Guide
No-exam life insurance
Which applicants qualify for streamlined approval, the mechanics of the process, and the steps involved if you do not.
A growing number of carriers provide accelerated underwriting that makes decisions for qualified applicants—those within age and amount parameters—based on your application, prescription records, driving history, and related information rather than a medical exam. Some approvals are made within hours. Each rate displayed on this site notes whether the carrier requires an exam, may request one, or does not need one.
What it changes
An exam waiver does not bypass underwriting review. Your application responses undergo verification, and any policy issued based on misstatements remains contestable for two years. Should the carrier's records suggest concerns, they may still require medical testing; you retain the choice to proceed or not.
Who tends to qualify
Accelerated underwriting generally applies to applicants younger than 60 requesting coverage within the carrier's set limit, with a clean health background and no tobacco use in the past year. Certain carriers will substitute recent lab work from a medical visit instead of requiring an exam.
Should an exam be required, expect a 20- to 30-minute session with a paramedical technician at a location of your choosing within Cupertino, at no charge. For applicants in good health, exam results frequently result in a better rate tier, making an exam a potential benefit rather than a drawback.