The short answer
- Stability decides the rate, not the bipolar diagnosis itself.
- Time since your last hospitalisation is the single biggest factor.
- Bipolar II is generally read more favourably than bipolar I.
- A recent suicide attempt usually means a postpone rather than a decline.
Where you stand
Stability is what gets priced
Traditional carriers approve well-controlled bipolar disorder more often than people expect. What they are pricing is the pattern: a settled medication regimen, no recent hospitalisation, and a stable working and home life.
Check my options →What decides your rate
Bipolar disorder is assessed individually, but the questions are consistent across carriers:
- Time since your last hospitalisation - the dominant factor
- Bipolar I or bipolar II, and whether the diagnosis has changed over time
- Medication stability - a settled regimen beats one being adjusted
- Any history of self-harm or a suicide attempt, and how long ago
- Co-occurring substance use, which is weighed separately and heavily
What each situation typically means
| Your situation | Realistic route |
|---|---|
| Bipolar II, stable 2+ years, no hospitalisation | Standard to table rating |
| Bipolar I, stable 2+ years, settled medication | Table rating |
| Hospitalised within the last 12 months | Postpone or simplified issue |
| Medication currently being changed | Postpone |
| Suicide attempt within 2 years | Postpone; guaranteed issue meanwhile |
| Bipolar with active substance use | Simplified or guaranteed issue |
The dates matter more than the diagnosis
Before anyone applies for you, establish the date of your most recent hospitalisation and how long your current medication has been unchanged. Those two facts decide which carriers are realistic. Applying without them is how people collect a decline that then has to be disclosed on every future application.
Why mental health is asked about at all
It is a fair question to resent. The reason underwriters ask is narrow and actuarial: unstable bipolar disorder carries a measurably raised suicide risk, and life insurance prices mortality. The question is about risk of death, not about character or capability.
That framing is also why treatment counts in your favour. Someone in consistent psychiatric care with a stable regimen presents better to an underwriter than someone with the same diagnosis and no treatment record at all. Being in care is an asset on the application, not a liability.
When waiting beats applying
Bipolar disorder is one of the clearest cases where timing changes the answer. A recent hospitalisation, or a regimen still being adjusted, is commonly postponed rather than declined - there is nothing settled yet to price. Six months of stability can move you between two very different sets of carriers.
If cover is needed in the meantime, guaranteed issue asks no health questions and can bridge the gap. Simplified issue sits between the two: it does ask questions, but fewer.
The order to apply
- Establish your last hospitalisation date from records, not memory
- Confirm how long your medication has been unchanged
- Disclose everything - prescription records and the MIB will show it anyway
- Have an agent pre-screen informally - mental health rules vary widely by carrier
Common questions
Can you get life insurance with bipolar disorder?+
Yes. Well-controlled bipolar disorder, particularly bipolar II with two or more years of stability and no hospitalisation, is regularly approved at standard to a table rating. A recent hospitalisation or an unsettled medication regimen is usually postponed rather than declined.
Will they see my psychiatric records?+
They may. With your authorisation an underwriter can request records from your doctors, and prescription history databases show psychiatric medication regardless. Non-disclosure is the real risk: a misrepresentation discovered during the contestability period can void the policy when your family claims.
Does bipolar I price worse than bipolar II?+
Generally yes, because bipolar I involves full manic episodes and a higher hospitalisation rate. It is not disqualifying. A stable, well-documented bipolar I history is commonly written at a table rating.
Does taking lithium or an antipsychotic hurt my application?+
No. Medication is evidence of treatment, and stable treatment is what underwriters want to see. What draws attention is a regimen that has recently changed, because it suggests the condition is not yet settled.