Life Insurance at 86: What You Can Still Get

Getting life insurance at 86 is easier than most people expect.

You won't have dozens of companies competing for your business the way a 60 year old would. But the coverage is out there, the application is short, and a decision often comes back while you are still on the phone.

This article walks through what you can still buy at 86, what drives the price, and which health conditions will stop you.

Fill out the form on this page or ask us to call you and we will go through it with you.

Can you still get life insurance at 86?

Yes.

Term life is off the table at this age, and so is any large whole life or universal life policy. What's still available is final expense insurance, also called burial insurance.

It's a small permanent whole life policy. The death benefit never shrinks, the premium never goes up, and the coverage lasts for life as long as you pay.

It's built to cover a funeral, a cremation, and whatever medical bills or credit card balances get left behind. Nothing more than that.

What kind of policy you can get at 86

Once you pass 85, the carrier list gets short. Most companies cut off new applications at 80 or 85. Only a handful write past that, and they're generally not the ones running television commercials.

You're choosing between two types of plans.

Immediate coverage (simplified issue). You answer health questions and the company checks your prescription history and medical records. If you pass, your full death benefit is payable from day one. This is what we try to get everyone.

Waiting period coverage (graded or guaranteed issue). Fewer health questions, or none at all. The tradeoff is a waiting period, usually two years and sometimes one, before the full benefit applies. If you pass away from natural causes during that window, most carriers return your premiums with interest instead of paying the face amount. Accidental death is generally covered right away.

We always shop the immediate plans first. It isn't always possible at 86, but it's worth the extra ten minutes to find out, because the difference to your family is significant.

How much coverage can you buy?

Most carriers will issue between $2,000 and $25,000 at this age.

A few will go higher. And if you need more than one company's maximum, you can often stack policies from two different carriers to get there.

For reference, the National Funeral Directors Association put the median cost of a funeral with viewing and burial at about $8,300 in its most recent price survey, and a cemetery vault adds roughly $2,000 more where one is required. Cremation with a viewing came in around $6,280. Most people at 86 land on a $10,000 or $15,000 policy.

What your rate depends on

Your premium comes down to your age, whether you're male or female, how much coverage you want, whether you use tobacco, and which health class the carrier puts you in.

Two things are worth knowing before you compare quotes:

• Every birthday costs money. Rates step up each year, and the list of carriers willing to write shrinks.
• Waiting period plans cost more than immediate ones, because the carrier is accepting applicants it cannot screen.

Our final expense calculator will size a policy against what you actually want covered, without asking for any contact details.

Medical conditions that will usually disqualify you

Final expense underwriting is forgiving, but a short list of conditions is declined by most carriers for immediate coverage:

• Dementia or Alzheimer's
• Cancer currently under treatment
• Daily oxygen use
• Living in a nursing home or assisted living facility
• Hospice care
• Kidney dialysis
• Congestive heart failure in the last year
• An organ transplant, or waiting on a transplant list

If one of these is in play, a guaranteed issue plan with a waiting period may still be an option, depending on the carrier and your state.

Conditions that are usually fine

This is the part that surprises people. Plenty of managed conditions do not stop you from getting approved:

• High blood pressure
• High cholesterol
• Type 2 diabetes, including on insulin in many cases
• Arthritis
• Controlled heart conditions with no recent hospitalization
• Past cancer that's been in remission for several years
• COPD or asthma without daily oxygen

If you don't have anything on the disqualifying list, odds are good we can find you a policy.

How the application works

There's no medical exam, no lab work, and no doctor's visit.

You answer a set of yes or no health questions over the phone. The carrier runs your prescription history and checks a few databases. The whole thing takes about five to ten minutes.

Most of the time you'll know whether you're approved before you hang up. Coverage starts once the first premium clears.

Common questions

Will my premium go up as I get older?

No. On a whole life final expense policy, the rate is locked at issue and stays there for life.

Can my family be turned down after I die?

Generally not, provided you answered the health questions honestly and the policy is past its contestability period — two years in most states, one in some. Misstating health on the application is what causes denied claims.

What if I already have a policy?

Don't cancel anything before you talk to us. An older policy is often worth far more than it looks, and there may be options like reduced paid-up status or an accelerated benefit rider you're not aware of.

Is 86 too late?

No, but every birthday costs you. Rates step up each year and the carrier list gets shorter. If you're going to do this, do it now rather than next spring.

Summary

Life insurance at 86 is a small, simple product with a short application. The hard part is knowing which companies still write at your age, and that's what we do all day.

Ask us to call you and we'll tell you in a few minutes whether you qualify and what it costs. No exam, no obligation. If you have questions about how this site works first, the questions page covers them.

---

This page provides general insurance information. It is not an offer of coverage, and nothing here is an eligibility determination. Availability, issue ages and pricing vary by carrier and by state, and your final premium is set by the carrier after underwriting.