Life insurance for insulin-dependent diabetics

This paper presents a study of the mortality of insulin-dependent diabetics diagnosed before age 31. The analysis includes the effect of various covariates on the mortality and on the risk of developing diabetic nephropathy, a serious renal complication associated with diabetes. The results show that it is the risk of developing nephropathy combined with very high mortality rates of patients with nephropathy which are the main reasons for the excess mortality usually experienced among insulin-dependent diabetics. The results are used to provide examples of the cost of individual life and group life insurance for diabetics who, at the time of issue of insurance, show no sign of diabetic nephropathy.