Guide
No-exam life insurance
Who qualifies, how the no-exam process works, and what happens if you don't qualify.
Most carriers now offer accelerated underwriting: for people within age and coverage-amount limits, decisions are made without a medical exam using application answers, prescription records, driving history and other data sources. Some carriers return decisions the same day. Each quote shows whether an exam is required, might be required, or is not needed.
What it changes
Skipping an exam does not mean skipping underwriting. Your application answers get verified, and if a policy was issued based on wrong information, the carrier can contest it within the first two years. If the carrier's records raise questions, they might still request an exam or lab results.
Who tends to qualify
Typically anyone under around 60 applying for an amount within the carrier's limits, with no serious health conditions and no tobacco use for a year or longer. Many carriers will accept recent bloodwork from a doctor's visit in place of a new exam.
If your application requires an exam, a paramedical professional usually conducts a 20- to 30-minute appointment at your home or office in the Walnut Creek area at no cost to you. For many healthy applicants, exam results lead to a better rate class, so being asked for an exam isn't necessarily disadvantageous.