Guide
No-exam life insurance
Who qualifies for accelerated decisions, how the process works, and what changes if you don't qualify or don't choose it.
Underwriting has accelerated. Many carriers now decide using your application, pharmacy records, MVR data and other sources in place of a medical exam—some in the same day. Any quote on this site notes whether an exam is needed, might be needed, or won't be needed for that plan.
What it changes
Skipping a medical exam doesn't mean skipping underwriting. Your application answers get verified, and a policy issued on incorrect information is contestable for the first two years. If a carrier's records raise red flags, they can still request an exam or additional testing; you decide at that moment whether to move forward.
Who tends to qualify
Typically younger than 60, applying for amounts within the carrier's accelerated underwriting limit, with no serious medical history and no tobacco use in the past year. Carriers sometimes accept recent blood work from your doctor's office instead of their own exam.
If an exam is required, it's typically 20 to 30 minutes with a paramedical examiner coming to your home or workplace in the Santa Cruz area at no charge to you. For applicants in good health, examination results frequently bump you into a better rate class, so exams aren't always a negative outcome.