Can I Get Life Insurance If I Have Prostate Cancer?

Yes — a prostate cancer diagnosis does not have to shut the door on life insurance in South Africa. While there are life insurers that decline applicants with a cancer history, specialist life insurance providers like AllLife have built a product specifically for people managing chronic and serious health conditions, including prostate cancer. If you’re asking “can I get life insurance if I have prostate cancer?”, the short answer is: Yes, AllLife’s Chronic Life Plan may be suitable for you.

Why Prostate Cancer Makes Traditional Insurance Difficult

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer among South African men. According to the National Cancer Registry (2023), it accounts for more than a quarter of all male cancer diagnoses in the country, with a lifetime risk of roughly 1 in 16 men. This means that 6,25% of South African males will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime. Because it’s so prevalent, and because outcomes vary widely depending on stage, grade, and treatment response, many conventional insurers treat a prostate cancer diagnosis – past or present – as high risk. This often results in an outright decline or a lengthy underwriting process.  

This gap in the market was a real problem for families. A father/husband or son diagnosed with prostate cancer may still have debt, or possibly dependents, and most have financial responsibilities towards loved ones. Without life cover, his loved ones are left financially exposed.

How AllLife’s Chronic Life Plan works

At AllLife we designed our Chronic Life Plan specifically to close this gap. It’s aimed at South Africans who have been declined life cover elsewhere because of a chronic or serious health condition – including cancer. At AllLife, we believe that everyone deserves the right to be insured. So, if you are living with prostate cancer, whether you’re currently in treatment, managing the condition, or in remission, we would love to help by giving you an obligation-free quote.

Key features of the Chronic Life Plan:

• Up to R3 million life cover, regardless of your current health status
• No medical exams required. Instead of blood tests and physical assessments, the underwriting is based on the information you provide about your condition
• Cover for people aged 18 to 65 – You can still apply, even if you are 65 years old. Simply contact AllLife.

Why should South African men consider life cover?

Prostate cancer survival outcomes in South Africa still lag behind those in high-income countries, partly due to late diagnosis and unequal access to screening and treatment. This makes financial planning even more important for men managing this disease. Life cover provides a financial safety net for dependents. It can help cover outstanding debt such as a home or car loan, and can help with family expenses, regardless of how treatment progresses.

CANSA recommends that South African men begin regular PSA screening from age 45, or from age 40 for black African men and those with a family history of prostate cancer, since earlier detection significantly improves outcomes. Combining proactive screening with appropriate life cover gives men and their families both medical and financial protection.

According to The Global Cancer Observatory, 31,1% of recorded cancer incidences in South African males are prostate cancer diagnoses.  

Image Credit: GLOBOCAN 2024, Published July 2024

Getting life cover after a prostate cancer diagnosis

If you’ve been declined life insurance because of a prostate cancer diagnosis, or you’re worried about being turned away, it’s worth speaking to a provider that specialises in chronic life cover, including cancer, rather than assuming you’re “uninsurable”. 

The Chronic Life Plan from AllLife was built for exactly this situation.  It requires no medical examinations, and you can qualify for up to R3 million life cover. 

Get a personalised quote from AllLife today and take the step to protect your family’s financial future, whatever your health status.

Sources

1. Cancer Association of South Africa (CANSA): Media Release, Breaking the silence on life after prostate cancer , Published, 3 November 2025
2. Cancer Association of South Africa (CANSA): National Cancer Registry 2023, CANSA Fact Sheet on Prostate Cancer, Published August 2025  
3. Cancer Association of South Africa (CANSA). (2022). Media Release, Men Tackling Prostate Cancer Together, Published 1 November 2021
4. Cancer Association of South Africa (CANSA). Webpage, Prostate Cancer. 
5. South African Medical Journal. Article – Nzombe, L., Shirinde, J., Patrick, S. Insights into prostate cancer awareness and perceptions among men in Tshwane, Published 24 June 2024
6. International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). Image Graph, (2024). Globocan 2022: South Africa Fact Sheet, Published 2024

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. Readers should consider their individual financial needs and circumstances before taking out any financial product.

AllLife (Pty) Ltd is an Authorised Financial Services Provider, FSP No 4946. Products insured by Old Mutual Alternative Risk Transfer Limited (OMART Life).