People with multiple sclerosis (MS) can get life insurance. MS type, time since diagnosis, relapse history and whether the condition affects daily activities are the four factors that determine whether you qualify for fully underwritten coverage and what you'll pay. Mild or relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS) diagnosed more than two years ago, with no functional impairment, puts you in the best position for standard or substandard term life rates.
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Updated: October 8, 2026
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People with relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS) diagnosed more than two years ago qualify for standard or substandard term life insurance, though premiums are higher than for healthy applicants.
Primary-progressive MS (PPMS) most often results in a decline for term or whole life at standard carriers. A diagnosis within the last two years or treatment with high-efficacy disease-modifying therapies can also lead to a decline, regardless of MS type.
A decline for traditional coverage doesn't mean no coverage at all. Guaranteed issue life insurance accepts all MS applicants regardless of disease type. Coverage limits range from $2,000 to $25,000 (with some offering up to $30,000), with a two-year graded death benefit waiting period.
Yes, people with multiple sclerosis can get life insurance. MS type and disease control determine your eligibility and rates. Insurers don't issue blanket denials based on the diagnosis alone. They also evaluate how your case affects mortality risk and functional capacity.
Insurers treat MS as a spectrum condition. A newly diagnosed person with mild relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS) has a different underwriting profile than someone with primary progressive MS (PPMS) and active disability.
Underwriters assess each MS subtype differently because progression risk and functional impact vary considerably. The four main types are relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS), primary progressive MS (PPMS), secondary progressive MS (SPMS) and clinically isolated syndrome (CIS). RRMS is the most common and the most insurable form.
RRMS is the most likely MS subtype to qualify for medically underwritten life insurance. Insurers look for long gaps between relapses, stable MRI findings and no permanent disability. Applicants who are well-controlled on disease-modifying therapy and have had no relapse in the past two or more years have the best chance of qualifying for term life.
Approved applicants are placed in a fair (substandard) health class, which means higher premiums than a healthy applicant at the same age.
PPMS follows a steady decline without distinct relapses and is the hardest MS subtype to insure through standard underwriting. Falls or gait instability in your medical record signals to most carriers that daily function is impaired, which typically triggers a decline for fully underwritten coverage.
Most PPMS applicants are declined for term and whole life as a result. Guaranteed issue life insurance is usually the most accessible option.
SPMS starts as RRMS and shifts to a steadily worsening course without clear relapses. Evidence of progressive disability, such as changes in mobility or a declining Expanded Disability Status Scale score, usually results in a decline in fully underwritten coverage. Most applicants receive declines or substandard ratings, and term premiums at those ratings are often too high to be practical. Guaranteed issue policies or employer group plans are usually the better path.
CIS is a single neurological episode that may or may not develop into MS. Because a CIS diagnosis doesn't confirm MS, some insurers offer standard or near-standard coverage if MRI findings are mild and no further episodes have occurred. Applying before a confirmed MS diagnosis, with your physician's guidance on timing, can improve your approval odds if your MRI findings are mild and your neurologist hasn't indicated high conversion risk.
Your health rating depends on MS type, time since diagnosis and whether the condition affects daily function. Underwriters don't place all MS applicants in the same class. Mild disease with no functional impact often lands at a Standard or Table 2 rating. More active disease or a recent diagnosis results in a Table 4 rating or a decline at standard carriers.
Mild, no impact on daily activities, diagnosed more than two years ago | Standard or Table 2 |
Moderate or relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS), or diagnosis within the past 10 years | Table 4 |
Primary-progressive MS (PPMS), diagnosis within two years, falls or gait instability history, or treatment with high-efficacy disease-modifying therapies | Declined at standard carriers |
Each table number adds 25% to the rate a healthy applicant pays, a standard increment used across life insurance underwriting. Table 2 premiums are 50% above the standard rate. Table 4 premiums are 100% above. Applicants at either rating can still get a fully underwritten life insurance policy.
Applicants declined at standard carriers can get guaranteed issue life insurance with no medical exam required.
*These are examples and not absolute. Actual health rating classifications vary by insurer.
Before you apply, gather records covering the eight areas below. Incomplete documentation is the most common source of underwriting delays for MS applicants. Missing records prompt the insurer to pull them from your physician, which adds weeks to the process.
The insurer contacts your neurologist directly for an attending physician statement (APS) to confirm your diagnosis, current treatment and disease activity. The APS is standard for MS applications and typically the longest part of underwriting. It gives underwriters details on disease activity and trajectory that a standard medical exam doesn't capture.
