Planning on buying life insurance? A medical exam from your insurance company is often part of the process to confirm your health information and make sure you get the lowest rates. If you have reservations about taking an exam, though, you have choices.

People prefer to skip life insurance physicals for many reasons. They may have health issues that make it tough to pass an exam, don’t want to wait on the results, or are just scared of needles. According to industry group LIMRA, 47% of people say they would be more likely to buy life insurance without a medical exam.

That’s why no medical exam insurance exists. For people who need an alternative to a medical exam when buying life insurance, non-medical vs. medical exam insurance can help them get the financial protection they need for their families.

At Fidelity Life, we believe in giving people options, and that includes options for your medical exam. All our plans let you get covered right away, with the option to delay a medical exam for up to six months. We also offer no medical exam insurance options if you want to bypass that step altogether.

Here’s how to choose the best option for you and your family.

Can you get life insurance without a medical exam?

A life insurance medical exam is meant to verify the information you provide on your initial life insurance application to determine if you’re eligible and the price you pay for coverage. These exams are free to you, conducted at a place of your choosing, and only take about 30 minutes to complete.

When you undergo a life insurance medical exam, a licensed medical exam technician will typically:

• Record your height and weight
• Check your pulse and blood pressure
• Ask a series of health-related questions to better understand your health

Because it takes time to schedule a medical exam and wait on the results, they sometimes get a bad rap for making the process long and complicated. The ongoing pandemic has also caused extra worry for some Americans about letting someone into their home or office to conduct an exam.

As a result, more insurance companies are finding ways to simplify the process and eliminate the need to wait on a medical exam. As the first company to use predictive analytics to help some customers bypass a medical exam, Fidelity Life Association is a pioneer in this area.

Choosing medical vs. non-medical life insurance

If you meet these criteria, medically unwritten insurance is often the best fit:

• You’re in good health
• You want the lowest rates possible
• You want higher coverage amounts, since policies beyond a certain coverage level often require an exam

At Fidelity Life, we have options that speed up the traditional underwriting process and provide more flexibility and convenience for you, like our RAPIDecision® Life options. They let you get same-day coverage, providing immediate peace of mind and financial security. You’ll then have up to six months to take your medical exam – and if you’re healthy, we may be able to even waive it entirely.

If you’re worried about taking a medical exam or you think you won’t qualify for coverage, you may want to consider the pros and cons of life insurance with no medical exam. It’s a good option if:

• You have health issues
• You want quick coverage (although all Fidelity Life policies can give you immediate coverage, even medically underwritten ones)
• You want to avoid a medical exam for other reasons

No exam insurance policies with Fidelity Life include:

• Simplified issue, which has a detailed questionnaire that includes health information and medical history, but doesn’t have an exam
• Guaranteed issue, which requires you to answer only a few questions about your health information and medical history

Keep in mind that these kinds of life insurance policies typically come with higher premiums for lower coverage amounts, but can help people who are older or have health issues cover needs like final expenses and medical bills.

Want to learn more about your options?

Talk to a Fidelity Life representative today to see what will best fit you and your family’s needs.

At Fidelity Life, our goal is to make life insurance simple, affordable, and understandable for everyday families. This content is intended for educational purposes only. Each post is carefully fact-checked, reviewed, and updated regularly to ensure the information is as relevant as possible.