When you’re applying for life insurance, you are required to do a medical examination. Insurers use your results as part of the underwriting process to determine your coverage and final premium eligibility.
Not all life policies require a medical exam, but the best ones do. Policies that don’t require verification of your medical history are often costly and don’t provide adequate coverage.
In today’s post, we’ll look at insurance medical exams, what they entail and how you can qualify for favorable rates.
I | What is a life insurance medical?
A life insurance medical is a deep dive into your medical history and current health condition. It’s standard procedure for most life insurance policies as part of the application process.
Insurers use the medical to verify the information on your life insurance application. It may also uncover anomalies previously unknown to you.
Once you submit your life insurance application, the insurer will arrange for a paramedical examiner, usually a nurse, not a doctor, to administer the exam. You are not allowed to use your general doctor for your medical evaluation.
You’ll be allowed to choose the time and place best suited for your schedule. It takes about 30 minutes to complete the exam, which comes at the insurer’s expense.
II | Why is a medical exam required for life insurance coverage?
Life insurance companies require medical exams for three reasons:
Verification
Your insurer will verify the information on your application form. The nurse who administers your medical will start by asking personal and family questions you answered on your application. By comparing your verbal and written answers, your insurer hopes to uncover any inaccuracies. Whether by accident or by deliberate omission.
Complete Medical History
The questions on your life insurance medical go in-depth into the medical history of you and your family.
Your family’s medical history can identify if you are at a higher-than-normal risk of developing specific health issues. Common issues include high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and certain cancers.
Life insurance companies set your premiums based on your risk class should your family medical history present warning signs like:
- Diseases that occur earlier than the average expected age;
- A combination of diseases like ovarian and breast cancer, or heart disease and diabetes;
- Or conditions that occur in more than one close relative.
Current Health Status
It may be a case where you’re in the early stages of developing a medical condition. Not all diseases present early warning signs before they reach a severe stage. By then, it can be difficult or expensive to treat. Regular medical checkups can root out health problems early.
Regular pap smears and breast and prostate exams can highlight an issue well in the beginning stages to get the best treatment. Never take your health likely or leave it until it becomes unavoidable in the case of your life insurance medical.
It’s common knowledge that persons with current health issues pay more for medical insurance. And in light of this fact, you may feel the need to fudge up your answers. Don’t.
Life insurance medicals are thorough. Insurers need to know the risk they’re facing by accepting you as a client. The healthier you are, the better the rate you’ll receive as your insurer determines you’ll live longer to continue paying your premiums.
III | What happens during the physical medical exam?
The physical part of the medical exam usually includes:
- Height and weight measurements
- Pulse and blood pressure levels check
- Blood Sample Test
- Urinalysis
- Electrocardiogram or EKG depending on your policy amount and age
What insurance companies are looking for:
- Body mass index (BMI)
- High blood pressure
- Elevated cholesterol levels
- Elevated sugar/glucose levels
- Diabetes
- HIV and other immune disorders
- Hepatitis
- Kidney and liver function
- Cocaine and other illegal drugs
- Marijuana use
- Nicotine and cotinine
- Prostate-specific antigens (PSA)
If you request a second medical to receive a lower premium rate, you will likely have to cover the cost yourself.
IV | How to "pass" a life insurance medical
Asking how you can “pass” an insurance medical is not as accurate as asking how you can increase your favorable results.
By the time you decide to apply for life insurance, your past habits and the accumulated consequences are out of your hands. You can, however, increase your chances of unlocking a lower premium rate.
Be honest.
Right from the start, be as truthful as possible. Don’t try to trick the underwriter; they’ll do their homework since insurers are, by nature, risk-conscious. False answers can delay the process and be to your disadvantage.
One of three things can happen:
- It takes a longer time for you to access your insurance,
- You’re flat out denied for dishonesty, or
- Your beneficiaries cannot collect your death benefits if your insurer discovers you lied on the form later.
Avoid activities that may trigger false reads.
Schedule your appointment in the morning and fast for 6-8 hours before your medical. Fatty, acidic, salty, and high cholesterol foods temporarily spike your test measurements. Doing your medical in the morning means you won’t have to starve yourself all day.
Strenuous workouts can also spike your blood pressure and give a false read. Limit this chance by not exercising for at least 24 hours before your medical. Avoid caffeine and nicotine, and don’t pop open a bottle of your favorite wine or any alcoholic beverages the night before.
Women should avoid taking the medical exam during their menstruation period. Pain medications can affect the results of some tests.
Get a good night’s sleep and hydrate only with water until your exam is complete. Hydrating flushes your body of toxins and dilates your veins, making them easier to find during your blood test.
These two steps are no strict guarantees. But they can help you make the right first impression and reduce the chance of false reads bumping up your monthly premium rates.
V | What happens after the exam?
The best outcome after your medical is your results going straight in for the final assessment. Your insurer will review your information to determine your eligibility for coverage and what premium they’ll charge you. The process can take a few weeks.
In the case of abnormal readings, your insurer might request follow-up appointments. Depending on their extent, these follow-ups can lengthen the approval process for up to two months.
Your life insurance medical exam does become part of your permanent medical record. Request a copy for your personal doctor. You can also use the results from one insurance company with another within six months.
Reusing your medical results is handy if you don’t receive approval from the company you initially applied to. Use it to shop around at other companies.
VI | What if you "fail" a life insurance medical?
If an insurer denies your application or doesn’t give the favorable results you wanted, it doesn’t end there.
Have your doctor review your medical results.
Ensure no discrepancies may have led to the denial of your application. As I mentioned before, your life insurance medical is part of your permanent record. Remedy any errors immediately.
You can contest the insurance company’s finding if you uncover an error. The mistake could jeopardize your future insurance purchase even if you try a different company.
Address your troubling health issues and try again.
If smoking or other medical issues pose a problem, you can apply for annual renewable life insurance.
This policy renews at the end of each year. If you can go a year without smoking and clean up your health, you can take another health exam and reapply for a long-term life insurance policy.
The same applies if you’re trying to lose weight for health reasons.
Conclusion
The life insurance medical exam determines how much you pay for premiums. You can’t cheat your way out of it though you can implement steps to give yourself a boost toward favorable results.
Be transparent when filling out your form. Include all your medical history and that of your family members as requested. Schedule your appointment for the morning and avoid false read triggers for up to 48 hours before your exam.
