Life Insurance Guide for Autistic Children (2024)

Life insurance for an autistic child can be stressful to think about. Will your autistic child be able to take care of themselves once you are gone? Can they get a life insurance policy to help cover their needs in the future?

These are all important questions that parents with an autistic child will have. There are ways to get life insurance for you and your family, but if your child doesn’t qualify for life insurance coverage, it’s not the end of the road. You’re able to fill out an application and take control of the situation, and ensure their future is stable.

At the end of the day, life insurance for children with autism is all about protecting their future. We’ll go over the basics and look at some ways you can work around life insurance if your child doesn’t qualify for coverage.

If you’re ready to buy life insurance for your family, enter your ZIP code above to compare quotes. Finding the right life insurance company can be done from the comfort of your own home.

Can my autistic child get affordable life insurance coverage?

Yes, your autistic child should be able to get life insurance coverage. However, the cost of their life insurance will depend greatly on their overall health condition, how severe their autism is, and if they have any other underlying health issues. There are quite a few resources available should you need to look into how to buy life insurance. You’ll be able to find coverage amounts, the various types of life insurance, and what types of coverage a child should have. (For more information, read our “How to Buy Life Insurance: Expert Guide“).

Children with autism can still be rated above standard by life insurance companies, but this will depend on the company and on the specifics and severity of your child’s autism.

Health Rating Class and Cost of Life Insurance

As you can see, all health ratings above standard pay less for life insurance. This includes whole life insurance and universal life insurance policies, but it is important to note that these policies are more expensive than term life insurance policies and often have more rigorous medical exam requirements.

What if I can’t get life insurance for my autistic child?

If you cannot get child life insurance for your autistic child, your best option is to take a life insurance policy out on yourself. The Insurance Information Institute has good resources when it comes to finding the best life insurance policy to meet your needs.

Here are a couple of things to keep in mind. If you intend for your life insurance policy to one day take care of your child when you are gone, make sure that you create a trust for them and name the trust as the policy’s beneficiary. (For more information, read our “Can you name a child as a life insurance beneficiary?“).

Why? Because life insurance benefits could disqualify your child from Medicaid, Medicare, and other assistance programs if they are receiving them as an adult. If there is a trust that slowly pays out the benefits of your life insurance policy over some time, you can ensure their assistance is not disqualified.

Read more: How Life Insurance Impacts Medicaid Eligibility

Also, many insurance policies allow you to add a child rider for a small fee. This could be a great way to get your autistic child life insurance without having to get a policy in their name.

If you’re ready to compare cheap life insurance quotes, enter your ZIP code below. Finding more than one quote can help lead to a more stable financial situation for you and your family.

Read more: Cheap Life Insurance Policies

Exploring Life Insurance for Autistic Children: Fictional Case Studies

Case Study 1: Sarah and Ethan

Sarah is a mother of an autistic child named Ethan. She wants to ensure that Ethan’s future is financially secure even after she is gone. However, she discovers that it is challenging to find a life insurance policy specifically for autistic children.

After consulting with insurance experts, Sarah learns that she can take out a life insurance policy on herself and designate Ethan as the beneficiary. This way, Ethan can receive the benefits of the policy when Sarah passes away.

Case Study 2: Michael and Emily

Michael and Emily have a young daughter, Lily, who is on the autism spectrum. They are concerned about providing for Lily’s financial needs in the future. Despite their efforts to find a life insurance policy that covers autistic children, they are unable to secure coverage for Lily.

As an alternative, they decide to take a life insurance policy on themselves and establish a trust for Lily. By naming the trust as the beneficiary, they can ensure that Lily receives financial support even if she does not qualify for individual life insurance coverage.

Case Study 3: David and Olivia

David and Olivia have a son named Noah, who has autism. They explore various options for obtaining life insurance for Noah, but they find that most policies have stringent medical exam requirements and may disqualify Noah from certain government assistance programs in the future.

In this situation, David and Olivia decide to add a child rider to their existing life insurance policy for a small fee. This allows them to provide life insurance coverage for Noah without requiring a separate policy in his name.