Guide
No-exam life insurance
Which applicants qualify for expedited underwriting decisions, how the process works, and what the timeline looks like if you do not.
Many carriers now provide accelerated underwriting: for applicants within specific age ranges and coverage amounts, they make their decision based on the application, prescription records, driving history and other information, bypassing the paramedical exam. A number of decisions are returned within a day. Each quote shown on this site notes whether an exam is required, may be needed, or is not expected for that particular product.
What it changes
Waiving the exam does not mean waiving underwriting review. Your answers are verified, and if a policy is issued based on inaccurate information, it can be challenged within the first two years. If the carrier's independent data prompts concerns, they may still request an exam or lab tests; you can choose at that moment whether to move forward.
Who tends to qualify
Usually applicants younger than roughly 60 who want coverage amounts within the carrier's accelerated underwriting limits, with no serious health conditions and no tobacco use for a year or longer, qualify for rapid decisions. If you have had a recent medical visit with lab work, some carriers will accept those results instead of ordering an exam.
If an exam is required, expect a 20- to 30-minute visit from a paramedic at your home or office in the Oakland area, with no cost to you. For applicants in good health, exam results frequently upgrade your rate class, so an exam can actually work in your favor.