It’s possible to buy life insurance if you have a history of alcohol abuse. However, you’ll usually have to be sober for three years if you want to be approved for term or whole life insurance coverage — and you’ll have to pay higher premiums than someone without a history of alcoholism.
When you apply, the insurance company will ask you for full details regarding your alcoholism and recovery, including any treatment you’ve had. The longer you’ve been sober, the more affordable your rates will be.
Why does alcohol use affect the cost of life insurance?
Life insurance companies consider the use of alcohol an insurance risk because excessive drinking increases the chances you’ll injure yourself or others while intoxicated. Alcohol abuse can also cause serious health issues, including: [1]
Cancer
Depression and anxiety
Heart disease
High blood pressure
Liver disease
Stroke
Weakened immune system
Even if you haven’t officially been treated for alcoholism, during the application process your insurance agent will ask you about your alcohol use. Excessive or binge drinking could be an issue for the insurer, which might affect your rates.
The CDC defines excessive drinking as either binge drinking or heavy drinking: [2]
Binge drinking: Four drinks (women) or five drinks (men) during a single occasion
Heavy drinking: Eight drinks (women) or 15 drinks (men) during a single occasion
If you’re a binge drinker or heavy drinker, the insurance company may increase the cost of your premiums or deny your application until you show consistent, healthy use — usually, two to three drinks per day.
If you have a recent DUI/DWI conviction on your motor vehicle report, it’ll be even harder to find life insurance coverage. Most insurers won’t offer you a policy until at least five years after your conviction.
How do life insurance companies know about your alcohol use?
During underwriting — the process during which the insurer determines how much you’ll pay for life insurance — you usually have to take a medical exam with routine blood and urine tests for substance abuse.
Blood tests will identify carbohydrate-deficient transferrin (%dCDT), [3] a common sign of heavy alcohol consumption — defined as about five drinks per day in this test — in the previous two weeks. In addition, you’ll have to share past medical records. If you have a documented history of alcohol abuse, it’ll appear on your medical profile.
You’ll also be asked questions about whether you drink or use any other substances and how often. Other questions could include:
When was the last time you consumed alcohol?
Do you have any history of excessive drinking?
Have you ever received alcohol-related counseling?
Have you participated in inpatient or outpatient alcohol treatment?
Have you been sober since your last treatment?
Have you ever had a DUI/DWI?
Answer these questions honestly. If you lie, your application could be declined due to insurance fraud and you may have trouble buying coverage in the future.
What life insurance health classification will you be assigned based on your history of alcoholism?
If you’ve recovered from alcohol abuse, the date of your last drink and your overall health profile will determine the health classification you’ll be assigned during your life insurance application. Insurers use health classifications to assess your insurance risk and determine how much you’ll pay for your policy.
In general, the better the health classification you receive, the cheaper your rates will be. The longer you’ve been sober, the better health classification you can expect to receive.
Life insurance health classification | Rates | Number of years since your last drink |
Preferred: For applicants who are a lower-than-average risk to insure. | Most affordable | 10 or more years sober |
Standard: For applicants who are an average level of risk to insure. | Average | 5 to 9 years sober |
Substandard: For applicants who are a higher-than-average risk to insure. | Most expensive | 3 to 4 years sober |
What kind of life insurance can you get if you’ve recovered from alcohol abuse?
If you’re eligible for coverage, your two main options will be term life and whole life insurance. The best type of life insurance for you will depend on your budget and coverage needs.
Term life insurance only lasts for a set term, usually between 10 and 30 years, and is the most affordable way for most people to protect their income and provide their family with a financial safety net in the event of their death. Term life is easy to manage and doesn’t come with many rules or tax restrictions.
Whole life insurance doesn’t expire and comes with a cash value that earns interest in addition to the death benefit payout — which makes it significantly more expensive than term life. However, it can be a good option for high-net-worth individuals looking to use life insurance to diversify their investment portfolio, or people with long-term financial obligations or coverage needs, like dependents who require lifelong care.
If you’re not sure which type of life insurance is best for your specific situation, a Policygenius expert can help you compare options.
Best life insurance companies for recovering alcoholics
Methodology
Why you can trust our picks
Our recommendations are based on internal and external expert analysis, as well as our Policygenius Life Insurance Price Index, which uses real-time data from leading life insurance companies to determine pricing trends. When reviewing a life insurance company, our editorial team uses a proprietary scoring rubric with five factors — price, policy details, financial strength, transparency, and customer experience — to assign an unbiased rating between one and five stars. These ratings are also taken into consideration as part of our company recommendations. We don’t get paid for our reviews.
Our reviews and recommendations can help you find a reliable insurer for your family’s financial protection, but the best life insurance company for you depends on multiple factors. A licensed agent at Policygenius can support you during the application process to ensure you get the right coverage for your circumstances at the most competitive price.
Best for people who have been sober over 10 years: Corebridge Financial
2024 Policygenius award winner
Corebridge Financial
4.6
30+ year terms
All 50 states
Why we chose it
With competitive pricing and a range of flexible term periods for its Select-a-Term product, Corebridge is a solid option for many life insurance shoppers. Note: We are currently using AIG’s financial strength ratings until Corebridge has its own rating.
