The short answer
- Hepatitis A that resolved is usually not rated at all.
- Cured hepatitis C - a sustained virologic response - is now genuinely insurable.
- Chronic hepatitis B is priced on viral load and liver enzymes.
- Cirrhosis is what changes the answer, far more than the virus itself.
What changed
A cured hepatitis C is not a decline
Modern antiviral treatment clears hepatitis C in the large majority of people who complete it. Once you have a documented sustained virologic response and your liver looks healthy, several carriers will write you at a modest rating.
Check my options →What decides your rate
Hepatitis underwriting is really liver underwriting. The virus is the starting point, not the conclusion:
- Which hepatitis - A, B and C are assessed completely differently
- Whether it cleared - a documented sustained virologic response after treatment is the single biggest improvement available to you
- Liver enzymes - ALT and AST readings, and whether they have settled
- Fibrosis or cirrhosis - scarring is the outcome underwriters actually price
- Alcohol use and coinfection - both compound liver risk and are asked about directly
What each situation typically means
| Type and status | Realistic route |
|---|---|
| Hepatitis A, fully resolved | Standard, often no rating |
| Hepatitis C, cured, no fibrosis | Standard to mild rating |
| Hepatitis C, cured, some fibrosis | Table rating |
| Chronic hepatitis B, stable, normal enzymes | Table rating |
| Active hepatitis C, untreated | Postpone or decline |
| Cirrhosis | Simplified or guaranteed issue |
Get your SVR date and liver panel first
If you were treated for hepatitis C, the date of your sustained virologic response and your most recent liver panel are the two documents that decide which carriers are worth approaching. Without them an underwriter has to assume the worst case; with them, a cured applicant with clean enzymes looks very different on paper.
Why hepatitis C changed
For years a hepatitis C diagnosis meant a decline almost everywhere. Direct-acting antiviral treatment changed that. A course of treatment now clears the virus in most people who complete it, and a sustained virologic response - no detectable virus months after finishing - is treated by underwriters as a genuine cure rather than a remission.
What has not changed is that the years before treatment may have left scarring. That is why two people who both cleared the virus can be priced very differently.
Cirrhosis is the real question
Underwriters are not pricing a virus, they are pricing your liver. Established cirrhosis is a serious finding regardless of what caused it, and it usually moves an application to simplified issue or guaranteed issue.
Short of cirrhosis, fibrosis is staged, and the stage matters. A FibroScan or biopsy result showing minimal scarring is one of the more useful things you can put in front of an underwriter.
The order to apply
- Confirm which hepatitis you had, and whether it cleared
- Get your SVR documentation if you were treated for hepatitis C
- Get a recent liver panel, plus any fibrosis staging
- Have an agent pre-screen informally - liver appetite varies enormously and a decline is disclosable forever
Common questions
Can you get life insurance with hepatitis C?+
Yes, particularly if it has been cured. A documented sustained virologic response with normal liver enzymes and no significant scarring is often insurable at a mild to moderate rating. Active, untreated hepatitis C is usually postponed until treatment is complete.
Does hepatitis B stop you getting life insurance?+
No. Chronic hepatitis B is generally insurable at a rating, priced on your viral load, liver enzymes and any evidence of liver damage. A resolved hepatitis B infection with clean bloodwork is treated much more favourably.
Do I have to disclose hepatitis I had years ago?+
Yes. Answer every medical question truthfully, including infections that resolved. A resolved hepatitis A is usually unrated anyway, and non-disclosure gives the insurer grounds to contest a claim later, which is a far worse outcome than a rating.
What if I have cirrhosis?+
Cirrhosis normally rules out fully underwritten cover. Guaranteed issue remains available and asks no health questions, with cover limited to roughly 25,000 dollars and a two year waiting period on death from natural causes.