Key takeaways
- The life insurance medical exam is part of many insurers’ underwriting processes to evaluate the risk of insuring you.
- The medical exam can be done at your home or office and typically takes approximately 30 minutes.
- Several no-exam options exist these days, though they may come with some trade-offs in terms of cost or coverage limits.
When you set out to purchase life insurance, you’ll likely encounter the underwriting process. It’s an important phase where insurance companies assess your risk profile and calculate what you’ll pay in premiums. At the heart of this evaluation often lies the life insurance medical exam, a window into your health status that helps insurers understand the various factors that might affect your coverage. However, a medical exam isn’t always required — some policies, like no-exam or simplified issue life insurance, may bypass this step depending on your age, health and any insurer-specific guidelines. Whether you’re mentally preparing yourself for the examination or exploring ways to bypass it altogether, having a clear picture of how this process unfolds can make your journey of purchasing life insurance a bit smoother.
What is a life insurance medical exam?
A life insurance medical exam is a focused health snapshot, though one that differs from your typical doctor’s visit in a few key ways. Rather than seeing your family physician, you’ll meet with a third-party examiner — called a paramedical examiner — for these evaluations. One convenient aspect of this process is its flexibility. These trained technicians can conduct the exam at your home or workplace, or you might opt to visit one of their partner labs, whichever suits your schedule best.
This exam serves as the life insurance company’s window into your health status, helping them make informed decisions about whether they can approve your coverage and, if so, what risk classification you qualify for. The exam is generally efficient, typically wrapping up in about half an hour and consisting of two straightforward components: a review of your medical history and a series of basic health measurements (including things like blood pressure readings and a blood draw).
1. Medical questionnaire
A medical exam for life insurance may include a medical history interview. The interview may be conducted over the phone prior to your medical exam or during the physical exam. You will usually be asked a series of health-related questions designed to give the life insurance company an idea of how healthy you are. There are usually questions about any medications you take, how often you take them and their dosages.
Other questions may cover your family medical history, what doctors you’ve seen recently, their recommendations and whether you’ve been hospitalized recently. These questions are usually the same as what you have answered on your application. It’s important to be careful that there are no discrepancies between your answers to these questions and the information you supplied on your application.
2. Physical examination
The technician will usually begin by checking your driver’s license or other government-issued ID to verify your identity. They will then start the physical exam, which typically includes checking your height, weight, pulse, blood pressure and also taking blood and urine samples.
Other examination requirements could include an electrocardiogram (EKG), stress test and/or a chest X-ray, depending on the insurance company’s underwriting guidelines. Carriers may request them based on your age and desired coverage amount.
After all that takes place, you’ll usually have your blood drawn. Below are common factors that the lab typically looks for and how these factors could impact your life insurance policy:
- High cholesterol: This condition can lead to heart disease, as it makes it harder for your heart to pump blood through your veins. Cholesterol ratios above 5.0 are an indicator of heart disease, which could affect how much you pay for life insurance.
- Diabetes: Both Type 1 and 2 diabetes can affect your approval and risk rating. The type you have and your maintenance protocol may also factor into your cost of life insurance.
- HIV/AIDS: Although HIV or AIDS may not automatically disqualify you for life insurance, you can probably expect to pay higher premiums if you test positive for the virus. If it’s well-controlled and you are following your doctor’s treatment plan, you may still be approved for a new policy.
- Nicotine usage: Using any form of tobacco can shorten one’s lifespan and lead to a variety of health issues. Smokers and nicotine users have their own rating class with premiums that are typically higher than non-smokers.
- Recreational drugs: Insurers test blood and urine to see if you are using any form of drugs, whether legal or not. If you use illegal drugs, such as cocaine or methamphetamines, then you will likely be declined coverage. Marijuana use, on the other hand, has more flexibility. Depending on the insurer, marijuana isn’t an automatic decline as long as you are honest about your usage when asked on the application.
- Prescription drugs: Taking medications your doctor prescribes can affect eligibility and pricing, depending on the reason you are taking them and the types of medication. Insurers also want to make sure you have listed all medications on your application and did not omit anything.
- STDs: The blood test will determine if you have any sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). Although STDs usually will not get you denied, they can affect your rates in some circumstances.
- Liver disease: Conditions like hepatitis or cirrhosis could lead to higher premiums or even a denial of coverage, depending on the severity. Insurers evaluate liver enzyme levels to assess risk, and advanced liver damage may disqualify you from obtaining a policy.
- Kidney disease: Like liver testing, kidney testing is done to check for signs of kidney disease. The lab will test your blood’s hemoglobin, leukocytes, creatinine levels and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) score to determine your risk level.
- Hemoglobin A1C: Your glucose levels may be tested to determine if you are at risk for diabetes, combined with other exam factors, like your family history, lifestyle and weight.
All in all, the life insurance health exam should be a quick and convenient process for you. It allows your insurer to check for a broad range of health conditions. This, in turn, helps it determine your life expectancy and, consequently, your premiums.
Why do life insurance companies require medical exams?
Insurance companies often require medical exams because they want to know exactly what they’re getting into when they offer you coverage. Just like you’d want to inspect a house before buying it, insurers want to understand your health situation before agreeing to offer you life insurance coverage. By combining the exam results with your application details, they get a clearer picture of where you stand health-wise and what risks might lie ahead.