Pros and cons
Pros
Competitive pricing for all ages
Favorable underwriting for people with heart conditions and diabetes
Good for current and recently pregnant people, including people with gestational diabetes
Cons
Not the best for people with mental health conditions, including anxiety and depression
No no-medical-exam term option
Our analysis found that Corebridge Financial offers the best rates for people who’ve been sober from alcohol use for at least 10 years. If you have one or zero other health conditions, the company will assign you a Preferred health class, which comes with the second-lowest rates.
Best for people who have been sober for three years: Prudential
2024 Policygenius award winner
Prudential
4.1
No-medical-exam option
Why we chose it
With nearly four million policyholders and 150 years to its name, Prudential offers competitive coverage options for seniors, as well as people with some of the most common medical conditions, including asthma, depression, and fibromyalgia.
Pros and cons
Pros
Good for people over 60
More flexible income requirements than some other insurers
Considers applicants with a variety of immigration statuses (visas and green cards)
Cons
Younger applicants will likely find better prices elsewhere
We found that Prudential has some of the most flexible guidelines for people who’ve been treated for alcoholism and sober for three years. And if you’ve been sober and haven’t needed treatment for alcohol abuse in the last five years, Prudential might allow you to skip the medical exam that’s a standard part of the application process — which could give you access to coverage faster.
Best for people who currently use alcohol: Pacific Life
2024 Policygenius award winner
Pacific Life
4.8
All 50 states
No-medical-exam option
Why we chose it
Pacific Life offers some of the lowest rates for term life insurance across age brackets. It also has the most competitive rates for many health conditions and builds.
Pros and cons
Pros
Extremely affordable across age brackets
Affordable guaranteed universal life insurance option for people who need lifetime coverage
Favorable underwriting for many health conditions
Cons
Traditional term life not available in NY
There are better carriers for active duty military, people who have a history of alcohol abuse, and people who have been through bankruptcy
Our analysis found that, assuming that you have no other medical conditions, Pacific Life may approve your application for life insurance and offer you average rates — or lower — even if you consume up to five alcoholic beverages per day. However, you’ll have to take a medical exam and your medical profile will have to show no record of alcohol abuse or treatment for alcoholism in the past.
Best for people who have a history of abuse with other substances: Pacific Life
If you’ve also been treated for dependence on other controlled substances in addition to alcohol, many insurers will consider this an increased risk factor. However, we found that Pacific Life will be able to offer you traditional coverage at a Standard health classification — which comes with average rates — once you’ve been sober from drugs and alcohol for at least five years, assuming you have no other health concerns.
Comparing the best life insurance companies for people with a history of alcohol abuse
Insurer | Policygenius rating | Best for | AM Best rating | |
4.8/5 ★ | Current alcohol users, abuse history of other substances | A+ | ||
4.6/5 ★ | People sober 10+ years | A | ||
4.1/5 ★ | People sober 3+ years | A+ |
Learn more about the best life insurance companies of 2024
How much does life insurance for recovering alcoholics cost?
A 30-year-old non-smoking female who’s been sober for at least 10 years and is in generally good health can expect to pay $23 per month for a $500,000, 20-year term life insurance policy. A 30-year-old non-smoking male with a similar profile can expect to pay $29 per month for the same coverage.
20-year term life insurance rates for people with a history of alcohol abuse
Age | Gender | 10+ years sober | 5-9 years sober | 3-4 years sober |
|---|---|---|---|---|
30 | Female | $22.98 | $34.41 | $92.35 |
Male | $29.32 | $43.11 | $117.03 | |
40 | Female | $35.27 | $53.51 | $153.88 |
Male | $42.94 | $67.19 | $191.57 | |
50 | Female | $78.29 | $121.88 | $347.99 |
Male | $102.50 | $156.80 | $442.43 | |
60 | Female | $194.16 | $292.85 | $896.38 |
Male | $268.04 | $408.84 | $1,277.48 |
Methodology: Average monthly rates are calculated for male and female non-smokers in a Table 8 Substandard, Standard, and Preferred health classification obtaining a 20-year $500,000 term life insurance policy. Life insurance averages are based on a composite of policies offered by Policygenius from Brighthouse Financial, Corebridge Financial, Legal & General America, Lincoln Financial, Mutual of Omaha, Pacific Life, Protective, Prudential, Symetra, and Transamerica. Rates may vary by insurer, term, coverage amount, health class, and state. Not all policies are available in all states. Rate illustration valid as of 02/01/2024.
What life insurance options do you have if you currently have an alcohol addiction?
If you currently have an alcohol addiction, you still have life insurance options.
Group life insurance: Many employers offer subsidized life insurance to employees without requiring any health information for approval. Coverage may be limited, and you’ll lose the policy if you change jobs, but it’s a great option to get some coverage in place.
Guaranteed issue life insurance: A type of final expense insurance that doesn’t expire and is aimed at paying for end-of-life expenses such as a funeral or medical bills. It doesn’t require a medical exam for approval and offers death benefits of up to $25,000 for people age 45 and older.
Reapply in the future: Insurers are more likely to consider you for coverage after you’ve been sober for at least three years.
Other health concerns that can affect your life insurance
Certain pre-existing conditions and other health-related factors can affect your life insurance options and costs. A Policygenius expert can help you find the right policy for your needs.
