Guide
No-exam life insurance
Who qualifies for expedited underwriting, the way it functions, and what takes place if you don't.
Most carriers now provide accelerated underwriting: for applicants within certain age and amount limits, they make a decision from the application, prescription records, driving history and similar information rather than requiring a paramedical exam. Approvals can arrive on the same business day. Each quote on this site indicates whether a physical exam is required, may be required, or is not required for that product.
What it changes
No exam does not mean no underwriting. Your answers are checked, and a policy written on false information can be rescinded within two years. The carrier may still request an exam or bloodwork if its own data uncovers concerns; at that point you choose whether to go forward.
Who tends to qualify
Typically adults under around 60 pursuing amounts up to the carrier's fast-track ceiling, with no significant health issues and no tobacco use over the past year or so. Some carriers will also accept recent blood work from your doctor instead of a new exam.
If an exam is required, it usually means a 20- to 30-minute appointment with a paramedical examiner at your home or office in the Pasadena area, at no charge to you. The results often help healthy people get a better rate, so the exam need not be seen as negative.