.

Can You Get Life Insurance If You’ve Had Cancer?

See affordable life insurance quotes from PolicyMe and other top companies.

Written by: Bonnie Stinson
Insurance Writer
Edited by: Jessica Barrett
Content Marketing Manager
Updated
November 18, 2025

PolicyMe content follows strict guidelines for editorial accuracy and integrity. Learn more about our editorial guidelines.

PolicyMe Life Insurance Perks:
New
New
  • 10% off for couples in the first year
  • $10,000 in free Child Coverage
Get a free instant term quote
Your Details
Your date of birth
Your date of birth
Your province
Your sex at birth
Your gender
Male
Female
Do you smoke?
Do you smoke?
Yes
No
(And save 10% off your first year’s premiums)
Your Partner’s Details
Their date of birth
Your date of birth
Their province
Their sex at birth
Your gender
Male
Female
Do they smoke?
Do you smoke?
Yes
No
No credit card or email required
Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
Key Takeaways
  • Cancer survivors may qualify for fully underwritten life insurance policies if they’ve been cancer-free for the required waiting/remission period.
  • Your specific diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment history will affect eligibility and cost.
  • Fully underwritten policies are the most affordable option for those who qualify; guaranteed issue life insurance policies ask no medical questions, but premiums are much higher and payouts are much smaller.
  • Apply for fully underwritten first—even if you receive a rating, it’s likely going to be more affordable than opting for simplified or guaranteed issue.

Can you get life insurance if you have cancer?

If you’re currently undergoing cancer treatment, you can still get life insurance—but your options are usually limited to guaranteed-issue policies. When applying for a guaranteed-issue policy, you do not have to share any medical information, so approval is guaranteed. Premiums are much higher, though—often 10–20x fully underwritten policies.

Not every company in Canada offers guaranteed or simplified issue life insurance policies. Canada Protection Plan, Assumption Life, and CIBC offer guaranteed acceptance policies.

Once you’ve been in remission for the required period (which varies by insurer), you may become eligible for fully underwritten coverage; however, you’ll still need to disclose your cancer history as a pre-existing health condition.

Start by applying for a standard, fully underwritten policy. This offers the most affordable coverage, even if you have to undergo a medical exam and receive a rating.

Find affordable life insurance coverage now.

Get My Quote

Factors that impact life insurance eligibility with cancer

Your cancer diagnosis is a key criteria in eligibility for life insurance, but it’s not the only one. Insurers care about some key factors with regard to your health:

  • Type of cancer
  • Stage at diagnosis (early-stage vs. advanced)
  • Age at diagnosis
  • Treatment status (active treatment vs. remission)
  • Time since diagnosis/treatment completion
  • Prognosis and survival rates

Companies want to assess your specific risk level before issuing a policy, so they need to know more than just your cancer status. Sharing additional information about your unique cancer history and treatment ensures that you get a fair quote for coverage.

Types of life insurance for cancer patients and survivors

Cancer patients and survivors in Canada can consider two types of life insurance:

  • Fully underwritten
  • Simplified issue
  • Guaranteed issue

Within these categories, you can find term life insurance or permanent life insurance policies. Fully underwritten coverage will likely require you to complete a medical exam and submit additional health documents; guaranteed-issue policies offer you coverage with no medical exam.

If you can qualify, fully underwritten term life insurance policies are the best choice for most Canadians. 

Each type has advantages and drawbacks, including eligibility criteria. Expect to pay less for lower risk cancers or long-term remission. Here’s a comparison of their features.
Fully underwritten
Simplified issue
Guaranteed issue
Are cancer patients eligible? (in treatment or recently diagnosed)
Generally not eligible: typically postponed until treatment is complete and a stability period has passed
Usually not eligible: most insurers decline if treatment is ongoing, though some may consider coverage for very minor, fully removed cancers
Often eligible: usually guaranteed approval, designed primarily for final expense coverage
Are cancer survivors eligible? (in remission)
Potentially eligible: depends on remission duration (often 2–10 years, varying by insurer)
Possibly eligible: some insurers accept shorter remission periods
Generally eligible: guaranteed approval regardless of history
Coverage limits
Higher (can reach into the millions)
Moderate (up to around $500,000)
Lower ($5,000–$50,000 range)
Waiting period
None
Typically around two years
Commonly two years
Application process
Comprehensive: may include medical exams
Simplified medical questionnaire
No medical questions or exams
Approval timeline
Usually takes weeks to months
Often within a few days
Typically instant
Cost
Above average
Higher
Highest
Best for
Cancer survivors with stable remission and good overall health
Cancer survivors in early remission or with mild histories
Individuals currently in treatment or who have been declined elsewhere