MS applicants can access five main policy types: term life, whole life, guaranteed issue, simplified issue and employer group life insurance. The right choice depends on your MS subtype, current health status and budget. Each policy type uses a different underwriting approach, which affects who qualifies and what premiums cost.
No single policy type fits every MS patient. Term life is the most affordable for those who qualify, while guaranteed issue fills the gap for those who don't.
Term life offers the most coverage at the lowest cost and is the best starting point for MS applicants with mild or well-controlled disease. Approval and pricing depend heavily on MS type, relapse history and functional status. Applicants with RRMS in remission may qualify, though they'll pay more than a healthy applicant at the same age.
Whole life provides permanent coverage with a cash value component, but it costs considerably more than term. MS applicants who qualify for standard underwriting can access whole life, though at age 40, a woman with well-controlled MS pays roughly $52 per month for a 20-year term versus $610 per month for whole life, nearly 12 times more for the same $500,000 in coverage. For most MS applicants, that difference makes term the practical starting point.
Guaranteed issue life insurance doesn't require a medical exam and accepts all MS applicants, regardless of type or severity. Coverage limits are capped at $25,000 (or $30,000 in some companies) and premiums are higher per dollar of coverage than medically underwritten options. A two-year graded death benefit waiting period applies.
Simplified issue asks a limited set of health questions but skips the full medical exam. Some MS applicants with mild, stable disease may qualify. Coverage limits are lower than fully underwritten term, but approval is faster and approval certainty is higher than going through full underwriting.
Group life insurance is one of the most accessible options for employed MS applicants. Coverage ranges from one to three times annual salary and doesn't require individual medical underwriting. Your policy ends when employment ends.
MS applicants pay from $32 to $1,321 per month for 20-year term life insurance, depending on age, gender and MS type, based on MoneyGeek's analysis. Applicants who qualify for fully underwritten term coverage are often placed in a substandard (fair) health class. For those who don't qualify, guaranteed issue life insurance is an alternative, though coverage caps at $25,000 at most carriers.
Term life is the most cost-effective option for MS applicants who qualify. At age 40, a woman with mild or well-controlled MS pays roughly $52 per month for $500,000 in 20-year term coverage, compared to $610 per month for whole life at the same amount. That gap makes whole life impractical for most MS applicants. Premiums also increase with age: the same applicant pays $318 per month at 60 and $954 per month at 70. No-exam term costs only slightly higher than standard term at every age, so it's worth considering for faster approval.
20 | Female | $32 | $35 | $342 |
Male | $40 | $44 | $380 | |
30 | Female | $34 | $37 | $449 |
Male | $42 | $45 | $481 | |
40 | Female | $52 | $56 | $610 |
Male | $66 | $71 | $647 | |
50 | Female | $114 | $127 | $745 |
Male | $150 | $163 | $970 | |
60 | Female | $318 | $326 | $1,468 |
Male | $447 | $464 | $1,639 | |
70 | Female | $954 | $1,045 | $3,011 |
Male | $1,321 | $1,392 | $3,404 |
These life insurance rates are based on a $500,000 policy for nonsmokers with a fair health rating. Actual costs vary by insurer and specific condition.
45 | Female | $34 | $82 |
Male | $42 | $105 | |
50 | Female | $38 | $89 |
Male | $48 | $117 | |
60 | Female | $50 | $125 |
Male | $64 | $156 | |
70 | Female | $76 | $186 |
Male | $99 | $241 | |
80 | Female | $150 | $380 |
Male | $198 | $489 |
These guaranteed life insurance rates are based on averages for nonsmokers. Actual costs differ based on the insurance company, your age and profile. Age eligibility varies by insurer.
MS affects your life insurance options because the disease doesn't follow a single path. Well-controlled RRMS looks very different to an underwriter than progressive disease with documented mobility loss. Insurers price your specific disease profile, not the diagnosis alone, which is why treatment history and disability status carry as much weight as MS type.
Collect records that cover your date of diagnosis, MS type, relapse history and current treatment. If your care has involved multiple providers, ask your neurologist for a written summary rather than tracking down records from each office separately. Incomplete documentation is the most common reason underwriting stalls on MS applications.
Carriers don't evaluate MS the same way, and the difference can mean a rated policy versus a decline. An independent broker who has placed MS cases knows which carriers are more likely to approve your profile. Ask about their experience with your specific subtype before you commit to an application.
Fully underwritten life insurance requires a medical exam and a health questionnaire with detailed questions about your neurological history. Answer every question about your MS completely, including symptoms you may consider minor. A claim can be denied years later if the insurer discovers you omitted information on the application, even unintentionally.
