Life Insurance with Crohn's Disease: Rates & How to Get Covered

Can You Get Life Insurance with Crohn’s?

Yes — Crohn’s disease is one of the more manageable high-risk conditions for life insurance underwriting. While it is classified as a chronic illness, most carriers have established guidelines for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) that allow for competitive coverage.

The severity spectrum matters enormously:

• Mild Crohn’s (infrequent flares, oral medication): Standard rates often available
• Moderate Crohn’s (periodic flares, biologics): Standard to Table 2
• Severe Crohn’s (frequent flares, surgeries): Table 2-6
• Crohn’s with complications (fistulas, bowel resection): Table 4-8

Most people with Crohn’s fall into the mild-to-moderate category, which means affordable coverage is well within reach.

How Crohn’s Affects Your Rates

$500,000 20-year term, age 35, otherwise healthy:

Crohn’s Severity	Monthly Premium	vs. Standard
No Crohn’s	$24-32	Baseline
Mild, oral medication only	$28-38	+0-25%
Moderate, on biologics, controlled	$35-50	+25-60%
Moderate-severe, recent flare	$48-68	+50-110%
Severe, history of surgery	$60-85	+100-165%

Rates are estimates. Actual premiums depend on your full medical history and carrier.

The good news for Crohn’s patients: rates improve over time with consistent management and no hospitalizations. A clean 3-5 year track record can significantly improve your rate class.

The surcharge in the table above is applied as a table rating — a fixed percentage added to Standard rates. Mild, well-controlled Crohn’s often lands at Standard (no table) or Table 1-2, while severe disease with a surgical history can reach Table 4-8. Because carriers interpret IBD files so differently, the same medical history can come back several tables apart between companies.

Ulcerative Colitis & Other IBD

Crohn’s disease is one of two main forms of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The other, ulcerative colitis (UC), is underwritten along similar lines — and in some respects more favorably.

The distinction underwriters care about: UC is confined to the colon and rectum, while Crohn’s can affect the entire digestive tract. Because UC is anatomically limited, a total colectomy (removal of the colon) is considered curative — once you have fully recovered from that surgery and are stable, some carriers will offer Standard or even better rates, because the underlying disease is gone. Crohn’s, by contrast, can recur even after bowel resection.

Typical UC outcomes (well-documented, in remission):

• Mild UC, oral 5-ASA (e.g., mesalamine), no recent flares: often Standard
• Moderate UC on biologics, controlled: Standard to Table 2
• Active flare or recent hospitalization: usually postponed, or a higher table rating
• Post-colectomy, fully recovered, 1-2+ years stable: Standard, occasionally Preferred

As with Crohn’s, the same evidence wins the best rate: a recent colonoscopy, low inflammation markers (CRP/ESR), stable weight, and no chronic steroid use. Microscopic and indeterminate colitis are typically rated by the same logic — severity, control, and treatment history matter more than the exact label. If you are comparing offers, the table rating you receive can differ by two or three tables between carriers for the identical UC history — which is exactly where an independent broker earns their keep.

Best Companies for Crohn’s Patients

Most IBD-Friendly:

• Prudential — competitive for mild-to-moderate Crohn’s
• Banner Life — favorable rates for well-controlled IBD
• Lincoln Financial — good for patients stable on biologics
• Protective Life — reasonable for moderate cases

Moderate:

• Transamerica — case-by-case, generally fair
• Principal — will consider most stable Crohn’s cases

Strict:

• Some carriers penalize biologic use regardless of disease control
• A few smaller carriers have limited IBD underwriting experience

An independent broker can make the difference between a Table 4 rating and Standard rates by matching you with a carrier that understands modern Crohn’s management.

What Underwriters Evaluate

When reviewing a Crohn’s application, underwriters focus on:

Disease Activity:

• Frequency and severity of flare-ups
• Last hospitalization or ER visit
• Current symptom status (remission vs. active)

Treatment:

• Medication type (5-ASA, immunomodulators, biologics, steroids)
• Chronic steroid use is a red flag
• Biologic use can be positive if disease is controlled
• Surgical history (resections, ostomy)

Complications:

• Fistulas or abscess history
• Strictures or bowel obstructions
• Colon cancer risk (longer disease = higher risk)
• Nutritional status and weight

Lab Results:

• CRP and ESR levels (inflammation markers)
• Hemoglobin (anemia)
• Albumin (nutritional status)
• Recent colonoscopy results

Overall Health:

• Other chronic conditions
• Smoking status (smoking worsens Crohn’s prognosis)
• BMI and general fitness

Tips for Getting Approved

1. Apply during remission. If possible, time your application for a period when your Crohn’s is well-controlled. Active flares or recent hospitalizations hurt your chances.

2. Get your GI records organized. Recent colonoscopy reports, lab results showing low inflammation markers, and a clean recent history are your best evidence.

3. Ask your gastroenterologist for a letter. A brief note describing your disease as mild or well-controlled, listing your current treatment, and noting your prognosis can help the underwriter.

4. Minimize steroid use. Chronic prednisone use is viewed negatively. If you can transition to biologics or other maintenance therapies, your underwriting profile improves.

5. Quit smoking. Smoking worsens Crohn’s disease prognosis, and carriers know this. Being a non-smoker significantly improves your rate class for any high-risk condition.

6. Work with an experienced broker. IBD underwriting varies widely between carriers. A broker who specializes in high-risk cases will know which carriers are most favorable for your specific situation.

Ready to get covered? Get a free life insurance quote and compare rates from Crohn’s-friendly carriers.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I get life insurance with Crohn's disease?

Yes. Most major carriers insure people with Crohn's disease. If your condition is well-managed with medication and you have not had recent surgery or hospitalization, Standard or mild table-rated coverage is common.

How much does Crohn's disease increase life insurance rates?

Mild, well-controlled Crohn's may have minimal impact — possibly Standard rates. Moderate Crohn's with periodic flare-ups typically adds 25-75% to premiums. Severe Crohn's with surgeries or biologics may add 75-150%.

Does taking biologics for Crohn's affect my life insurance?

Biologics like Humira, Remicade, or Stelara may flag your application for closer review, but they can actually help your case by demonstrating active, effective treatment. The key is that your disease is controlled.

Can I get life insurance with ulcerative colitis?

Yes, and often on similar or slightly better terms than Crohn's disease. Well-controlled ulcerative colitis on maintenance medication is frequently issued at Standard rates. Because UC is confined to the colon, applicants who have had a total colectomy and fully recovered can sometimes qualify for Standard or even Preferred rates once stable, since the disease is considered resolved.

What table rating will I get with Crohn's disease?

It depends on severity and control. Mild, oral-medication Crohn's in remission is often Standard (no table). Moderate disease on biologics typically lands Table 1-2 (+25-50%), and severe disease with surgeries or frequent flares can reach Table 4-8. Because carriers rate IBD very differently, the same file can vary by several tables — see our table ratings guide for what each table costs.