Life Insurance for People with Bipolar Disorder

People with bipolar disorder can get life insurance. Most applicants with a well-managed bipolar 2 diagnosis qualify for term or whole life coverage, though approval depends on your bipolar type and hospitalization history. Applicants with bipolar 1 disorder, a recent hospitalization, or a suicide attempt within the past five to ten years are directed toward no-exam or guaranteed issue products rather than traditional term coverage. Stable applicants who qualify for traditional coverage commonly receive a table rating, which adds 25% to over 100% to the standard premium.

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Updated: August 23, 2026

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Key Takeaways
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Bipolar disorder doesn't automatically disqualify you from life insurance. Most people with a well-managed diagnosis can qualify for term or whole life coverage. Your bipolar type and hospitalization history are the primary rating factors.

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Insurers classify bipolar 1 more severely than bipolar 2, because bipolar 1 episodes are more likely to require hospitalization. A recent hospitalization or suicide attempt can result in a decline from traditional carriers. In those cases, no-exam or guaranteed issue policies are the best alternative.

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Applicants with bipolar disorder who receive a table rating pay more than standard. A Table 2 rating adds roughly 50% to the standard premium; a Table 4 rating doubles it.

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Can You Get Life Insurance with Bipolar Disorder?

Most applicants with bipolar disorder qualify for term or whole life coverage, though available policy types depend on your bipolar type and hospitalization history. The application process requires a medical record review and an Attending Physician Statement (APS), a written summary your treating psychiatrist submits to confirm your diagnosis and treatment history, which the insurer uses to assess your risk.

Insurers rate bipolar disorder rather than deny applicants outright. The wrong carrier or a poorly timed application can result in higher premiums or a decline. An independent broker who places high-risk life insurance can match your profile to the right carrier and shop multiple insurers at once.

How Does Bipolar Disorder Affect Life Insurance Underwriting?

Underwriting is the process insurers use to evaluate health risk and decide whether to approve your application and at what price. For bipolar disorder applications, underwriters review medical records and prescription history, and request an APS from your psychiatrist. Results range from standard rates to a decline. Table ratings are the most common result for applicants with a stable, well-documented diagnosis.

Your psychiatrist's records carry the most weight in the evaluation. Insurers look for documented stability and evidence that the diagnosis isn't affecting your ability to work and function normally. A 40-year-old with bipolar 2 who has been stable for three years with no hospitalizations may get a table rating of +50% with one carrier and standard rates with another.

Bipolar Disorder Life Insurance Underwriting Factors

Five areas of your medical and personal history determine whether an insurer approves your application and at what table rating. Your answers to each area shape the severity classification the underwriter assigns. No single factor automatically produces a decline or a standard rate; the evaluation weighs all five together.

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    Bipolar 1 vs. Bipolar 2

    Bipolar 1 involves manic episodes severe enough to require hospitalization or cause psychotic features; bipolar 2 involves hypomanic episodes (milder manic periods) and periods of major depression without the same hospitalization risk. Insurers view bipolar 2 as the lower-risk diagnosis and approve it at standard or near-standard rates more often. Bipolar 1 applications receive table ratings or are declined by traditional term carriers.

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    Hospitalization History

    Underwriters evaluate psychiatric hospitalizations by recency and frequency when reviewing a bipolar disorder application. A hospitalization within the past two years produces the most restrictive result: most traditional term carriers will decline the application or offer only a high table rating. A hospitalization between two and five years ago results in a moderate-to-high table rating, with some carriers requiring documented stability before issuing a decision.

    Applicants whose most recent hospitalization occurred more than five years ago, with no repeat episodes, are more likely to qualify for a lower table rating or standard consideration. Multiple hospitalizations compound the underwriting impact regardless of timing.

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    Suicide Attempts or Ideation

    A documented suicide attempt or active suicidal ideation (recent thoughts of self-harm) is the most restrictive underwriting factor for bipolar disorder applicants. Most traditional term carriers decline applicants with a suicide attempt in the past five to ten years. Guaranteed issue life insurance is available regardless of this history and doesn't ask health questions. Some carriers consider applications where the attempt occurred more than 10 years ago and the applicant has been stable since, though results vary by carrier.

