How to Get Life Insurance without a Medical Exam

People who are uncomfortable with life insurance medical exams need another option. Thankfully, it's often possible to get life insurance with no medical exam, depending on the insurer and the circumstances. For many people, knowing how to get life insurance without medical exams can be a powerful tool to secure their financial futures. Ethos, for example, doesn't require a medical exam for any of the policies we offer - you just have to answer a few health questions.

What does no-medical exam life insurance mean?

Although medical exams are a common requirement, not every company uses them. "No medical exam" means you don't have to take a medical exam to apply for a life insurance policy. However, it's important to note that even though you won't have to see a doctor or have blood or urine taken, you'll still need to answer some health questions during the application process. Even when a medical exam isn't required, basic health information is still needed.  

Why are medical exams required?

To learn why a medical exam is often needed, it's essential to understand the nature of life insurance risk factors. Like any form of insurance, life insurance is designed to protect policyholders from specific financial risks. In life insurance, this means any health risks the policyholder is facing. Specifically, life insurance helps protect against the financial risk of passing away. 

The riskier a person's health, the more expensive life insurance tends to be. Medical exams help insurers identify applicants' premium levels based on risk factors. Because this information helps to determine rates, even when a medical exam isn't requested, you'll often still need to answer a few health-related questions. 

Life insurance for seniors

Depending on your age, you'll often find different levels of accessibility to various types of life insurance. If you're wondering about the best option for life insurance over 50 without a medical exam, look into a term policy. Term policies are generally among the most affordable and often have fixed premiums for their duration. 

On the other hand, whole life policies offer a cash value feature and simpler eligibility, but they tend to have higher premiums and lower coverages than term policies. Still, at Ethos, you can find both whole and term life insurance without medical exams - you only need to answer a few health questions.  

Life insurance with pre-existing conditions

If you have pre-existing conditions, finding life insurance can be difficult. Some policy types, like guaranteed issue whole life, can be a good fit for people in this situation. However, it sometimes is possible to find term policies with reasonable rates, even if you have pre-existing conditions. 

One way to find term policies to suit these circumstances is to consider term life insurance without a medical exam.

No medical exam life insurance with Ethos

When seeking life insurance without medical exams, consider both term and whole life policies. Most applicants can apply for term life insurance with no medical exam. 

Ethos also offers whole life insurance with no medical exams - you only need to answer a few health questions. For whole life policies, all applicants who meet the age requirements are eligible, independent of health. 

How to get life insurance without medical exams

The first step to getting life insurance without a medical exam is to identify a company that offers policies without requiring exams. Remember that even these companies, like Ethos, will require a health questionnaire from applicants. 

The best way to find out if you qualify is to get an online estimate. The next step is to consider what type and how much coverage you'd like. You can calculate your coverage using the Ethos insurance calculator. 

Once you have a sense of what policy type and coverage amount would be best for you, it's easy to start applying right from your browser. Most applicants qualify for Ethos' no medical exam policies. 

While health questions are still involved in the application process, taking medical exams out of the equation can increase access for applicants and make applying for (and receiving) coverage a quicker, smoother process.