Life Insurance Medical Exams: What To Expect & How To Prepare

If you’re applying for a Life insurance policy, you may need to provide some information about your medical history, and possibly undergo a medical assessment, especially if the policy you are applying for is fully underwritten.

A fully underwritten policy compared to a partially, or no underwritten policy provides more certainty that if you need to claim, your claim will be accepted and paid. This is because your health and lifestyle are thoroughly assessed during your application, and not when you claim. This means the insurer can provide you with cover that fits your needs and explain any possible loadings and exclusions when you take out the policy.

This process includes a comprehensive questionnaire and sometimes a short health exam to help your insurer offer accurate, tailored cover based on your current health.

Here, we’ll explain what a life insurance medical exam usually involves, so you can know what to expect. Although it might seem daunting, the reality is it’s usually just a simple health check – like a routine visit to your GP.

Key Takeaways:

• A life insurance medical exam is a quick, non-invasive health check to confirm your application details.
• Usually takes around 30 minutes and includes a questionnaire, basic measurements, and blood/urine tests.
• Required mainly for higher cover amounts, older applicants, or certain health conditions.
• Preparation is simple. Stay hydrated, avoid caffeine, alcohol, and heavy exercise. You should also bring ID and medication details. In some cases, you might need to fast before blood tests.
• Results help the insurer to finalise your premium and coverage.

What is a life insurance medical exam?

If you’ve been asked to undergo a medical examination for insurance purposes, there’s no need to worry. It’s a standard process used to complement the health information provided in your application.

In most cases, a life insurance medical exam involves a simple visit from a healthcare professional to check things such as your:

• Weight
• Blood pressure,
• Pulse
• Resting heart rate, etc.

The exam is generally non-invasive and over within 30 minutes. In some cases, more detailed tests like an ECG may be required.

What does your test tell the insurer?

Your medical test helps the insurer understand your health risk. Insurers price policies based on the level of risk they take on, and medical information allows them to assess this more accurately. This can result in more appropriate pricing, tailored policy terms and greater certainty that a claim will be paid if you need to make one. Often, these medical tests will check:

• Cholesterol levels
• Glucose levels, which are a potential indicator of diabetes
• Urine acidity and protein levels, to check kidney function
• Liver and kidney function markers
• Blood pressure and heart rate

“These insights help insurers determine whether your cover can be offered at a standard premium, with a loading (higher premium), or with exclusions for certain conditions. In some rarer cases they might need to decline the cover.”

Joanne Sinclair, Head of Underwriting, NobleOak

Rest assured: NobleOak will not ask you to undertake a genetic test for life insurance purposes.

What’s involved in the life insurance medical exam?

Typically, the insurer will have you meet with a licensed medical professional (usually a nurse) in their clinic, or your home, or office. Some insurers may pay for the costs incurred in the medical exam or tests.

You will go through two phases during your exam:

Phase one: verbal questionnaire

First, the medical professional will run through a series of questions related to your initial application. This allows them to get a good idea of where you believe your health stands at that point in time.

Phase two: sample collection

You’ll be asked to provide various samples, including a:

• Urine sample
• Blood sample

These are collected at your appointment. In addition, the medical professional will check your:

• Height and weight
  Blood pressure
• Pulse

In some cases, the insurer will require an electrocardiogram (ECG). If these tests are required, they’re usually done in a radiology practice or similar.

The medical professional will then take the samples away for testing.

“These tests give insurers insight into your general health and help assess any risk factors, like high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol or diabetes.”

Joanne Sinclair, Head of Underwriting, NobleOak

Do you need a medical exam for life insurance?

The short answer is no. However, you may be asked to undertake a medical exam or testing if:

• You have certain medical conditions
• You apply for a high sum insured over a certain threshold
• You’re above a certain age

The conditions that will trigger a medical exam will be different across different life insurers and will be explained to you throughout the application process.

NobleOak offers fully underwritten life insurance, which means that you’ll need to provide detailed health information – and possibly also undergo a medical exam – when you apply for a policy. The advantage is that you’ll have more certainty if you ever need to make a claim.

Find out more about fully underwritten insurance in our article: What is Fully Underwritten Life Insurance?

Ultimately, the prospect of a medical exam shouldn’t dissuade you from getting Life Insurance. In fact, the exam may save you money or reveal underlying health issues, depending on your results.

How to get a medical exam

Each insurer will be slightly different. When you’re applying for life insurance with NobleOak, these are the steps you can expect:

1. Complete the initial application which will ask you a number of questions about your health and lifestyle
2. If a medical is required, we’ll contact you to schedule it.
3. A licensed health professional will visit you at a convenient time and location.

