Can You Get Term Life Insurance If You Have Cancer? 
If you are currently being treated for cancer , you will not be able to qualify for any term life insurance . Carriers will only consider coverage after the completion of your cancer treatment . From there , most carriers will have a postponement period of at least 2 years -LRB- most prefer 4-5 years -RRB- from the point the cancer treatment was completed . If you apply for term insurance after this window and can qualify for it , you will likely be assigned a table-rating for your coverage -LRB- a table-rating is a percentage increase in premium on the standard risk classification - you can be rated table 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , or 8 . Some carriers will offer table ratings up to table 10 or 12 , but few do . Table ratings can also be cited as letters - table A , B , C , D , E , F , G , H , etc. -RRB- . The more time that has passed since the cancer episode , the better risk class you can qualify for because there is a less likelihood of a reoccurrence of the cancer . During this period , the only life insurance coverage you would be able to secure is Guaranteed Issue Whole Life insurance . These are final expense policies that feature face amounts of $ 25,000 or less and have a graded benefit period . A graded benefit period is a 2-3 year window -LRB- depends on the carrier - most are 2 years -RRB- where if death occurs during the graded period , the carrier pays only the premiums that were paid into the policy -LRB- unless the death occurred under accidental means - when this happens , the full benefit is payable -RRB- . After the graded period has expired , the full benefit is payable regardless of cause of death . I hope the information is helpful - please feel free to contact me for help with your coverage , including quotes and plan comparisons , and if you have any other questions . Thanks very much . 