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    Medication and Treatment Compliance

    Insurers view consistent, documented treatment as a strong positive signal. Applicants actively working with a psychiatrist and following a stable medication regimen get the most favorable underwriting results, especially when no recent hospitalizations appear in the record. Untreated bipolar disorder or gaps in treatment result in postponement, the insurer deferring its decision for six to 12 months, or outright decline from most carriers.

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    Employment Status and Functional Stability

    Steady employment tells insurers that bipolar disorder isn't interfering with your ability to earn a living. Full-time applicants with no recent disability claims related to their diagnosis receive more favorable underwriting results. Insurers sometimes ask for occupational history from applicants who've had recent employment gaps tied to mental health episodes.

What Types of Life Insurance Are Available with Bipolar Disorder?

The right life insurance policy type depends on your diagnosis severity and treatment history. Term life covers a fixed period; permanent life covers you for life and builds cash value over time. 

Applicants with well-controlled bipolar disorder have the most options. Those with a recent hospitalization or suicide attempt should look at no-exam or guaranteed issue products, because traditional term carriers decline those applications at higher rates. Carriers that specialize in life insurance for mental health conditions review high-risk applications more favorably than standard term underwriters.

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    Guaranteed Issue Life Insurance

    Guaranteed issue life insurance approves anyone regardless of health conditions and doesn't require a medical exam. Coverage is limited to $25,000 to $50,000, and most policies include a graded death benefit — if the insured dies within the first two years, the payout is limited to premiums paid plus interest rather than the full face amount. It's the right fit for applicants with a recent hospitalization or a suicide attempt within the past five to ten years.

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    No-Exam Life Insurance

    No-exam policies use accelerated underwriting, a streamlined review that checks database records and prescription history instead of requiring a medical exam. The Medical Information Bureau (MIB), a shared database that tracks insurance application history, is one of the databases carriers check. Some no-exam carriers approve applicants with well-managed bipolar 2, though they still review prescription records and may apply a table rating. Coverage can reach $500,000 for applicants with stable treatment records.

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    Term Life Insurance

    Term life insurance is available for bipolar disorder applicants whose diagnosis is well-managed, especially those with bipolar 2 who've been stable for at least two years with no hospitalizations. Table ratings are common for this group and may increase the standard rate by 25% to over 100% based on the insurer's assessment. A broker who specializes in high-risk cases can shop multiple carriers at once to find competitive pricing on a table-rated policy.

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    Whole Life Insurance

    Whole life insurance covers you for life and builds cash value over time; it doesn't expire as long as premiums are paid. Some whole life carriers are more flexible with mental health conditions than traditional term underwriters. The premiums are higher than term for the same coverage amount. Whole life is the best fit when permanent coverage is the priority and the higher cost fits your budget.

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    Group Life Insurance

    Group life insurance through an employer is one of the most accessible options for applicants with bipolar disorder because it doesn't rely on individual medical underwriting. Coverage is offered to all eligible employees regardless of health conditions. A bipolar disorder diagnosis has no effect on approval or premium. 

    Basic coverage amounts are usually one to three times your annual salary, with options to buy additional coverage up to a plan-set limit. The main limitation is portability: group coverage ends when employment ends, and you need to undergo re-underwriting if you choose to convert to an individual policy. Applicants who can't qualify for individual term coverage should maximize employer-sponsored group coverage before comparing individual policy options.

How Much Does Life Insurance Cost with Bipolar Disorder?

The table below shows standard monthly life insurance rates for a 20-year, $500,000 term policy for a nonsmoker in average health, the baseline before any table rating is applied.

25
Female
$30
Male
$39
30
Female
$31
Male
$38
35
Female
$37
Male
$47
40
Female
$47
Male
$59
45
Female
$69
Male
$90
50
Female
$102
Male
$137
55
Female
$168
Male
$231
60
Female
$286
Male
$395

Most bipolar disorder applicants who qualify for traditional term coverage receive a table rating, which raises the standard premium. Each table step adds roughly 25%: a Table 2 rating adds 50%, and a Table 4 rating doubles the standard rate. For a 40-year-old male at $59 per month, a Table 2 rating brings the monthly cost to $89; a Table 4 rating brings it to $118. Find your age and gender in the table, then apply the same math to estimate your range.

