Will I be declined automatically if I have diabetes or high blood pressure?

No. These are common conditions, and many applicants with well-controlled diabetes or hypertension are insurable. The outcome depends on severity, control, duration, complications and the rest of your health profile. Some files come back standard, some rated, some postponed, and a few declined — but a diagnosis alone is not an automatic decline.

What is a rated policy, and can the rating be removed later?

A rated policy is a fully underwritten contract issued at a higher risk class than standard, usually expressed as a table rating that reflects extra assumed mortality. Some insurers will reconsider a rating after a set period — often two to five years — if your condition has improved or stabilised, and you can request a review. There is no obligation on the insurer to change it, and any change is subject to underwriting.

How is a past heart attack or stent treated?

Underwriters focus on how long ago the event happened, how complete your recovery is, and whether risk factors like smoking, cholesterol and blood pressure are controlled. Many insurers postpone applications for a period after a cardiac event, then consider offers once follow-up is stable. A cardiologist's report and recent test results strengthen the file.

Do I need a medical exam?

It depends on the product and the coverage amount. Fully underwritten policies commonly require a paramedical exam, blood and urine samples, and sometimes an ECG or a statement from your doctor. Simplified issue products usually rely on a health questionnaire and database checks instead, with no fluids. The insurer decides what is needed during underwriting.

Should I choose simplified issue if I need coverage quickly?

Simplified issue issues faster and asks fewer health questions, but coverage ceilings are lower and the cost per unit of coverage is typically higher. It is also not acceptance-based — you can still be rated or declined. If you need a larger amount or want a contract that may build cash value, full underwriting is often the route, even though it takes longer.

How far back do insurers look at my medical history?

Underwriters typically review recent history in detail — often the last five to ten years of notes, prescriptions and lab work — and ask about older diagnoses that could still affect risk. You will be asked to sign authorisation for an attending physician's statement. Answering the application questions honestly and completely is what protects your claim later.

Can I apply to more than one insurer at once?

You can, but each formal application usually triggers a check with prescription and underwriting databases, and a decline becomes part of that record. A common approach is to have your advisor pre-screen your details informally with several insurers first, then submit a formal application to the one that indicates it will offer coverage. Any offer is subject to underwriting.

Will my premium change if my health improves?

Not automatically. Premiums are set at issue and stay level for the length of the term or the life of the contract, depending on the product you bought. What can change is your eligibility for a new policy at a better risk class — some insurers will reconsider after a period of improved control. Applying again means a fresh underwriting process.

Ontario · Relationships for life — across generations.

Life Insurance With a Pre-Existing Condition in Ontario

By Habib Ur Rehman Bhatti, Ontario life insurance advisor · Published 2026-09-12 · Last updated 2026-09-12

A pre-existing condition does not automatically close the door on life insurance in Ontario — it changes the questions an insurer asks and the risk class you're placed in. This guide explains how diabetes, high blood pressure and past cardiac events are assessed, and how rated policies compare with simplified issue. Every application is subject to underwriting.

See every coverage amount side by side in life insurance in Ontario — sample rates by age.

How Ontario underwriters assess a pre-existing condition

Underwriting sorts applicants into risk classes: preferred, standard, or rated — ratings are often expressed as table ratings that add a set number of years to your assumed mortality. Three questions drive most decisions: how severe is the condition, how well is it controlled, and how long has it been stable? Insurers may request an attending physician's statement, lab results, medication history, and sometimes a paramedical exam or ECG. They also weigh age, smoking, build, blood pressure, cholesterol and family history. Two insurers can reach different conclusions on the same file, which is precisely why comparing multiple offers matters. Nothing here is a decision, and no outcome can be promised in advance.

Diabetes: what insurers look at

The first branch is type. Type 1 and insulin-dependent type 2 diabetes are generally treated more cautiously than type 2 managed by diet or oral medication. Then come control and duration — A1C readings, fasting glucose, how long since diagnosis, and whether your medication has changed recently. Insurers also ask about complications: neuropathy, kidney involvement, retinopathy and any cardiovascular history. Age at diagnosis matters too; a diagnosis in your twenties is weighted differently than one in your fifties. Well-controlled diabetes with no complications often lands in a standard or mildly rated class, while poor control or existing complications can lead to a heavier rating, a postponement, or a decline. Simplified issue products ask fewer diabetes questions but typically cap the coverage amount.

High blood pressure: control matters more than the diagnosis

Hypertension is one of the most common conditions insurers see, and a single elevated reading at a medical exam rarely decides a file on its own. Underwriters look at your readings over time, whether you're on medication, how many medications you take, and whether you've reached a stable dose. They consider related factors — cholesterol, weight, smoking, kidney function, and any history of stroke or heart disease — because these change the overall picture. Controlled hypertension on one or two medications, with normal lab work, is often assessed as standard. Uncontrolled or fluctuating readings, or evidence of organ damage, can move a file into a rated class. Bringing recent, dated readings from your family doctor to the application helps underwriting see the pattern.

