Comprehensive Guide to Purchasing Life Insurance for Alcohol Users in 2025 + YouTube Video
Are you looking for alcoholic life insurance but are worried about your drinking becoming an issue? We
understand that everyone’s journey is unique, and that includes those who may struggle with alcoholism.
That’s why we offer a simple and straightforward solution for individuals like yourself who want to apply for life insurance for heavy drinkers.
With over 40 of the most competitive life insurance companies on board, we provide term life insurance without the need for a medical exam in many cases.
Don’t let your drinking hold you back from securing the financial protection your family deserves. Continue reading this step-by-step guide to learn more about how to apply for life insurance for alcoholics and get approved with the lowest rates possible.
Table of Contents
Can Alcoholics Get Life Insurance?
1. How Your Alcohol Use Will Affect Your Application
Light to Moderate Alcohol Applicants:
If your alcohol consumption is occasional and within the general health guidelines, it will normally have little to no effect on your premiums at all.
Heavy Alcohol Use Applicants:
Excessive alcohol intake can result in flags during the underwriting process.
*Insurers will increase their rates based on your health classification.
*Your carrier may require additional exams such as CDT testing.
*The worst case scenario is that your application could possibly be declined.
2. Standard Application Process
All life insurance companies will do a traditional risk assessment during the application process. This is how they determine the risk they are taking when providing you with a policy. Here is what they will be reviewing:
Medical Records:
If your alcohol consumption habits are extensive, the underwriters will request medical records from your doctor. They will pay special attention to any health conditions that may have been caused by your alcohol consumption.
Keep in mind that requesting medical records, otherwise known as an attending physician statement, is not an uncommon practice. It used to be mandatory for most all applicants, drinkers or not.
Blood Testing:
Blood tests look for any abnormalities in the blood, such as elevated liver enzymes, which can suggest excessive alcohol use and destruction of internal organs. When a heavy alcohol user applies, additional tests of the blood may also be requested.
Ask Lifestyle Questions:
The underwriters will want to know if you have a hazardous occupation or if you participate in any hazardous sports or hobbies.
Motor Vehicle Reports:
Requesting a motor vehicle report is very common on life insurance applications. A history of driving under the influence of alcohol, arrests or drink-related collisions will be on the list for review.
3. Life Insurance Options to Consider
Traditional Term Life Insurance:
If your alcohol use is not extensive and you are in good health, you have many great choices for life insurance policies to choose from. We always recommend term life insurance due to its low cost and many options in plan designs.
Guaranteed Issue Life Insurance:
The guaranteed issue family of plan designs do not require a medical exam. The premiums are always higher and there are lower death benefits available. Keep in mind that regardless of your health history, you will always qualify for one of these policies without the worry of being declined.
Simplified Issue Life Insurance:
The simplified issue policies have fewer health questions to answer and no requirement to take a medical exam. The premiums will reflect your current health status.
Does Alcohol Affect Life Insurance Rates?
The underwriting process for applicants with a past history of alcohol addiction and heavy drinking involves an assessment of the effects of excessive alcohol use on their health.
Anytime you drink a high volume of alcohol and plan to apply for life insurance, your rates may be affected or your application may even be declined if your drinking condition is severe.
Your rates could increase depending on how much alcohol you drink and whether your current health has been affected. Your rate class will determine your premiums once your application has been approved.
Life insurance for heavy drinkers is considered high risk due to the damage alcohol normally causes throughout the years of drinking.
*Heavy use of alcohol will be underwritten just as if it was a medical condition.
How to Apply for Life Insurance With a Medical Condition: YouTube Video
Does Life Insurance Cover Alcoholism?
Purchasing life insurance before any heavy drinking habits will most likely be covered. If you apply for new coverage and you disclose your history of drinking on the new application, you will also be covered. Keep in mind that in some cases life insurance companies may not pay a death claim on a heavy drinker.
If you do not disclose your drinking habits on the application when you complete the alcohol related questions, there could become a claims issue if you die from an alcohol related death.
An insurance company may not cover a death claim due to an omission you deliberately made on your application. Therefore, it is crucial to be honest, and always tell the truth. Lying on an insurance application can be a recipe for disaster when it comes to insurance products, and not just life insurance.
Approximately 11,000 people in the US die annually in drunk driving incidents. This is what concerns life insurance companies when you apply.
Does Life Insurance Cover Alcohol Related Deaths?
A life insurance policy will pay off if you die from an alcohol-related death, such as liver cirrhosis, heart attack, stroke, alcohol poisoning and also alcohol related auto accidents. Sometimes people purchase life insurance and do not have any alcohol dependency at the time of the application.
They may later start drinking in life and become heavy drinkers as the years progress. The life insurance policy they bought years ago will pay for any alcohol-related deaths with no problem.
If you are an occasional drinker before applying for a new application. Make sure you answer all the questions about drinking honestly. Just answer the specific questions on the application without adding any additional information unless you are asked for more details.
Alcohol is the third medical-related cause of death in America. Did you know that 95,000 people die from related deaths each year? This statistic breaks down to 27,000 females and 68,000 males.
Steps to Improve Your Eligibility & Get Approved
1. Do your best to maintain a healthy lifestyle with a proper diet, periodic exercise, and do not indulge with excessive drinking.