Guaranteed issue policies have a much lower death benefit (and higher premiums) compared to other life insurance options. This is a last resort if you want to guarantee that your loved ones receive some kind of lump-sum payment to cover your final expenses.

Read the policy details
The two-year waiting period with simplified and guaranteed issue policies means that your beneficiaries will only receive your premiums back—not the full payout—if you pass away from non-accidental causes.

How much does life insurance cost with a cancer history?

Cancer survivors can generally expect to pay more than the average cost of life insurance, which is $20 to $65 per month. But the complicated reality is that insurance premiums depend on so many factors, it’s difficult to estimate based on cancer history alone.

These general guidelines can help cancer survivors get a sense of how much they could pay for coverage:

  • Standard vs. no-medical life insurance policies: You’ll pay less for standard insurance products, even if you receive a rated policy due to the health risks associated with having had cancer.
  • Type, stage, and prognosis: You’ll pay less if you had an early-stage, fully removed, or low-recurrence cancer.
  • Time since diagnosis/remission: You’ll pay less the longer it’s been since your diagnosis or successful treatment.
  • Overall health and lifestyle: You’ll pay less if you maintain a healthy lifestyle, don’t smoke, and have no other chronic conditions in your medical history.

The best way to find out what you’d pay is simply to request a quote. Get no-obligation life insurance quotes online from multiple life insurance companies to understand the average range for your specific health issues.

Check My Price

What to expect when you apply for life insurance

Cancer survivors should expect to provide health information about their cancer history when applying for a fully underwritten standard life insurance in Canada. The first step is to decide how much insurance you need using a life insurance calculator.

  1. Fill out your basic personal information. This includes your name, address, and birthdate.
  2. Choose your preferred policy. Select the type of policy and insurance coverage limit for which you’re applying.
  3. Answer the medical questionnaire. Disclose your history of cancer and answer all the survey questions.
  4. Wait to hear back from manual underwriting. Cancer history will flag your application and it will be sent to a human for manual underwriting.
  5. Respond with additional health information. The underwriter may request medical records, physician letters, and treatment dates. You may need to schedule a medical exam.
  6. Wait while it is processed. Complex applications take more time to review. You may wait weeks or even a few months to hear back, depending on how long it takes the underwriters to receive the required medical information.
  7. Receive approval or denial. If you’re approved, you can evaluate the cost, the coverage, and the exclusions before committing. If you’re denied, you can appeal, apply elsewhere, or consider a no-medical policy.

What to do if you’re denied traditional life insurance

If you are denied traditional life insurance, cancer patients and survivors have alternative coverage options:

  • No-medical policies (simplified and guaranteed issue)
  • Group life insurance through your employer

You can also wait and try reapplying in the future, after your health status stabilizes or once more time has passed since your diagnosis or remission. Across all cancer types, around 64% of people are expected to survive at least 5 years after their cancer diagnosis, according to data from the Canadian Cancer Society, so you may have a better chance at qualifying for coverage once you’ve been in remission longer.

Work with a broker or advisor if you need help finding a policy. They can help you assess your options and find a company that will insure you.

See how affordable term life insurance can be with PolicyMe.*

Get My Quote

FAQ: Life insurance for cancer

Bonnie Stinson is an insurance writer and researcher in Toronto with a decade of experience producing helpful, accurate content for Canadians. They have published resources for some of Canada's most innovative and consumer-trusted companies in the health, legal, and fintech sectors. 

Bonnie Stinson is an insurance writer and researcher in Toronto with a decade of experience producing helpful, accurate content for Canadians. They have published resources for some of Canada's most innovative and consumer-trusted companies in the health, legal, and fintech sectors.