Past cardiac events: timing and recovery

If you've had a heart attack, angina, bypass surgery, a stent, or an arrhythmia, the date of the event is usually the first thing an underwriter checks. Insurers generally want a period of stability and documented follow-up before they'll consider an offer, and the length of that period depends on the event and your recovery. They'll review ejection fraction, stress test or imaging results, whether you smoke, how your cholesterol and blood pressure are controlled, and whether your cardiologist supports your current regimen. Recent events are often postponed rather than declined outright. Once enough time has passed with no further incidents, offers range from rated to standard depending on the whole picture.

Rated policies vs simplified issue: two different paths

A rated policy is a fully underwritten contract approved at a higher-than-standard risk class, usually because of a table rating. The advantages are that coverage amounts can be larger, the contract may build cash value, and some insurers will review the rating later if your health improves. It requires full disclosure, lab work and often a physician's statement, so it takes longer to issue. Simplified issue skips the fluids and most of the medical paperwork in favour of a short health questionnaire. It issues faster and asks fewer questions, but the trade-offs are a lower coverage ceiling, a waiting period on non-accident death in some contracts, and a higher cost per unit of coverage. It is not the same as acceptance-based coverage — you can still be rated or declined. The right path depends on how much coverage you need and how stable your condition is.

Disclosure and comparing offers in Ontario

Answer every health question completely and accurately. In Ontario, a material misstatement on an application can allow an insurer to void a claim during the contestability period, and fraud can affect a claim at any time. If you're unsure how to describe something, give your advisor the details and let underwriting ask follow-up questions. An advisor can also request an informal pre-screen with several insurers before you formally apply, so a decline doesn't sit on your record. If you already hold coverage, keep it in force until a new policy is approved and delivered — replacing coverage carries its own rules and risks. Because each insurer weights diabetes, hypertension and cardiac history differently, comparing several quotes side by side is the practical way to see where your file lands.

Questions

Will I be declined automatically if I have diabetes or high blood pressure?: No. These are common conditions, and many applicants with well-controlled diabetes or hypertension are insurable. The outcome depends on severity, control, duration, complications and the rest of your health profile. Some files come back standard, some rated, some postponed, and a few declined — but a diagnosis alone is not an automatic decline.
What is a rated policy, and can the rating be removed later?: A rated policy is a fully underwritten contract issued at a higher risk class than standard, usually expressed as a table rating that reflects extra assumed mortality. Some insurers will reconsider a rating after a set period — often two to five years — if your condition has improved or stabilised, and you can request a review. There is no obligation on the insurer to change it, and any change is subject to underwriting.
How is a past heart attack or stent treated?: Underwriters focus on how long ago the event happened, how complete your recovery is, and whether risk factors like smoking, cholesterol and blood pressure are controlled. Many insurers postpone applications for a period after a cardiac event, then consider offers once follow-up is stable. A cardiologist's report and recent test results strengthen the file.
Do I need a medical exam?: It depends on the product and the coverage amount. Fully underwritten policies commonly require a paramedical exam, blood and urine samples, and sometimes an ECG or a statement from your doctor. Simplified issue products usually rely on a health questionnaire and database checks instead, with no fluids. The insurer decides what is needed during underwriting.
Should I choose simplified issue if I need coverage quickly?: Simplified issue issues faster and asks fewer health questions, but coverage ceilings are lower and the cost per unit of coverage is typically higher. It is also not acceptance-based — you can still be rated or declined. If you need a larger amount or want a contract that may build cash value, full underwriting is often the route, even though it takes longer.
How far back do insurers look at my medical history?: Underwriters typically review recent history in detail — often the last five to ten years of notes, prescriptions and lab work — and ask about older diagnoses that could still affect risk. You will be asked to sign authorisation for an attending physician's statement. Answering the application questions honestly and completely is what protects your claim later.
Can I apply to more than one insurer at once?: You can, but each formal application usually triggers a check with prescription and underwriting databases, and a decline becomes part of that record. A common approach is to have your advisor pre-screen your details informally with several insurers first, then submit a formal application to the one that indicates it will offer coverage. Any offer is subject to underwriting.
Will my premium change if my health improves?: Not automatically. Premiums are set at issue and stay level for the length of the term or the life of the contract, depending on the product you bought. What can change is your eligibility for a new policy at a better risk class — some insurers will reconsider after a period of improved control. Applying again means a fresh underwriting process.

See our rate sources and methodology and FSRA consumer resources. Browse sample profiles or all insurance guides. See what the numbers mean in practice in how much life insurance costs in Ontario, or download the dated extract behind these figures: Ontario term life sample rate dataset.

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