Life insurance with diabetes.

You can still get life insurance if you’re diabetic. But diabetes counts as a pre-existing medical condition.

Having a pre-existing condition can affect the price you pay for life insurance. That’s because you’re more likely to make a claim. So, if you have a condition like diabetes, you’ll usually pay more to cover any extra risk.

When you apply for cover with Tesco Life Insurance, you’ll need to answer some questions about your diabetes. It’s important to be as accurate and honest as possible to make sure your policy’s valid.

You’ll need to let Aviva, our life insurance provider, know you have diabetes when you apply for a life insurance policy. They’ll check what type of diabetes you have - type 1 or type 2. And they’ll consider how well it’s managed, along with your overall medical history.

Finding out about your diabetes helps Aviva decide what kind of cover we can offer. And how much you’ll need to pay for it.

You can learn more about the cost of life insurance in our guide - How much does life insurance cost?

We also explain what some of the key terms mean in our life insurance glossary.

The type of diabetes you have could affect the cover you need and how much it costs.

Type 1 diabetes is usually more severe. It’s often diagnosed when you’re a child and means you need lifelong insulin treatment. That, in turn, can come with a higher risk of developing health conditions like a heart attack or a stroke.

Because of this, life insurance usually costs more if you have type 1 diabetes.

Aviva might want to get more information from your doctor when you apply for life insurance with diabetes. If they do, it’s to help them understand your condition better. And so they can provide the right cover to meet your needs.

They’ll also cover the cost of any medical information or exams they request as part of the application. And try to arrange it at a time and place that works for you.

You can usually manage type 2 diabetes with changes to your lifestyle and diet or by taking medication. So it might be considered less of a risk - and your premiums might not be as high.

Aviva will still consider how severe your type 2 diabetes is when you apply for cover. And you can show you’re taking steps to manage your condition. For example, with:

Aviva might also ask you to have a medical exam if you have type 2 diabetes. And to provide your BMI and recent blood glucose readings.

It’s important to tell Aviva you have diabetes - whether you have type 1 or type 2. If you don’t tell them and they find out later, your policy could be cancelled.

You might need to tell them things like:

Remember, it’s important to be honest and accurate when answering these questions. Aviva regularly check the information they get. They could also call your GP or get in touch with other medical professionals.

If your answers aren’t complete and accurate, it might mean:

Bear in mind that Tesco Life Insurance, as with any life insurance policy, has no cash-in value. So, if your policy’s cancelled, you won’t get any money back.

If you develop diabetes after your cover starts, your policy usually won’t change. That’s because it’s based on your health at the time you took out your policy. So, you should continue to pay the same amount each month.

You can learn more about life cover with a pre-existing condition in our guide - Life insurance for pre-existing conditions.

At Tesco Insurance, we want to help you with the things that matter most. That’s why Tesco Life Insurance comes with a Big Win and lots of Little Helps.

As well as your Tesco benefits, you’ll also get access to health and wellbeing services with the Aviva DigiCare+ app, provided by Square Health and other selected partners.

Tesco Life Insurance is provided and administered by Aviva, who have a 5-star Defaqto rating for life insurance and pay out on 98.8% of claims*.

*Aviva 2025 Claims report, covering claims made across all life insurance policies in 2024.