Life Insurance No Medical Exam

How Much Does No Exam Life Insurance Cost?

The national average cost of life insurance without a medical exam is around $816 per year or $68 per month.

However, rates are usually determined by your age, coverage amount, gender, health, and tobacco use.

A 36 year old female could expect to pay around $10.17 per month for $250,000 in coverage and $14.96/month for a 36 year old male. 

How Much Non Med Coverage Should I Get? 

Nationwide, the average American purchases a $475,000 no medical exam life insurance policy. 

However, It’s essential to understand how much life insurance you will need to take care of your family and your final expenses.  

And get this, we created a nifty calculator you can use here to get a better idea of how much coverage you may need..

No Medical Exam Life Insurance Rates By State

Top 5 Most Expensive States For No Medical Exam Life Insurance

The top 5 most expensive states for no medical exam term life insurance are: 

Washington – Average Monthly Premium: $83Montana – Average Monthly Premium: $81Alaska – Average Monthly Premium: $81California – Average Monthly Premium: $80Rhode Island – Average Monthly Premium: $78

Top 5 Most Affordable States For No Medical Exam Life Insurance

The top 5 most affordable states for no medical exam term life insurance are: 

Wyoming – Average Monthly Premium: $48Wisconsin – Average Monthly Premium: $52Mississippi – Average Monthly Premium: $55Nebraska – Average Monthly Premium: $55Washington D.C. – Average Monthly Premium: $55

LIFE INSURANCE WHERE YOU LIVE

Term Life insurance by state.

With a Life Insurance policy you can take care of your family the right way.

Should anything happen to you, you’ll want to leave your loved ones a financial nest egg for their wellbeing. Click on your state to find out more.

What Term Length Should I Choose For A No Physical Exam Policy?

In the U.S., the average term length for a non medical exam life insurance policy is 20 Years.  However, It’s crucial to understand how long you will need your specific life insurance policy to last.  20 Years may be more than enough time, but there are longer options such as 25 and 30 years.

How Much Life Insurance Can You Get Without An Exam?

Most life insurance no medical exam companies limit how much coverage they will allow you to purchase without an exam. In general, the limits are either $500,000 or $1,500,000 in coverage. If you find yourself needing more coverage than that, you might have to go the more traditional (medical exam) route for your insurance application. I usually recommend between 10 and 20 times your annual income, so if you make $50,000 a year, you will need between $500,000 and $1,000,000 in coverage.

How Does No Physical Life Insurance Work?

No exam life insurance works like any traditional term policy. You choose your coverage amount (up to $1.5 Million for no exam policies), your term length (10, 15, 20, 25, and 30 year term options) and pay a set monthly premium.

With a term plan, if you pass away before your policy ends the insurance company will pay out the full death benefit to your beneficiary. With a whole life policy, the death benefit will pay out whenever you pass away because the policy doesn’t end.  

Below we cover the different options a bit more: 

Term No-Medical Life Insurance Plan

Term life insurance coverage without a medical exam works just like a fully underwritten life policy.  You will still need to complete an application and answer a few health questions.  However, you will get to avoid taking a medical exam and usually, you can avoid needing medical records as well. 

Permanent Insurance (Whole Life) 

As licensed agents, we don’t usually recommend permanent insurance for about 95% of people because of cost and complexity. The same holds true for permanent no medical exam life insurance policies.

We believe that you should make this type of policy your absolute last option because the costs will be high and the benefits will be much lower. 

The most common type of policy is a Guaranteed Issue insurance plan.  It only requires you to answer a few quick questions and your approval is guaranteed.  It will come with a 2 to 3 year waiting period before benefits kick in. 

Difference Between No Exam & Traditional Life

Where no medical exam coverage differs from a standard life policy is that when you apply for no physical life insurance, instead of requiring an exam, the insurance company pulls the below reports to help decide on your approval:

MIB – The MIB, short for Medical Information Bureau, is a non-profit group of insurance companies that share insurance data to help them with processing your insurance application. It shows information such as approvals or declines for a policy in the recent year; or even medical exams you may have completed with other companies. Intelliscript – This company is all about your prescription drug history; just think of their report as a credit report for any prescription you have filled in the past few years. This is important because even if you end up not taking a specific medication, it will go on your report if you fill the prescription. This report is used to confirm what medications you take based on how you complete the application.
MVR – Your motor vehicle report is used as well, and it’s checked to make sure you don’t have a risky lifestyle with things like DUI’s, DWI’s, or too many speeding tickets. Some companies will decline you for coverage if you don’t have a current and valid driver’s license; this means if you currently have a suspended license, you should wait until your license is active before you apply for any type of insurance.

