How to Get a Life Insurance with Cancer in Canada

Last updated Jan 8, 2026

Written by

Ben Nguyen

Content Director

Receiving a cancer diagnosis represents one of the most difficult challenges in life. While focusing on treatment and recovery, ensuring your family is financially protected is also an urgent priority. The good news for Canadian cancer patients and survivors is that, with the right approach, access to life insurance coverage is achievable.

This guide will examine the full landscape of applying for life insurance with cancer in Canada. You will learn insider tips for getting approved, along with strategies for finding affordable premiums even with a pre-existing cancer diagnosis.

The State of Cancer in Canada

To understand insurance options, it’s helpful to first understand the state of cancer in Canada today. According to the latest available reports from the Canadian Cancer Society (Canadian Cancer Statistics, 2025):

• Cancer continues to be the #1 cause of death in Canada.
• 2 in 5 Canadians are estimated to develop cancer in their lifetime, and about one-fourth will die from cancer.
• Lung cancer, breast cancer, colorectal cancer, and prostate cancer account for nearly half of all newly diagnosed cases.
• The overall 5-year cancer survival rate in Canada is approximately 64%. It was only 55% in the early 1990s.

The continuous improvement in survival rates is precisely why more insurance options are available today than ever before. Insurers have more data to confidently price policies for survivors.

Can You Get Life Insurance If You Have Cancer?

Yes, in many cases, you can get life insurance after a cancer diagnosis in Canada. It is a common misconception that a history of cancer automatically disqualifies you from obtaining coverage. While the process is more complex and the options may differ from those for a perfectly healthy applicant, securing financial protection for your family is often achievable.

Your eligibility, the type of policy you can get, and the cost will depend on several critical factors that insurers use to assess your personal risk profile.

What Insurers Evaluate in a Cancer Patient or Survivor

When you apply for life insurance after a cancer diagnosis, an underwriter assesses your individual case to determine your life expectancy and risk profile. Here’s what they focus on:

Type and Stage of Cancer

Cancers with higher survival rates, such as breast, thyroid, early-stage prostate, or non-melanoma skin cancer, are viewed more favourably. Meanwhile, more aggressive cancers like pancreatic, leukemia, liver cancer, or late-stage lung cancer present a higher risk.

The stage at diagnosis is also critical, as it indicates whether the cancer was localized or had spread.

Lung Cancer Stage	5-Year Survival Rate
I	62%
II	39%
III	16%
IV	3%

Time Since Treatment

The longer you have been in remission and cancer-free, the lower your risk of recurrence. The key is demonstrating longevity and stability, meaning surviving well past initial prognosis expectations. Hitting milestones like 2, 5, and especially 10 years post-treatment significantly improves your eligibility and premium rates.

Treatment Protocol

A cancer that was fully removed with surgery is often seen as a lower risk than one requiring long-term chemotherapy or ongoing medication. Demonstrating full compliance with your treatment and follow-up plan is essential.

Current Health Status

Beyond just your cancer prognosis, insurers look at your overall health. An applicant with well-managed blood pressure, a healthy weight, and no other chronic conditions is a much better risk than someone with diabetes or heart disease. Stay current with all checkups and monitoring, not just cancer-related.

Types of Life Insurance Available for Cancer Patients and Survivors

If approved for coverage, based on your specific situation, you can access a range of different types of policies:

Traditional (Fully Underwritten) Life Insurance

Traditional life insurance is the most affordable option for cancer survivors, with premiums closest to a healthy applicant. It involves a detailed application, a review of your full medical records, and often a medical exam with blood and urine tests.

It is best for cancer survivors who have been in remission for a significant period (typically 5-10+ years, depending on the cancer type) and are in good overall health.

You could be approved at standard rates or at a higher rate (e.g., 50-200% higher) to account for the additional risk. Rated policies offer coverage up to $1 million or more, unlike simplified-issue policies with lower caps.

Choosing Between Term vs. Permanent Insurance

If you qualify for traditional coverage, you’ll need to choose between term and permanent life insurance.

• Term Life Insurance: Provides coverage for a specific period (e.g., 10, 20 years). It’s affordable and ideal for covering temporary needs like a mortgage or income replacement while your children are young. For most cancer survivors, this is the most practical and cost-effective choice.
• Permanent Life Insurance: Provides lifelong coverage and often includes a cash value savings component (depending on the type). It is significantly more expensive. It may be a consideration for high-net-worth individuals for estate planning purposes, but it’s often not the primary need for families seeking protection.

