The short answer
- Seizure control decides the rate, not having epilepsy.
- Two or more years seizure-free on stable medication often prices mildly.
- Frequent or uncontrolled seizures draw heavy ratings.
- Medication compliance is itself read as a risk signal.
Where you stand
Two years seizure-free changes everything
Epilepsy underwriting turns on one number more than any other: how long since your last seizure. A documented stretch of two years or more, on stable medication, moves most applicants into ordinary rated territory.
Check my options →What decides your rate
Epilepsy is one of the more predictable conditions to underwrite, because the questions are consistent across carriers:
- Time since your last seizure - the dominant factor by some distance
- Seizure frequency when they do occur, and the type
- Medication stability - a settled regimen beats one being adjusted
- Compliance - missed doses are read as elevated risk, not a small detail
- Cause - post-traumatic, post-stroke or idiopathic are weighed differently
What each situation typically means
| Seizure control | Realistic route |
|---|---|
| Seizure-free 2+ years, stable medication | Standard to mild rating |
| Seizure-free 1 to 2 years | Table rating |
| Occasional seizures, well controlled | Heavier table rating |
| Frequent or poorly controlled seizures | Simplified or guaranteed issue |
| Recent diagnosis, medication being adjusted | Postpone |
| Seizures with loss of consciousness while driving | Assessed case by case |
The date of your last seizure is the application
Before anyone applies for you, establish the date of your most recent seizure and confirm your medication has been unchanged since. Those two facts decide which carriers are realistic. If you are approaching a two year mark, waiting a few months can be worth more than any amount of shopping around.
Why compliance is asked about directly
Underwriters ask whether you take your medication as prescribed, and they mean it as a risk question rather than a character one. Uncontrolled epilepsy carries genuine mortality risk, and the most common cause of losing control is inconsistent medication.
If you have had a lapse in the past but have been settled since, the settled period is what matters. Be straightforward about it.
When waiting beats applying
Epilepsy is one of the clearest cases where timing changes the answer. A recent diagnosis, or a medication regimen still being adjusted, is commonly postponed rather than declined - because there is nothing stable yet to price.
If cover is urgent in the meantime, guaranteed issue asks no health questions and can bridge the gap, with the trade-offs that come with it.
The order to apply
- Establish your last seizure date from your records, not memory
- Confirm your medication has been stable, and for how long
- Consider whether waiting takes you past a two year mark
- Have an agent pre-screen informally - seizure-free requirements differ by carrier
Common questions
Can you get life insurance with epilepsy?+
Yes. Epilepsy that is well controlled, particularly with two or more years since your last seizure on stable medication, is commonly approved at standard to a mild rating. Frequent or poorly controlled seizures draw heavier ratings.
How long do I need to be seizure-free?+
There is no single rule, but two years is the interval that most improves your options. Between one and two years usually draws a table rating; less than a year, or a regimen still being adjusted, is often postponed.
Does the type of seizure matter?+
Yes. Focal seizures without loss of consciousness are generally read more favourably than generalised tonic-clonic seizures. The underlying cause is weighed too, since post-stroke or post-traumatic epilepsy carries the history that caused it.
Will they check whether I take my medication?+
They will ask, and your records may show it. Consistent compliance supports your application because uncontrolled seizures are the actual risk. If you have had a lapse but have been stable since, the stable period is what counts.