Many people can still get life insurance after age 60, and some options remain at 70 or 80, but the available types, amounts, and underwriting change with age and health. Term coverage may still fit a temporary need if you qualify. Smaller permanent policies, including final expense and guaranteed-issue policies, are more often used for funeral costs and last bills. Premiums vary by age, health, and coverage, and some policies limit what they pay in the first years.
Turning 60 does not automatically close the door on life insurance, and neither does turning 70 or 80. What changes is the menu. Insurers look more closely at health, the amounts they will consider are often smaller, and some policy types that made sense at 40 are no longer a good match. The useful question is not “Can a senior buy life insurance?” It is “What job do I still need a policy to do?”
Start with the job, not the product name
The National Association of Insurance Commissioners suggests beginning with a few practical questions: who depends on you financially, what debts or final expenses would need to be paid, and whether coverage you already have, including through work, is enough (NAIC Life Insurance Buyer's Guide). Those questions still apply later in life. The answers often shrink. A mortgage may be almost paid off. Children may be independent. A remaining need might be funeral costs, a small loan, or income for a spouse for a few more years.
According to the 2025 Insurance Barometer Study from LIMRA and Life Happens, 51% of American adults say they have some type of life insurance, and 19% of those who own coverage say they do not have enough (LIMRA, 2025 Facts About Life Insurance). Ownership is only part of the picture in your 60s and beyond. The amount and the type have to match the years you still need protection.
What usually still fits at 60, 70, and 80
These ranges are rules of thumb, not cutoffs. Every company sets its own issue ages and underwriting rules, and health matters as much as age.
Around age 60
If you are in reasonably good health, you may still qualify for a new term life policy, especially if you have a defined need such as a remaining mortgage or a few years of income to replace. Term length options get shorter as you get older, and the premium will reflect your current age and health. Some people convert an older term policy, if the contract allows it, rather than starting over. See what happens when term life insurance ends.
Permanent coverage, including whole life and smaller final expense policies, is also commonly considered at this age when the need is lifelong rather than temporary.
Around age 70
New long-term term policies are harder to get and often a poor fit if you do not have a clearly dated need. Many people this age look at a smaller permanent policy meant for final expenses, or they keep a policy they already own and still need. Medical questions, and sometimes an exam or medical records, still matter for fully underwritten coverage.
Around age 80
The remaining options are usually smaller policies with simpler underwriting, including some guaranteed-issue final expense policies that do not ask health questions. Those policies typically come with a waiting or graded period before the full death benefit is paid for natural causes. We explain that trade-off in how final expense waiting periods work and in our overview of life insurance without a medical exam.
Final expense is not the only answer, but it is a common one
A final expense policy is usually a small whole life policy designed to help with funeral costs and last bills. It can be a good fit when the main goal is a modest, permanent benefit and you want payments that are designed to stay level, subject to the policy. It is not automatically the right tool if you still need a large amount of income replacement, or if you already have enough savings and coverage to handle final expenses.
National median funeral figures can help you size a small policy, but they are not a quote. The National Funeral Directors Association’s 2023 General Price List study put the national median cost of an adult funeral with viewing and burial at $8,300, not including a vault or cemetery costs, and $6,280 for a funeral with viewing and cremation (NFDA statistics). Local St. Louis-area costs can differ. For a Missouri-specific look at burial insurance versus a prepaid funeral contract, see burial insurance in Missouri.
What to expect when you apply later in life
- Health questions or records. Even “no exam” policies may ask about health or check databases. Guaranteed-issue policies skip those questions and usually cost more, per dollar of coverage, and often limit early benefits.
- Premiums vary by age, health, and coverage. There is no honest single monthly price that fits every 65- or 75-year-old. Anyone quoting a rate without your age, health, and amount is guessing.
- Waiting periods. Read whether the full benefit is paid immediately for natural causes, or only after a graded period.
- Existing coverage. A policy you already own, including group coverage that might end at retirement, is part of the math. Replacing a policy can have costs and new waiting periods, so compare before you drop anything.
When buying more may not be the priority
If your debts are modest, your spouse has enough income or assets, and you already have savings or coverage for final expenses, a new policy may add little. If paying the premium would strain the monthly budget, a smaller policy, or none, can be the more careful choice. The NAIC recommends reviewing coverage as your needs change, which includes the option of keeping, reducing, or dropping a policy you no longer need (NAIC: Life insurance).
The bottom line
Life insurance after 60 is less about buying the same policy you would have bought at 40, and more about matching a smaller, clearer need. Term can still fit a temporary gap if you qualify. Smaller permanent and final expense policies are more common at 70 and 80, and some of them limit early benefits. If you want help comparing options, request a free quote or read our final expense insurance guide. A licensed broker can look at your age, health, and what you already own, with no obligation.
Frequently asked questions
Can you get life insurance at age 70 or 80?
Often yes, though the type and amount change. At 70, smaller permanent or final expense policies are more common than long term policies. At 80, options are usually smaller still and may be guaranteed-issue, which typically includes a waiting or graded period. Approval and premiums vary by age, health, and coverage.
Is term life insurance still an option after 60?
It can be, if you qualify and you have a need that ends on a date, such as a remaining mortgage. Issue ages, term lengths, and prices vary, and health underwriting still applies. Some people instead convert an existing term policy if the contract allows it.
What is the difference between final expense and guaranteed-issue life insurance?
Final expense usually describes a small whole life policy for funeral and last bills. Some of those policies ask health questions; some are guaranteed-issue, meaning they do not. Guaranteed-issue coverage typically costs more per dollar of benefit and often pays a limited benefit if death from natural causes occurs in the first years.
Should I drop a life insurance policy I bought years ago?
Not automatically. An older policy may have a lower premium or benefits a new policy would not match, and a new policy can introduce a new waiting period or new underwriting. Review what the current policy does, what it costs, and whether the need still exists before you cancel.
How much life insurance do seniors usually need?
It depends on the remaining job for the policy: final expenses, a remaining mortgage, or income for a spouse, minus savings and coverage you already have. There is no one amount by age. National funeral-cost medians can help size a small policy, but your own bills and assets matter more.
Want help comparing your options?
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Get a free quote Call (314) 616-7035More in Final Expense, Life Insurance Basics.
This article is general and educational, not an offer to sell insurance or financial, tax, or legal advice. Coverage, benefits, and availability vary by carrier, product, and state, and all coverage is subject to underwriting.