How does diabetes affect underwriting? Diabetes Mellitus describes a group of metabolic diseases where the blood glucose (blood sugar) is elevated due to inadequate insulin production and/or body cells that do not respond properly to insulin. Individuals with diabetes often experience frequent urination (polyuria), increase thirst (polydipsia), and frequent hunger (polyphagia).
There are two main types of diabetes. Type 1 diabetes, which accounts for 10 percent of cases, means the body does not produce insulin. The majority of diabetics suffer from Type 2 diabetes, meaning the body does not produce enough insulin for proper body function. Gestation diabetes is seen during pregnancy and usually clears after childbirth. Hypertension, elevated cholesterol, and smoking can have a direct adverse impact on diabetes.
Type 1 diabetics are treated with insulin injections, typically for life. Insulin is a hormone produced by specialized cells (beta cells) of the pancreas. Type 2 can often be treated with diet, exercise, and oral medication. Some pre-diabetics diagnosed at older ages are treated only with diet and exercise.
An increasing number of Type 1 diabetics take insulin injections and oral medications to maintain proper diabetic control. Type 2 diabetics can often control their condition by following a healthy diet, maintaining proper weight, and exercising on a regular basis. Oral medications such as Metformin or Glucophage may be required for proper diabetic maintenance.
Complications associated with diabetes include eye damage, diabetic neuropathy (nerve damage), heart problems, stroke, and peripheral artery disease.
How Diabetes Affects Underwriting
Producers should ask the following questions when field underwriting a diabetic applicant:
- Do you have Type 1 or Type 2?
- When were you diagnosed?
- What type(s) of treatment do you receive?
- What types and dosages of insulin and/or oral medications are you required to take daily?
- Do to have annual diabetic check-ups with your attending physician?
- Do you home monitor your blood glucose (sugar)? If so, what are your typical blood sugar readings?
- Do you have any diabetic-related impairments such as heart disease, hypertension, tingling in the feet or difficulty walking?
How diabetics are underwritten and the rate classes they receive vary based on the individual’s control of the disease. This emphasizes the importance of obtaining as much information as possible from your client. By providing your CreativeOne Life team with an accurate assessment of the applicant’s condition, we can better position your diabetic case with the proper life carrier.
Further information on diabetes and sources in this article can be located at www.webmed.com, and The American Diabetes Association.
Check out previous articles in the “I Gotta Guy” series:
- Atrial Fibrillation (AFib)
- Not Financially Justified?
- Family History
- A Rated Case
- Prostate Cancer
- Metabolic Syndrome
- Ulcerative Colitis
- Abnormal Liver Function
- Lymphoma
- Sleep Apnea
- High Cholesterol
For more information, please contact your CreativeOne sales team at 800.992.2642.