Insurers use this information to place you into different risk categories. These range from:
- Preferred Plus
- Preferred
- Standard Plus
- Standard
- Substandard
These classes exist for both smokers and non-smokers. Your placement in these categories directly affects what you’ll pay for coverage. As you might expect, the healthier you are, the better your risk class and the lower your premiums. On the flip side, certain health conditions or lifestyle choices might bump you into a higher-risk category, which typically means paying more for coverage or, in some cases, potentially not qualifying for traditional forms of life insurance at all.
Can I get life insurance without a medical exam?
It is definitely possible to obtain life insurance without having to undergo a medical exam. The key is finding the right approach for your situation. Your health background, coverage needs and timing will help determine which path makes the most sense. Today’s insurers have developed several alternatives to the traditional exam, from comprehensive health questionnaires to streamlined approval processes that leverage existing medical records. These options have opened new doors for many insurance seekers, whether they’re looking to fast-track their coverage, have concerns about medical exams or simply prefer a more efficient process.
Let’s explore the main types of no-exam life insurance available in today’s market, to see who typically benefits most from each option and highlight any factors you should consider before submitting your application:
| Type of life insurance underwriting | Who it is best for | Key features | Drawbacks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accelerated underwriting | Healthy individuals seeking quick approval | Uses data like medical records and prescription history
No medical exam required Higher coverage limits possible |
Not typically available for applicants with significant health issues
May not be offered by all insurers |
| Simplified-issue | People in moderate health or needing faster coverage | Skips medical exam but may include a short health questionnaire and Rx check
Quick approvals compared to full underwriting |
Higher premiums than fully underwritten policies
Coverage limits may be lower |
| Guaranteed-issue | Individuals with significant health conditions or older applicants | No medical exam or health questionnaire
Guaranteed approval regardless of health Often marketed as final expense insurance |
Relatively expensive compared to the limited death benefit payout
Graded payout period in the first few years |
So how do you choose the right one? Here are the key questions to consider:
- What’s your primary goal? If speed is what you’re after, and you’re relatively healthy, accelerated underwriting could be ideal. You’ll likely get competitive rates without the wait. But if you’re dealing with health concerns and just need guaranteed coverage, a guaranteed-issue policy might make more sense, even with its limitations.
- How much coverage do you need? While simplified-issue policies typically offer higher coverage than guaranteed-issue options, both might fall short if you’re looking to replace significant income or cover major obligations like a mortgage or business loans.
- Are you comfortable paying higher premiums? Guaranteed no-exam policies often come with higher premiums. That’s the trade-off for convenience. You’ll need to weigh whether skipping the medical exam is worth the extra monthly cost in your budget.
- Do you qualify for other options? Here’s something people might overlook: if you’re in relatively good health, you might actually get better value from a traditional policy (term life or whole life insurance), even with the exam requirement. These typically offer better rates and higher coverage limits, which could be worth considering before you rule them out.
How to prepare for a life insurance health screening
Your insurer will probably give you some guidelines in advance of the medical exam. They’ll likely tell you to fast for at least six hours before it, for example. Here are some tips that may help you get the best life insurance medical exam results possible:
- Schedule your exam in the morning: Since you’ll likely need to fast before your exam because of the blood work, it can be helpful to schedule your physical for first thing in the morning. If you normally do a morning workout, you may want to skip it on the day of your exam to make sure your blood pressure levels aren’t elevated.
- Drink lots of water: Get hydrated leading up to your exam. This usually makes it easier for your technician to collect the necessary blood and urine samples.
- Wear short sleeves and lightweight clothing: Short sleeves will make it easier for the technician to take blood samples and measure your blood pressure. Lightweight clothing won’t add a lot of extra weight and might help you feel more comfortable during the exam process.
- Make changes in advance: If you’ve been wanting a push to make some health strides, this is it. Changes you make before your life insurance physical exam might translate to dollars saved. For example, you might consider stopping smoking, getting into an exercise routine and watching your food choices in the weeks and months leading up to your exam. Keep in mind that, typically, you would need to have quit nicotine at least a year in advance in order to qualify as a non-smoker.
- Have your medical records and contacts on hand: So you can easily answer any questions your technician asks, it can be helpful to have your medical records, including a list of current medications, pulled up on your computer or printed out to reference. Note any family history of medical conditions and procedures you’ve had recently performed.
What comes after the life insurance medical exam?
After completing your medical exam, here’s what you can expect from the process:
The review phase
- Your insurer reviews exam results and application details (this process takes four to six weeks on average).
- If needed, they may request your medical records for a complete picture.
- Underwriters evaluate your overall risk profile to determine coverage and rates.
What happens during review?
- Insurers focus on significant health concerns, not minor issues.
- You might be asked to clarify certain results or, although rare, take follow-up tests.
- Keep in mind: these extra steps, while they may be frustrating, help ensure fair policy pricing.
If you’re approved:
- You’ll receive your policy documents.
- Coverage begins once you make your first premium payment.
If you’re denied – don’t worry, you have options:
- Apply with a different insurance carrier (each has different risk criteria).
- Address any specific health concerns that were flagged.
- Consider the guaranteed no-exam alternatives we covered earlier:
- Simplified-issue policies
- Guaranteed-issue policies
Frequently asked questions
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