2. Work with an independent insurance agent such as ourselves who can help you find insurers that are more lenient with alcohol use. Using the correct insurer is vital to getting approved with the best rates.
3. Have all necessary health tests conducted to illustrate your good health. Naturally you are going to want to know how your health may be affected by drinking if you are going to apply for life insurance or not.
Individuals in Alcoholics Recovery
If you are an alcoholic in recovery:
1. Most insurance carriers will require a “period of sobriety” which will normally require 2–5 years of a waiting period before they will offer standard coverage for past alcoholics.
2. Having proof of rehabilitation, good health stability, and a clean lifestyle can also help reduce your rates.
Alcohol Abuse and Suicide Attempts
Statistics indicate that alcoholics are 120 times more likely to commit suicide than those who have no
chemical dependency on the drug at all.
The national average is that someone in the United States tries to commit suicide every 40 seconds.
Also, 29% of all suicide victims in this country had alcohol in their system.
Suicide is prevalent among heavy drinkers, another huge risk for life insurance companies.
If you are a heavy drinker and apply for life insurance after a suicide attempt. There is a slim possibility that your application will be approved. Your only option would normally be to apply for a guaranteed issue life insurance product.
Why Insurers Are Concerned About Alcohol Use
Due to the long-standing connection between alcohol consumption and significant health problems, insurance companies approach this issue with caution.
Anytime you drink, this drug is immediately absorbed into your bloodstream and affects every single part of your body. This can put your health at severe risk and even cause death as time goes by.
Life insurance companies are always concerned about a vast number of medical conditions now or in the future that could lead to death, such as:
1. Pancreas Problems and Damage
2. Possible Onset of Diabetes
3. Passing Out (sudden blackouts)
4. Becoming Addicted to Alcohol
5. Severe Stomach Ulcers
6. Major Chronic Fatigue
7. Severe Liver Damage
8. Malnutrition from Not Eating Properly
9. Heart Destruction: from Heart Valves to Cardiomyopathy
What Is a CDT Test & How Does It Work?
CDT is measured by taking a sample of an individual’s blood. Those who do not consume alcohol or use small
quantities will have much lower carbohydrate-deficient transferrin test levels in their bloodstream.
On the other hand, people who drink five or more drinks a day for at least five days a week for approximately two weeks before the testing will have CDT at much higher levels.
CDT testing accurately detects individuals who are drinking heavily. If a person stops drinking or slows down, their CDT levels will also decrease.
Then if they start drinking heavily again, the levels will rise to a high degree. This test acts as a fuel gage for the amount of alcohol consumed and is still evident in the body.
Medical Tests for Alcohol Dependency
Other than the very common and well known CDT test. The four other tests below can reflect more reliable information to determine alcohol dependency and a drinker’s health status.
1. Gamma-Glutamyl Transferase (GGT) Test
2. Ethyl Glucuronide (EtG) Test
3. Alanine Aminotransferase (ALT) Test
4. Aspartate Aminotransferase (AST) Test
Health Classifications and How They Affect Your Premiums
The health classification you receive is a key factor in setting your insurance rates. Getting the best health classification possible should always be the primary goal when getting the best life insurance rates.
Preferred Best Rates:
Preferred Best is the best classification possible, and it’s for above-average healthy applicants. These are the very best classes you can be assigned. About 10% of all applicants qualify for the preferred best rates.
Preferred Rates:
Preferred Non-Tobacco is an excellent rate class for healthy applicants that may have minor health conditions. For example, some diseases like high blood pressure or high cholesterol controlled by drugs can fall into a preferred classification.
Standard Plus Rates:
The Standard Plus rate class is for relatively healthy applicants with multiple or more severe conditions.
Standard Rate Class:
This class is similar to standard plus but for applicants with several more serious medical conditions.
Substandard Classes:
Substandard health classes can use table ratings which generally begin with an A and go down to the letter J. Some companies will use a number system, like 1-10. For example, “Standard Rate Table B” or “Standard Rate Table 2”. See our blog post on rate classification for more information.
Alcohol Questionnaire
If you are interested in getting an accurate rate quote, please click on this link to download our alcohol-questionnaire. You can either discuss it with us by phone, email it or fax it back to us and we will be able to
provide you with an accurate projection of what your rates will be.
Your degree of alcohol consumption and any possible health conditions is very important when applying for life insurance for alcohol users.
Our Contact Us page contains our email address and fax number. Don’t hesitate to let us know if you have any questions. We are available seven days a week!
How to Compare the Best Life Insurance Quotes for Alcoholics?
When you are ready to start comparing plan designs and premiums. You can begin by comparing rates from the most competitive companies in your state.
Our quoting system will display the best rates from over 40 of the most competitive life insurance companies.
You can also call us to get a more accurate quote if you have any health concerns by calling us. You will find that affordable term life insurance is the most cost-effective with no close second.
Our Final Thoughts
If you are currently an alcoholic or a recovering alcoholic, we can help you get approved for life insurance at the most affordable rates. There is never any cost or obligation for our help.
We work with over 40 life insurance carriers that provide the best rates and approvals for alcohol users.
Thank you for reading this blog post; I hope it has answered many of your questions.
All the best,
Jack Venturi
Should you have any questions or need further assistance, please don’t hesitate to call us at 815-390-7545 for a prompt response.