Simplified Issue Life Insurance

Simplified issue policies ask only a few cancer-related health questions and skip extensive medical exams and fluid testing. It is best for individuals who may not qualify for traditional insurance due to a more recent diagnosis or other health issues.

Simplified issue life insurance costs significantly more than traditional policies, and coverage amounts are typically capped (e.g., up to $500,000), but it offers an approval path if you don’t qualify medically.

Guaranteed Issue Life Insurance

This type of policy has no health questions and no medical exam. Acceptance is guaranteed for Canadians within a specific age range (e.g., 40-75). It is best for those currently in treatment, with a recent or advanced-stage diagnosis, or who have been declined for other types of insurance.

Key Limitations:

• Waiting Period: Most policies have a 2-year waiting period. If you pass away from a non-accidental cause during this time, your beneficiaries receive a return of the premiums paid, not the full death benefit.
• High Cost: This is the most expensive type of insurance for the amount of coverage provided.
• Low Coverage: Death benefits are typically small, often capped at $25,000 or $50,000, designed to cover final expenses.

Group Life Insurance

If you are still employed, group benefits through your employer can provide guaranteed-issue life insurance up to $200,000 to $300,000. This is an option if diagnosed while employed and traditional policies decline you.

Group life insurance tends to be cheaper than retail simplified issue policies. Approved amounts depend on your employer’s plan. Some groups also offer small guaranteed policies after employment ends.

Why Should Cancer Patients and Survivors Get Life Insurance?

There are several key benefits to having life insurance with cancer:

Allows Focus on Recovery

Life insurance gives you peace of mind and lets you focus on your health, knowing your family will be protected financially even if you pass away. It can give comfort and reduce stress as you battle cancer.

Covers Debts Owed

Life insurance proceeds can pay off mortgages, loans, lines of credit, and other final expenses so your family does not inherit unwanted debts.

Replaces Lost Income

For families dependent on your income, your death benefit can help fund living expenses to maintain their current lifestyle if you are unable to work or pass away.

Facilitates Estate Planning

If your prognosis is terminal, having life insurance can make estate planning and wealth transfers to heirs efficient and tax-optimized.

Supplements Medical Costs

Health insurance may not cover all cancer treatment expenses. Life insurance cash can help pay deductibles, travel costs, experimental therapies, and more.

Where To Get Life Insurance with Cancer in Canada

Now that you understand your life insurance options as a Canadian cancer patient, where should you turn to get coverage? You have a few main channels:

Life Insurance Brokers

For the widest range of policy and insurer options, working with an independent life insurance broker is highly recommended. Brokers tap into policies from over 20+ Canadian life insurance companies. They can shop your case across multiple carriers to find you the best match.

Direct Insurers

Alternatively, you can apply directly through life insurance company websites. However, this limits you to just one insurer versus the broader market access brokers provide.

The top national insurers like Manulife Insurance, Sunlife Insurance, Canada Life, RBC Insurance, and Desjardins represent potential direct options to explore.

Banks

Major Canadian banks like TD, CIBC, Scotiabank, and BMO also offer life insurance, often through subsidiaries they own.

The benefit here is bundling policies together for a discount. However, bank advisors typically have less specialized risk expertise.

Independent Agents

Some independent insurance agents represent a handful of life insurers. Similar to brokers, they can shop multiple companies. However, they likely can’t access niche risk specialists.

How to Apply and Get Approved for Life Insurance with Cancer

Follow these insider tips for navigating the Canadian life insurance application process successfully:

Step 1: Gather Your Medical Information

Before you even speak to a broker, compile all relevant details about your cancer journey. This includes:

• The exact date of your diagnosis.
• The specific type, stage, and grade of the cancer.
• Dates and details of all treatments (surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, etc.).
• The date your primary treatment ended.
• Names and contact information for your oncologist and family doctor.
• A summary of your follow-up care and current status (e.g., “in full remission since June 2021”).

Step 2: Work With an Independent, High-Risk Broker

A specialized broker understands the different risk appetites of various insurance companies. One insurer might decline an application that another, more experienced in high-risk cases, would approve with a reasonable rating. A good broker acts as your advocate, packaging your application to highlight its strengths.

