Guide
No-exam life insurance
Which applicants qualify for expedited underwriting, the procedures involved, and alternatives if you do not qualify.
Increasingly, insurance companies offer expedited underwriting: for applicants within certain ages and coverage limits, carriers render decisions based on the application, pharmacy information, driving records and other available data rather than an in-person medical examination. Some approvals are available within hours. Your quote on this website specifies for each product whether a physical is required, optional or unnecessary.
What it changes
Skipping medical exams does not mean bypassing underwriting entirely. Your statements will be checked, and a policy issued based on false information may be rescinded within the initial two-year window. Should a carrier's information searches raise red flags, they may still request medical or lab work; you remain free to proceed or decline.
Who tends to qualify
Typically people below age 60 seeking coverage up to a carrier's accelerated threshold, who have no significant health concerns and have not used tobacco within the past year or so. If you've seen a physician recently with lab results on file, some insurers will accept those in place of a separate exam.
Should the carrier require an exam, count on a 20- to 30-minute session with a nurse or paramedic visiting your residence in the Beverly Hills region, at no expense to you. Often a medical exam can raise your rate tier if results are favorable, so it's not automatically disadvantageous.