Guide
No-exam life insurance
Who can skip the medical exam, what happens during streamlined underwriting, and what to expect if you don't qualify.
Several carriers have adopted streamlined underwriting: within certain age and coverage limits, they make decisions based on your answers, medical records they can access, driving history, and other background data instead of scheduling an exam. Approvals can come within hours. This site shows you for each quote whether an exam is required, optional, or unnecessary.
What it changes
No exam doesn't mean no vetting. The carrier verifies what you said, and a policy issued based on false information can be challenged in the first two years. If the carrier's records turn up something that needs checking, they might still request an exam or bloodwork—and you decide whether to proceed.
Who tends to qualify
Generally, applicants under age 60 or so, applying for coverage below the carrier's streamlined underwriting cap, with no serious health issues and no tobacco use in the past year qualify. Some carriers will use recent lab work from a doctor's visit instead of requiring an exam.
A required exam is typically a 20- to 30-minute appointment with a paramedic at your home or workplace—no charge to you. If you're in good health, an exam often moves you to a better rate tier, so it's not necessarily a drawback.