Guide
No-exam life insurance
Which applicants qualify for fast-track underwriting, how the process operates, and what changes if you don't meet the requirements.
A number of carriers now offer accelerated underwriting: for applicants within specified ages and benefit limits, they issue decisions based on your application, medication history, driving records and other information instead of requiring a medical exam. Some decisions arrive within a single day. Each quote displays whether an exam is required, might be required, or is not necessary for that offer.
What it changes
Speeding up underwriting doesn't bypass it entirely. Your statements will be verified, and a policy created based on untrue information can be challenged within the first 24 months. Should your medical records or other sources raise questions, the carrier may still order testing; at that stage, you can decide whether to go forward.
Who tends to qualify
Typically, those under age 60 requesting coverage up to the carrier's accelerated threshold, with no serious medical concerns and no tobacco use for the past year or longer can qualify. Some carriers will use recent blood work from your doctor in place of a fresh exam.
Should an exam be required, it typically involves a 20- to 30-minute meeting with a paramedical examiner at your residence or workplace in the Napa region, provided at no charge. For those with good health, exam outcomes frequently result in a higher rate classification, so the exam can actually be beneficial.