How Do You Get Life Insurance with Bipolar Disorder?

Approval for bipolar life insurance requires a strategy tailored to your profile and treatment history. An independent broker who specializes in high-risk applications matches your profile to the carrier most likely to approve it.

  1. 1
    Gather Your Complete Psychiatric Treatment History Before Applying

    Underwriters will request an Attending Physician Statement from your treating psychiatrist. Have your documentation ready before applying. Underwriters need your full diagnosis history and current medication regimen. Include the date of any past hospitalizations in your records. A clear record of stable, ongoing treatment is your strongest asset in the underwriting review.

  2. 2
    Work with an Independent Broker Who Places High-Risk Cases

    Standard captive agents have limited access to carriers that specialize in mental health underwriting. An independent broker shops multiple insurers at once and knows which apply the most favorable underwriting guidelines for bipolar disorder.

  3. 3
    Apply to the Carrier Most Likely to Approve Your Profile

    Bipolar 2 applicants who've stayed stable for two or more years with no recent hospitalizations get the best approval odds with traditional term carriers. A recent hospitalization or a bipolar 1 diagnosis means applying to no-exam carriers or simplified-issue whole life, a product type that uses a short health questionnaire instead of a full medical exam. Applying to the wrong carrier and getting declined creates a record in the MIB that other insurers can see.

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    Be Accurate and Complete on Your Application

    Life insurance applications ask detailed mental health questions. Answer every question accurately; your agent and your medical records must tell the same story. Any misrepresentation can result in a claim denial during the two-year contestability period, even if the cause of death is unrelated to your mental health history.

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    Review Your Options if You Receive a Table Rating

    A table rating means the insurer will approve your application but at a higher premium. Ask your broker to re-shop with two or three additional carriers before accepting. Rates for the same applicant can vary by 40% or more across carriers for mental health conditions.

What to Do if You're Denied Life Insurance Because of Bipolar Disorder

A life insurance denial from one carrier doesn't mean coverage is unavailable. Insurers use different underwriting guidelines, and mental health conditions produce widely varying results across carriers. The most common mistake after a decline is applying to another carrier immediately without understanding why the first one declined.

A decline is recorded in the Medical Information Bureau (MIB), a database most carriers access during underwriting. Each additional decline compounds that record, making the next approval progressively harder to get. A broker with high-risk underwriting experience can identify the right carrier for your profile and sequence applications to apply there first, limiting MIB exposure from the start.

Request the specific reason for any declination in writing before reapplying elsewhere. The underwriting decision letter states which factors drove the decision. Common reasons include recent hospitalizations or evidence of treatment instability in medical records.

That information shows whether a different carrier with more favorable bipolar underwriting standards could produce a different result, or whether reapplying in six to 12 months would improve your odds.

Guaranteed issue life insurance is available regardless of bipolar disorder history, including recent hospitalizations or a suicide attempt within the past five to ten years. Most policies include a two-year graded death benefit. If the insured dies within the first two years, the payout is limited to premiums paid plus interest rather than the full face amount.

Applicants who can't qualify for traditional or no-exam coverage can start with a guaranteed issue policy for immediate coverage. The two-year graded period also gives time to establish documented stability before applying for a larger individual policy.

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Bipolar Life Insurance: FAQ

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About Mark Fitzpatrick

Mark Fitzpatrick, Licensed P&C Insurance Expert, MoneyGeek

Mark Fitzpatrick is a licensed Property and Casualty (P&C) Insurance Producer in Connecticut and MoneyGeek's resident expert in insurance and economics. In nearly a decade covering the insurance market at LendingTree and MoneyGeek, he's analyzed hundreds of carriers and millions of rates across auto, home, renters, health and life insurance.

His work has appeared in The Washington Post, The New York Times and NPR. He draws on independent cost and consumer experience data, and no insurance company partnerships affect his recommendations.

Mark studied at Boston College and later earned a master's in economics and international relations from Johns Hopkins University. He worked in financial risk management at State Street before joining MoneyGeek. He's also a five-time “Jeopardy!” champion.

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