Guide
No-exam life insurance
Which applicants qualify for accelerated underwriting, how the process works, and what happens if traditional underwriting is used instead.
Many insurers now offer accelerated underwriting: they approve applicants within certain age and benefit limits using information they already have—your application, pharmacy records, driving history, and other data—rather than paying for a physical exam. Some decisions come through in a single day. Each quote on this site indicates whether the carrier requires an exam, may request one, or doesn't need one.
What it changes
Skipping an exam doesn't skip underwriting. Your answers get verified, and a policy issued on false information can be challenged during the first two years. If the carrier's research turns up questions, they may still request tests or an exam. You get to decide whether to move ahead at that point.
Who tends to qualify
Usually applicants younger than about 60, applying for amounts up to the carrier's limit for accelerated programs, with no major health issues and no tobacco use in at least the past year. If you've had recent blood work from your doctor, some carriers accept those lab results in place of their own exam.
If the carrier asks for an exam, it's typically a 20- to 30-minute appointment with a paramedic who comes to your home or workplace in the El Cerrito area. There's no fee to you. For people in good health, exam results sometimes work in your favor by qualifying you for a better rate class, so the exam isn't necessarily bad news.