Previously, these reports were pulled once the application was submitted, but newer companies pull them in real-time as you complete your application online. 

This process is called real-time underwriting, and because of this new way of underwriting, no exam insurance has quickly become the best way to get life insurance, especially with the current pandemic.

What’s the Goal Of Real-Time Underwriting?

The purpose of real-time underwriting is to give you an actual answer at the end of your insurance application. 

While you are answering the application questions, the underwriting tool will ask additional questions to get the best scope of who you are and your health. 

At the end of the process, you are going to get 1 of 3 outcomes, which we list below: 

Approved – If you are approved, your only next step will be to make the initial payment, and your policy will go in-force. You will be able to make your payment immediately by either credit card or bank draft. You will be covered immediately, and your plan will arrive via email.
Approved Other Than Applied – This type of approval will give you the same result as getting approved. However, it will come with some sort of change; it could be that your premiums have increased based on the underwriting decision or even decreased if you are super healthy. If you accept the new rates, you will usually e-sign the amendment and then make your payment.
Declined – If you have been declined, it means that you don’t qualify for life coverage without an exam from the specific company that declined you. Every company has its underwriting guidelines, and that’s why it’s essential to apply for more than one company if you are going with no-exam coverage. It’s perfectly fine to have multiple life insurance policies.

Best Companies For Term Life Insurance With No Medical Exam

In my professional opinion, as a licensed agent for over 13 years, the best companies for term no medical exam life insurance are Bestow, Fabric, and Haven.

All of them offer a 100% online application process, no waiting periods, and prices that are comparable to a fully underwritten insurance policy that requires an exam. 

They also have accelerated and real time underwriting that allows you to get an instant decision and be covered in minutes.  

Ladder | Best For Basic Term Life

Ladder is backed by A+ Rated North American, and is our second pick.

Bestow | Best For No Exam Life

Bestow is backed by A+ Rated North American, and is our third pick.

Ethos | Best For Young Families

Ethos is backed by A+ rated Legal & General American, and is our fourth pick.

While all three companies are a great choice, if you need $1.5 Million or less in coverage you should check out Bestow first.

Not only do they seem to have lower premiums and can get you approved faster, they also have more term length options than other companies.

What Types Of Life Insurance Policies Can You Get Without An Exam?

While most sites only claim there are two, there are a few types of life insurance that don’t require an exam, so we break them down below: 

No Exam (Traditional)

A traditional “No Exam” policy only removed the requirement for you to complete a medical exam. You still had to go through the rest of the process of: 

A possible telephone interviewWaiting for your doctor to send in your medical history records or an (APS)Having your application reviewed by an underwriter manually.Final Decision

While much faster than a traditionally underwritten plan, this entire process still puts you in a position of waiting about 2 weeks for a decision. 

Simplified Issue Life Insurance

A Simplified Issue insurance policy can be thought of as an upgrade to a no physical policy. The benefits of this type of policy are that you: 

Won’t have to take an exam
No medical records will be requested
You usually won’t need to complete a phone interview.
Not too often will an underwriter do a manual review.

The simplified issue process allows you to get approved in as little as a few hours and as long as a few days. If your policy is inside of underwriting for more than a week, then you probably need to give additional information. 

Instant-Approval Term Life Insurance

If you thought the Simplified issue process was fast, then Instant Approval term life insurance will blow your mind.  The best thing about this policy is that: 

It won’t require a medical exam.
You won’t need medical records from your doctor.
No telephone interview will be requested.The application can be completed 100% online with real-time underwriting.
You get an instant answer.
Coverage starts immediately with your first premium payment.

In my opinion, there is no better way to buy life insurance, and below, we review a few companies that offer this option.

Group Life Insurance

While it’s perfectly fine to go for life insurance with your employer, I still recommend having a policy outside of work. Most companies only offer you 1 times your annual income in policy plan benefits, which is nowhere nearly enough for a family to survive on if you pass away. Also, if you lose the job, you can’t keep your policy most of the time.  The benefit of a group policy is that you don’t have to worry about exams or anything because everyone is rated together “as-a-whole.” Usually, your employer will cover the cost.

