Guide
No-exam life insurance
Which applicants skip the exam, what happens instead, and your choices if you do not qualify.
Many carriers offer accelerated underwriting, where they make a decision using the application form, your prescription history, driving record, and other sources instead of sending an examiner. Some approvals happen within hours. Each quote on this site tells you whether that product requires an exam, might need one, or does not need one.
What it changes
No exam does not mean no underwriting. The carrier will verify your answers, and if a policy was issued based on wrong information, it can be challenged for two years. If the carrier's records contradict your answers, it may still request an exam or labs; at that point you decide whether to proceed.
Who tends to qualify
Usually people under about 60, applying for an amount within the carrier's limit, with no serious health events and no tobacco use for a year or longer. If you have had a recent doctor visit with lab work, some carriers will use those results instead of requiring a separate exam.
If an exam is needed, it is normally a 20- to 30-minute appointment with a paramedical examiner who visits your home or office in the Santa Clara area at no cost. For healthy applicants, the exam often results in a better rate class, so the exam can be a plus.