How to prepare for the medical exam

Giving accurate results can ensure your policy reflects your health correctly and may help you secure a better rate.

Here are preparation tips to follow:

48 hours before

• Avoid caffeine, alcohol and tobacco – as (these substances can raise your blood pressure and heart rate).

24 hours before

• Avoid engaging in heavy exercise (This can raise protein levels in your urine, which could trigger further examination).
• Drink plenty of water so your body is prepared for the blood and urine tests.

12 hours before

• If fasting is required, avoid eating for 8-12 hours before the exam.
• Ensure you rest well the night before, to keep stress and blood pressure levels down.

1 hour before

• Dress comfortably to allow for easy measurements, such as blood pressure checks and weight.
• Arrive relaxed and prepared, as this helps to ensure the most accurate results.

What to have readily accessible

• A driver’s licence (or some other form of ID)
• A list of any medications you take and the dosages
• The details of any doctor that you’ve visited over the last five years
• Any other important information about your existing medical conditions

After the Exam

After your exam, results are securely sent to the insurer’s underwriting team. You may receive a standard premium, a loaded premium (if higher risk), cover with some exclusions, or in rare cases, you may be declined coverage. They will let you know if further tests or questions are needed.

Life Insurance medical exam FAQs

Here, you’ll find answers to commonly asked questions about getting a life insurance medical.

Is it worth getting a policy that requires a medical exam?

For many applicants, the answer is yes. Fully underwritten policies (which include a medical exam) often offer:

• Lower premiums
• Higher coverage
• Tailored policy terms

It’s often worth the short exam for long-term savings.

How long will the exam take?

Assuming you don’t need to undergo an ECG, the exam should take about half an hour (this already includes the verbal questionnaire phase).

You can add 20 minutes to this time if the insurer asks for an ECG.

It’s unlikely that your medical exam will take more than one hour.

Is the exam painful or invasive?

No. It’s very similar to a basic checkup. The most invasive part is a blood draw, which is quick and handled by a nurse.

Will the results affect my premiums?

Yes. If you’re in good health, your premiums may be lower. If you have risk indicators (e.g. high blood pressure), you may still get cover but with adjusted pricing.

Is a medical exam a negative thing?

Not at all.

One common concern people have is that the medical exam will uncover an unknown health issue. However, if you do have an underlying issue, finding out about it enables you to look at ways to mitigate or treat it, potentially earlier rather than later.

Another concern people have is that the medical exam could lead to higher Life Insurance premiums. Although in some cases this might be true, it also means that your coverage will be tailored to your needs and therefore you’re more likely to have certainty at claim time.

Can you fail a life insurance medical exam?

The word ‘fail’ in this context isn’t entirely accurate, as the purpose of the test is to provide a full picture of your health status (rather than to award a score).

Certain results may lead to more tests, questions, or exclusions and loadings in the cover provided to you – and in addition to this, it will give you valuable knowledge about your own body.

How do I pass a life insurance medical?

If you’re wondering how to ‘pass’ a life insurance medical exam, the key is to try and provide questionnaire answers that are honest.

If the information you’ve provided about your health matches up with the results from your medical exam, you’ll have a better chance of getting coverage that suits your needs.

What if you don’t feel well on the day of the medical?

If you’re unwell, it’s generally a good idea to reschedule. Most insurers allow you to postpone ensuring that the results accurately reflect your normal health.

Communicating with the insurer and the medical professional about your situation is important to avoid unfairly skewed results.

Could you avoid the medical?

Some insurance providers do offer life insurance policies without a medical exam, but this may potentially lead to a lot more exclusions which is not ideal at claims time. Additionally, most life insurance providers don’t ask for a medical examination unless you fall within certain criteria.

You can learn more about partially underwritten life insurance in our article: Life Insurance Without a Medical Exam.

Award-winning life insurance

If you’d like to know how much life insurance you might need and how much it might cost to get life insurance with NobleOak, you can use our Insurance Calculator or Quote Tool to get an estimate.

NobleOak provides award-winning insurance options to help Australian families cope during difficult times. To find out more, please feel free to contact us or call our friendly team on 1300 041 494.Any financial product advice is general in nature only and does not take into account your individual circumstances, objectives, financial situation, or needs. Before acting on it, please consider the appropriateness of the information, having regard to those factors. Any third party websites or tools referred to are subject to their own terms and conditions and NobleOak Life Limited makes no representation or warranty as to any information on those websites. Persons deciding whether to acquire or continue to hold life insurance issued by NobleOak Life Limited should consider the relevant Product Disclosure Statement and Target Market Determination for the product. Please also consider NobleOak Life Limited’s Financial Services Guide. NobleOak Life Limited ABN 85 087 648 708 AFSL 247302.