Part of our guide: Impaired Risk Life Insurance Underwriting by Condition →
A borderline blood sugar reading two years ago could easily read as a red flag on an application. For this client, it turned into a Super Standard Non-Tobacco offer, with a path to Preferred. Here’s how.
Key takeaways
- Roughly one in three American adults has pre-diabetes, and it’s often reversible with lifestyle changes.
- Carriers weigh the trajectory since diagnosis, not just the diagnosis itself.
- Documented lifestyle changes after a pre-diabetes finding can materially improve the underwriting outcome.
A borderline blood sugar reading from two years ago came back Super Standard Non-Tobacco, with a path to Preferred, once diet and exercise changes were documented.
Understanding pre-diabetes
In the years before Type 2 diabetes develops, most people pass through an asymptomatic condition called pre-diabetes, marked by slightly elevated fasting blood sugar and sometimes other metabolic signals like high triglycerides, low HDL cholesterol, and excess abdominal fat. Roughly one in three American adults has pre-diabetes, and when it’s caught early, diet changes and weight loss can often head off the progression to full Type 2 diabetes entirely. One of our A+ carriers underwrites favorably on pre-diabetes cases that show a stable, well-controlled condition.
The case
Our client was a 55-year-old male, non-smoker, seeking personal coverage. He had a history of hypertension, well-controlled with medication and exercise. Two years earlier, a routine annual check-up revealed a blood sugar reading higher than normal. Follow-up testing confirmed pre-diabetes, and the client responded by adopting new diet and exercise habits.
Why this case improved
Since making those lifestyle changes, his condition had not progressed, putting him at lower risk of developing diabetes in the years ahead, provided he maintains the new habits. That trajectory, not just the diagnosis, is what carriers weigh most heavily in pre-diabetes cases.
The result
The potential underwriting outcome came back at Super Standard Non-Tobacco, with room for further improvement to Preferred through this carrier’s Healthy Lifestyle crediting program — a strong result for a case that started with a borderline blood sugar flag two years earlier.
Call our life underwriting team to discuss your client’s medical history today, and let’s work on your next success story.
Frequently asked questions
Can a client with pre-diabetes still qualify for a favorable life insurance rate?
Yes, particularly when the condition is stable and well-controlled through diet and exercise. In this case, a client with pre-diabetes and well-controlled hypertension qualified for Super Standard Non-Tobacco, with a path to Preferred.
What do underwriters look for in a pre-diabetes case?
They look at whether the condition has progressed since diagnosis, and whether the client has made lifestyle changes, like diet and exercise, that reduce the risk of developing full Type 2 diabetes. A stable or improving trajectory is viewed far more favorably than the diagnosis alone.
Reviewed by Tim Fuller on 2026-09-23
Tim Fuller
President, SRS Inc.
Tim leads SRS Inc., a full-service IMO (Independent Marketing Organization) and BGA (Brokerage General Agency) connecting independent financial professionals with life, annuity, disability income, and long-term care solutions from 60+ carrier partners — with the impaired-risk and complex-case expertise to place business other IMOs and BGAs turn away.
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