, and a GP medical or paramedical exam plus HbA1c, lipids and liver tests from $500,001 at ages 61 and over (the guides for each, read 20 October 2026). These are minimums: a disclosed condition triggers more. Fidelity says a pre-assessment "is not an offer of cover, nor a binding final assessment" (Fidelity underwriting guide, October 2025). See also how underwriting works.

What can you get across the four products?

If you already held insurance before you were diagnosed, a diagnosis made after a policy started is assessed under that policy's own terms, not as a pre-existing condition for it. This is one argument for cover earlier, though it is not a promise about any particular policy.

How Quick Life and Funeral Insurance treat diabetes

If underwritten cover is deferred, loaded or declined, some people look at guaranteed acceptance. The wording of Momentum Life's products names diabetes directly.

Situation Quick Life (ages 18 to 65, $50,000 to $300,000) Funeral Insurance (ages 40 to 75, $3,000 to $30,000)
Diabetes treated with medication or diet advice in the last 2 years A pre-existing condition. If death is related to it in the first 2 years, no benefit is paid No health questions and no pre-existing clause
Death from diabetes complications in the first 24 months Premiums are refunded if no claim is payable. Momentum's glossary lists "complications related to diabetes" as an example of a pre-existing condition In the first 24 months only accidental death is paid; other deaths refund all premiums for that person
Death in the first 2 years from an unrelated cause (for example an accident) Covered Paid only if it is an accidental death within 90 days of the accident
Death related to diabetes after 2 years (Quick Life) or 24 months (Funeral) Covered, unless the policy schedule lists a permanent exclusion Paid, whatever the cause

Source: Momentum Life, Quick Life Insurance Policy Wording (November 2025); Momentum Life, Funeral Insurance Policy Wording (17 August 2023). Retrieved 17 October 2026.

Momentum's wording defines a pre-existing condition as any illness, condition or symptoms in the 2 years before the policy started, including anything you had treatment or advice for or noticed symptoms of, with markers that include very high blood pressure, cholesterol over 7.0, a BMI over 40 or complications related to diabetes. The same two-year rule applies to a benefit increase (for the increase only) and to a reinstated policy. Quick Life premiums are stepped: they rise each year with age until 75. Total premiums on a Funeral policy can end up larger than the benefit, and the benefit may not cover the whole funeral.

For someone with diabetes who is deferred, heavily loaded or declined, or who simply wants cover in place without questions, guaranteed acceptance is an option if the two-year restriction is acceptable. A healthy person can usually get more cover for less with fully underwritten cover through an adviser. Read the guaranteed acceptance hub, Quick Life and our page on diabetes and high blood pressure. Momentum Life Limited has an A.M. Best financial strength rating of B (Fair), affirmed on 11 February 2026, which sits in A.M. Best's "vulnerable" range (Momentum: financial strength). The buttons on this page lead to Momentum's own online quote.

What does the standard premium look like before any loading?

A loading is a percentage added to the standard premium, so the baseline matters. These are indicative monthly costs for $500,000 of stepped life cover and $100,000 of stepped trauma cover for a non-smoking man in occupation class 1, as one range across five insurers' published rate cards as at 8 September 2026 (QuoteHub Premium Index).

Age $500,000 life $100,000 trauma
40 $40 to $50 $35 to $50
50 $90 to $120 $110 to $130
60 $300 to $375 $300 to $375

Standard rates with no loadings or exclusions; your own premium depends on underwriting. A loading is not read off a table: Chubb's published examples (at least 100% for Type 1, 50% to 75% for an older, well-controlled Type 2) are one insurer's illustrations. See the QuoteHub life insurance price pages for the basis.

How can you prepare an application?

Under the Contracts of Insurance Act 2024, from 15 November 2027 (not yet in force), the test becomes whether you took reasonable care not to make a misrepresentation, rather than the current broad duty to disclose (FMA). Until then, answer every question fully.

Why work with an adviser?

A licensed adviser can present your file to several insurers and compare what comes back. Insurers do not share underwriting guidelines, and the same history can produce different outcomes. Advice is provided by Craig Smith Business Services Limited, trading as Smiths Insurance & KiwiSaver, a licensed Financial Advice Provider (FSP712931). QuoteHub is a Momentum Life partner, and Smiths Insurance & KiwiSaver may receive a commission if you buy Momentum cover through our link; see how we are paid. The FMA says most insurance advisers receive commission from the insurer, built into the premium (FMA: Insurance advice). Start a free check, and keep existing cover until new cover has started.

Frequently asked questions

Can I get life insurance in NZ if I have diabetes?

You can apply. Chubb Life says Type 1 most commonly gets life cover only with a loading of at least 100%, and a recent diagnosis is often deferred 12 months. Other insurers do not publish their positions, so outcomes vary.

Will my diabetes be covered under health insurance?

It depends on the insurer's pre-existing rules, which differ. Some lift an exclusion after three years of continuous cover and some do not. See our page on health insurance and pre-existing conditions.

Is income protection worth getting if diabetes is excluded?

An exclusion applies only to claims caused by the excluded condition, and cover for unrelated illness or injury remains. ACC does not cover illness, so it will not replace income lost to diabetes.

Does it matter if I was diagnosed before or after taking out insurance?

Yes. A condition that appears after a policy has started is assessed under that policy's terms, while one you have when you apply is a pre-existing condition for the new policy, and guaranteed-acceptance cover excludes it for the first two years.

Can I get insurance if I have been declined before?

A decline from one insurer does not mean every insurer will decline, but a new insurer sees your history. A licensed adviser can ask several. See life insurance after a decline.

References

Financial advice is provided by Craig Smith Business Services Limited, trading as Smiths Insurance & KiwiSaver, a licensed Financial Advice Provider (FSP712931). QuoteHub is a trading name. The information in this article is general in nature and does not constitute personalised financial advice.

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