Type 1.5 diabetes has features of both type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Many people with type 1.5 diabetes receive the wrong kind of treatment due to misdiagnosis. People with type 1.5 diabetes may eventually need insulin, but not right away. Type 1.5 diabetes is a controversial diagnosis that combines the features of type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Diabetes is generally categorized as type 1 and type 2. In type 1 diabetes, antibodies from your immune system destroy the cells that produce insulin.