Step 3: Be Completely Honest

Never hide or misrepresent any part of your medical history on an application. Insurers have access to your medical records and can rescind a policy or deny a claim, even years later, if they discover material misrepresentation. Full transparency ensures the policy you get is secure.

Step 4: Have Realistic Expectations

You should understand that coverage will likely cost more than for someone with no history of cancer. The goal is to secure meaningful, affordable protection, even if it’s not the multi-million dollar policy you might have qualified for before your diagnosis. Some coverage is infinitely better than none.

Step 5: Don’t Be Discouraged by a Decline

If one company declines your application, it is not the end of the road. Your broker can take your file to other insurers who may have different underwriting guidelines. This is why working with a broker who has access to the entire market is so crucial.

Limitations when Applying for Life Insurance with Cancer

While certainly accessible, it’s important to be aware of certain limitations that come with life insurance policies for Canadian cancer patients:

Pre-Existing Condition Clauses

Some guaranteed acceptance/guaranteed issue life insurance plans include a limited benefit period (often the first 2 years) where non-accidental death may return premiums (and the full benefit applies after the period). For example, Manulife CoverMe’s guaranteed-issue plans show a 2-year graded benefit structure in their official brochures.

Fully underwritten policies and no-medical policies can behave very differently; always confirm the exact limitation/exclusion in the policy wording before relying on it.

Lower Maximum Coverage Amounts

Insurers place lower caps on maximum coverage offered through simplified-issue and guaranteed-issue policies, given the higher perceived mortality.

Higher Premiums

All policies for cancer survivors carry higher premium costs, at times double or triple standard rates for healthy individuals of the same age and gender. Insurers price the added risk into policy costs.

Exclusions

Some policies add specific exclusions denying coverage for recurrence of the same cancer strain you already had or second malignancies of certain kinds. This protects insurers in the long term.

Waiting Periods

Guaranteed issue policies often impose 2-year waiting periods before paying a claim. This ensures your outlook exceeds two years. Pre-existing condition clauses work similarly.

So, in summary, read all policy prints closely and avoid surprises later by confirming details on restrictions and limitations with your broker upfront. Approval is very possible, but trade-offs exist.

There are also other informative articles discussing obtaining life insurance with pre-existing conditions:

• Life Insurance with Autism Spectrum Disorder
• Life Insurance with Alzheimer’s or Dementia

Applying for Critical Illness Insurance With Cancer

Aside from life insurance, Canadian cancer survivors may also consider critical illness insurance as supplementary protection. This insurance pays out a tax-free lump sum if you are diagnosed with a covered condition. This can help offset treatment expenses and income loss.

Payout triggers include heart attack, stroke, organ failure, paralysis, major burns, dementia, coma, blindness, deafness, loss of speech, and cancer.

Qualifying and Limitations

Many CI policies require you to survive a survival period (often 30-90 days) after diagnosis before a benefit is payable, but the exact period and cancer-specific limitations depend on the policy. If you don’t survive this period, it does not pay. This protects against end-of-life diagnoses where death is imminent.

A pre-existing condition clause also often applies to prior cancers, meaning a new cancer diagnosis of that same type may not be covered if it occurs in the first several years.

Policy Options

Given the pre-existing clauses, critical illness insurance works best for new and different cancer diagnoses rather than the same diagnosis. Look for policies waiving the clause after ten years.

“Cancer recurrence” policies specifically cover getting cancer again. This pays out whether it’s the original cancer or a new cancer. Premiums are costlier.

Benefit Amounts

Maximum coverage amounts range from $25,000 to $2 million based on income, debts, and cost of living. However, cancer patients often face lower caps until they hit key remission anniversaries.

Critical illness insurance can provide financial support through the treatment journey beyond just mortality protection. Discuss options with your broker.

Finding the Right Life Insurance with Cancer in Canada

The key takeaway is that with proper preparation and guidance from an experienced broker, Canadian cancer patients and survivors at various stages of diagnosis can secure customized life insurance solutions.

Term, permanent, simplified issue, and critical illness policies all offer options worth exploring. Being an educated advocate for yourself and honestly representing your full medical profile is key to finding affordable coverage that protects your family.

FAQs on Life Insurance for Cancer

Article Sources:

1. Life Insurance for People with Cancer | Canada Protection Plan – https://www.cpp.ca/