After you apply, the insurer usually requests an attending physician statement (APS) from your neurologist confirming your diagnosis, current treatment and recent disease activity. APS retrieval is where most MS applications slow down. Once the review is complete, the insurer assigns a health class and issues your rate.
Timing your application matters more than any other factor you can control. Applying during a period of stability, ideally 12 or more months relapse-free, improves your underwriting outcome. Insurers assign risk class based on recent disease activity, so applying during remission increases your chance of approval and lowers your premium.
Beyond timing, these steps improve your position:
A life insurance denial doesn't mean you're out of options. One insurer's underwriting guidelines don't bind another carrier, and the right next step depends on the reason for denial and your current disease status.
Start by requesting the reason for denial in writing; insurers are required to provide it. That reason tells you whether the issue is MS type, recent disease activity, medications or functional status.
A carrier-specific denial is worth taking to an independent broker who has placed MS cases. They know which insurers are more likely to approve a rated policy. If you need coverage now, guaranteed issue life insurance skips the medical exam and health questions, though coverage tops out around $25,000 and a two-year graded death benefit period applies. Employed applicants should also check employer group coverage, which requires no individual medical underwriting regardless of MS type or disease activity.
A denial isn't permanent. Applicants with sustained remission and stable MRI findings have qualified after earlier declines. Keep your medical records up to date so the evidence is ready when you reapply in 12 to 24 months.
A policy that's active and was issued after you disclosed your MS diagnosis pays the full death benefit regardless of cause of death, including MS-related causes. Life insurers deny claims only in cases of misrepresentation or fraud, not for conditions disclosed and accepted during underwriting. Policies in force before your diagnosis pay out under the same rules, provided you didn't conceal any symptoms at the time of application.
People with mild or well-controlled MS, particularly RRMS in remission, can qualify for term life insurance, though they're rated in a substandard health class and pay more than healthy applicants. Progressive forms like PPMS and SPMS are more likely to result in a decline.
Most MS applicants who qualify for coverage are placed in a fair or table-rated (substandard) health class. The exact rating depends on MS type, relapse history, time since last relapse, current medications and functional status. Very mild or early-diagnosed RRMS cases qualify at standard rates.
No. The diagnosis alone isn't an automatic disqualifier. Underwriters assess your MS type, how long ago you were diagnosed, relapse history, current medications and whether the condition affects your activities of daily living (ADLs). Many applicants with stable relapsing-remitting MS qualify for fully underwritten term life. Primary-progressive MS and diagnoses from the past two years usually result in declines for traditional coverage, but guaranteed issue policies are available regardless of disease type or severity.
Guaranteed issue is worth considering if you've been declined for standard coverage or can't pass medical underwriting. Coverage limits range from $2,000 to $30,000 depending on the carrier, and a two-year graded benefit waiting period applies. It's a fallback, not a first choice, so compare it against any term options you may qualify for.
Yes, and the effect varies by medication. First-line disease-modifying therapies, such as interferons and dimethyl fumarate, don't trigger automatic declines. Active treatment on these medications tells underwriters the disease is under control. That generally supports approval. High-efficacy therapies for more aggressive MS typically result in declines for fully underwritten coverage. Disclose all medications accurately on your application. Omitting any can result in a claim denial, even years after the policy is issued.
Yes. If your MS has been stable for an extended period, you can apply again with current medical records. Some applicants who were declined initially qualify for coverage years later after demonstrating sustained remission. Your premium class may also improve if your most recent records show better disease control.
Most carriers require at least two years post-diagnosis before considering a fully underwritten application. A diagnosis within the past one to two years often results in a decline for term or whole life. Newly diagnosed readers who want coverage now can look at guaranteed issue or employer group life in the short term. Reapply for fully underwritten coverage once you've been stable for two or more years and have documented remission in your medical records.
Rates for multiple sclerosis applicants draw from MoneyGeek's life insurance rate database, which includes quotes from 37 carriers.
Term and no-exam term life estimates use the Fair health rating tier from this database. Figures reflect a 20-year term policy with $500,000 in coverage for a nonsmoking applicant, adjusted by age and gender. We used the same coverage amount and profiles for whole life insurance. Guaranteed issue estimates are based on our collected quotes for guaranteed acceptance products.
Rates vary by insurer, health classification, state and MS type. These figures are averages, not binding quotes. Get a quote directly from a carrier before making a coverage decision.
Mark Fitzpatrick is a licensed Property and Casualty (P&C) Insurance Producer 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.
