Breast Cancer and Life Insurance: Who Can Get It and When?
Life insurance can be a powerful tool to financially support your loved ones in a worst-case scenario. When you get a life insurance policy, you pay a monthly premium, and in exchange your policy pays a tax-free lump sum (called a death benefit) to your beneficiaries — the people you name to receive the benefit — if you die during the coverage period.
With a breast cancer diagnosis, you’ll likely pay more for a life insurance policy, but there may be policy options to help you financially protect the people you love.
It's important to know that you don’t have to figure this out all on your own. Working with an insurance agent or broker to review your options is a great first step if you’re unsure about your coverage choices. Your state's department of insurance can also provide information about life insurance policies in your state. And Triage Cancer, a nonprofit that specializes in legal and practical support for people with cancer, has a free Legal & Financial Navigation Program, which can connect you with a financial planner.
Can you get life insurance if you have breast cancer?
It’s possible to get life insurance if you have breast cancer, but a breast cancer diagnosis will affect the type of life insurance policy you qualify for, the premiums you’ll pay, and possibly the benefit amount.
If you were recently diagnosed, are in active treatment, and/or have an advanced or metastatic diagnosis, you’ll have fewer options than someone in remission.
If you have an earlier-stage diagnosis, have completed active treatments, and are in remission, you’ll have more affordable options. The longer you’ve been in remission, the more options you’ll have — and the more affordable your policy will be.
That said, it’s entirely up to the insurance company whether or not they’ll insure someone; these are general guidelines but aren’t set in stone.
“A person in remission for over five years might see premiums that are approximately 20 to 50% higher than standard rates, depending on factors like age, overall health, and the type of policy chosen,” says Shawn Plummer, CEO of The Annuity Expert, an insurance and retirement planning business. “For individuals who are closer to their diagnosis or have recently completed treatment, premiums can be much higher.”
If you’re diagnosed with breast cancer while you have an active life insurance policy, your coverage won’t change as long as you continue to pay the premiums.
Getting life insurance: what to expect
Insurers assess your overall health to calculate life insurance rates and eligibility. This assessment factors in any current diagnoses or conditions, your personal health history, and your family health history. The fewer health risks you have, as estimated by insurers, the more policies you’ll qualify for and the lower your monthly rates will be. An experienced insurance broker or agent can help you find your best options.
When applying for most types of life insurance, you’ll complete a medical questionnaire. This is often paired with a conversation with an insurance broker or agent and a medical exam. When discussing your breast cancer history, you’ll likely be asked to share your:
date of diagnosis
type of breast cancer
breast cancer stage
treatment history
All of these details then go to an underwriter, who evaluates your health risk and makes a recommendation for your policy.
Life insurance options if you have a family history of breast cancer
It’s not just your own breast cancer history that will affect your life insurance options: A family history of breast cancer will, too. How much will depend on your overall health.
Expect underwriters to ask about the specifics of your family history, like which relative had breast cancer and their diagnosis. Insurers will also take a close look at your overall health for other risk factors.
“They often consider details like the age at diagnosis of family members and genetic factors, including BRCA mutations,” says Jeffrey Zhou, financial expert and CEO and founder of Fig Loans. “If a parent or sibling was diagnosed before age 50, this can sometimes lead to higher premiums since early-onset cases can indicate a higher perceived risk.”
Life insurance options if you’re in remission
If you’ve completed your treatment and the cancer goes into remission, then after about two years (the exact amount of time depends on the insurance carrier), you’ll likely qualify for a traditional policy, known as term life insurance.
Term life is an affordable policy type that gives you coverage for a set period. In the early years of remission, you’ll still pay more for your premiums. If you wait until you’re cancer-free for five years or more to shop for coverage, you’ll be eligible for more standard policy and rate options.
Life insurance options if you’re in treatment
If you have a recent breast cancer diagnosis or are currently undergoing treatment, you probably won’t qualify for a term life insurance policy. That applies regardless of the stage of your diagnosis or the type of breast cancer you have.
But there are some life insurance policies that you can qualify for if you’re still receiving treatment. The rates will likely be higher, and the payout smaller, but they either don’t require a medical exam or medical questionnaire or they’re more flexible about accepting medical conditions.
There are three types of life insurance you can pursue if you don’t qualify for a traditional policy.
Guaranteed issue
Simplified issue
Group life insurance
Your premiums will vary based on your policy and diagnosis, but expect to pay high rates. For example, a 50-year-old woman can expect to pay around $100 per month for a $25,000 guaranteed issue policy, compared to approximately $130 per month for $1 million of term life insurance coverage.
Guaranteed issue policies are a good option because they offer near-certain approval, including for those with advanced or metastatic breast cancer. You aren’t required to take a medical exam or complete a medical questionnaire to apply.
Most guaranteed issue coverage is limited to people aged 45 to 80. And while many experts recommend having 10 to 15 times your salary in life insurance coverage, most guaranteed issue plans offer a maximum of $25,000. Note that if you die within the first two years of coverage, this may not even be paid out: The carrier may have an exclusion period, or it may pay a partial benefit or only the amount that you've paid into premiums.
Pros: No medical exam or questionnaire, coverage becomes active quickly, policy lasts indefinitely as long as you pay your premiums
Cons: Age limits, low benefit amounts, lower (or no) death benefit in first two years
Similar to guaranteed issue life insurance, simplified issue policies don’t require a medical exam. They’re also available to people aged 45 to 80. Coverage amounts are slightly higher than guaranteed issue, but still low: between $40,000 to $50,000 maximum.
Approval does depend on responses to some medical questions, which include cancer. Depending on the insurance carrier and your diagnosis, you can still qualify. But if you have stage III or metastatic breast cancer (stage IV), it’s more likely you’ll be denied a policy.
Pros: No medical exam, policy lasts indefinitely
Cons: Age limits, low benefit amounts, not guaranteed coverage
Group life insurance is a single life insurance policy that covers a large group of people, like the employees of a company. Group policies are also offered by some unions and trade groups.
If you have group life insurance through your employer, they’ll pay all or most of the premiums. In rare cases, you have the option to keep your policy if you leave your job.
Most companies cap benefits at $50,000 or two to three times your salary. Some employers offer the option to increase your coverage — this is called supplemental life insurance — but the same rules apply to keeping the policy after you leave the company.
Pros: No age restriction, no medical exam or questionnaire, employer-paid premiums
Cons: Usually can’t keep policy, low benefit amounts, may have an exclusion period
Other options
If you’re unable to get life insurance coverage, there are other ways to protect your family financially. A financial advisor or estate planning attorney can help you make a plan for your assets. There are also charitable resources to help cover ongoing costs, so you can preserve more savings for your loved ones.
— Last updated on July 26, 2025 at 6:08 PM