Part of our guide: Impaired Risk Life Insurance Underwriting by Condition →
A client in excellent personal health can still get pushed out of the best rate classes over something they have no control over: a parent’s or sibling’s cancer diagnosis. Here’s why that doesn’t have to be the case.
Key takeaways
- Most carriers limit rate-class eligibility based on family cancer history, regardless of the applicant’s own health.
- Some carriers disregard opposite-gender family cancer history entirely.
- It’s worth checking a second carrier before assuming a client’s best rate class is off the table.
A couple of A+ carriers don’t underwrite family cancer history at all — meaning a client can still qualify for Best Class rates elsewhere, even with an adverse family history.
Why family cancer history usually hurts an offer
Family history of cancer can have an adverse impact on underwriting decisions, even when a client’s own personal health history is excellent. Most carriers limit which rate classes a client is eligible for when there’s a family history of cancer, regardless of how healthy the applicant themselves is.
Where the opportunity is
That’s not universal, though. A couple of A+ carriers don’t underwrite family cancer history at all, which means a client with a family history of cancer can still qualify for the full range of Preferred rate classes, including Best Class, with those carriers. Other carriers go a step further and disregard family history of opposite-gender cancers entirely — for example, a male applicant whose mother died of uterine cancer, or a female applicant whose father died of prostate cancer, wouldn’t be penalized for that history at all with those carriers.
Why this is worth checking before you quote
If a client’s family cancer history is automatically knocking them out of your default carrier’s best rate class, it’s worth checking whether a different carrier would treat that same history very differently, or ignore it altogether.
Let our underwriting team help you get the best offers for clients with a family history of cancer. Call us today.
Frequently asked questions
Can a client with a family history of cancer still qualify for Best Class rates?
Yes, with the right carrier. Some A+ carriers don’t underwrite family cancer history at all, meaning it has no impact on rate class eligibility, including Best Class.
Does family history of cancer in the opposite-gender parent still count against an applicant?
With some carriers, no. Certain carriers disregard family history of opposite-gender cancers entirely, such as a male applicant’s mother’s uterine cancer or a female applicant’s father’s prostate cancer.
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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