Final Expense Insurance

Final expense life insurance plans are geared toward people who can’t qualify for a normal term life policy but need a small insurance plan to cover their final expenses. Unlike other life insurance policies, you won’t have to go through too much medical underwriting.

Final expense insurance usually offers coverage options between $1,000 – $25,000 in coverage and is a type of permanent life insurance.  This coverage can usually be purchased over the phone with a simple telephone interview to process personal data you put on the application to get your approval.

If you don’t qualify for a level final expense policy you may be able to get a graded death benefit policy that costs more, and grades up over a few years. 

Guaranteed Issue Life Insurance (Last Resort)

A guaranteed issue policy should be your last resort. This policy is best for people between the ages of 45 – 85 years old who can’t get approved for a traditional life policy due to health reasons. These policies will usually have a waiting period before 100% of the benefits payout and are way more expensive than a traditional life plan. The best way to avoid needing this type of policy is to buy insurance when you’re young and not close the end of life.

Who Should Get No Medical Exam Life Insurance?

I won’t confess to you that everyone should get a no exam policy or that everyone can even qualify for one. 

However, there are a few people that should absolutely look into a no exam policy first: 

Young & Healthy People – If you are young and healthy, your first choice should be a no-exam option. You are going to be able to lock your rate in and complete the application process super fast. There is really no reason to take the exam, and you will see that the rates won’t be worth the annoying process of completing an exam. Busy People – The biggest issue I had over and over when trying to get busy people approved for a traditional policy requiring an exam is that they could never find time to meet the medical examiner. Sometimes life is just that busy, and if you are in that position, you should go with a no physical policy. Someone Getting Divorced – When you get divorced, especially if you have kids, there is usually a divorce decree stating that you need to hold life insurance until your kids come of age. It’s usually a stipulation that is required, and that has a time limit on it. The faster, the better, and no exam is the best option. A Person That Hates Needles – Seriously, there is absolutely no better option if you hate needles. You Want An SBA Loan – If you apply for an SBA Loan, they will require that you get a life insurance policy that is equal to or more than the amount of the loan you are requesting. They will also want to make sure the policy’s term length is longer or matches the loan term length.

What Is Life Insurance With No Medical Questions or Exam?

Also known as guaranteed Issue whole life insurance, life insurance policies with no health questions or exam lets you avoid both the medical exam and question parts of your life insurance application.

This policy is best for people between the ages of 45 – 85 who can’t get approved for a traditional life policy due to health reasons.

These policies will usually have a waiting period before 100% of the benefits payout and are way more expensive than a traditional life plan.

The best way to avoid needing this type of policy is to buy insurance when you’re young.

Can You Get Whole Life Insurance With No Medical Exam Or Health Questions? 

Yes, you can get whole life insurance with no exams or questions. However, this type of product should be your last resort.

It is often called guaranteed acceptance whole life insurance and usually has a waiting period before coverage starts.

If you’re healthy and can get coverage through a traditional life insurance policy, you should avoid this type of product.

Is There No Medical Exam Life Insurance For Seniors?

Yes, a few life insurance companies go up to age 65 for no exam term life insurance, and some companies offer no exam whole life insurance up to age 85. However, if you are between the ages of 50 to 65, you should try your best to go with the term life option first before trying the whole life option.

How To Buy No Exam Life Insurance Today? 

There is no need to wait around to get a no medical exam life insurance policy. 

Now that the process for buying life insurance is much simpler, more people (including you) should be getting covered.

If you understand your coverage needs, all that’s left to do is read a few product or customer reviews and apply online. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you get life insurance without a medical exam?

Yes, you can get term life insurance without taking a medical exam and it’s usually as simple as answering a few medical questions online and submitting your application. Some companies can issue instant results; however, your premiums can be higher based on how you answer the health questions. 

How does no medical exam life insurance work?

The way no exam life insurance works is that it allows you to apply for life insurance without having to complete a medical exam. Some no medical exam companies even have the ability to approve you without medical records as well. 

How much term life insurance can I get without a medical exam?

Without taking an exam you usually can get between $250,000 to $500,000 in term life insurance. However, with companies like Bestow or Haven Life you can get up to $1Million or $3Million in coverage without an exam. 

What does a life insurance medical exam consist of?

A life insurance medical exam consists of a detailed questionnaire and a full physical exam which includes checking your height & weight, blood pressure, taking a urine sample and also drawing blood. Depending on your age you might also have to take a resting EKG test to check your heart.