Life insurance without a medical

When you take out a life insurance policy, the insurer will naturally want to ask you questions about your lifestyle, such as whether you smoke, how much alcohol you consume and your eating habits. Some life insurers also demand that you get a full medical exam before they can offer you cover.

While there is no way to avoid the general lifestyle questions, you can find insurance companies that offer cover without a medical examination.

What is no medical life insurance?

No medical life insurance means you can get cover without undergoing health checks with your GP.

You will be told whether you are eligible for this type of cover during the quote process, based on your answers to questions relating to your health, lifestyle and family history.

Can I get life insurance without a medical?

This depends on your personal circumstances. Things like your age, whether you smoke, have any existing medical conditions or a history of certain illnesses in your family will all affect whether you are offered no medical life insurance.

Understandably, it’s usually younger, healthy people that are offered no medical insurance cover, though some insurers provide guaranteed acceptance cover, which means you will definitely be offered a policy, but it might be more expensive.

Do I need a medical for life insurance?

In some cases, yes.

Many insurers only offer life insurance without a medical to young, healthy people, but some might offer it to older customers as well, depending on their personal circumstances.

Can I get life insurance without answering any medical questions?

Different insurers ask different questions. It’s likely you will have to answer some questions about your general health and lifestyle, but some more innovative companies, like Dead Happy, keep the questions to a minimum.

Why do insurers request a medical?

Insurers across all sectors base their premiums on how much of a potential risk a customer is. This means, how likely you are to make a claim and cost them money.

So, for example, if you are an inexperienced driver or have been previously caught speeding, your car insurance will be more expensive, or you might not be offered cover at all.

Life insurance pays out if you die or, in some cases, become seriously ill. For this reason, insurers want to get a good idea about the state of your health before they offer you cover, or to base your premiums on. While asking you lifestyle questions such as whether you smoke or drink can give them some idea, a medical exam is the easiest way to get an accurate picture of your health.

That said, depending on your answers to the lifestyle questions, the insurer might be satisfied with the information and not require you to have a full medical exam to get cover.

What is the medical exam for life insurance?

This is usually just a general check up with your GP. While it might vary from patient to patient, the exam will usually include:

• Measuring your height
• Checking your weight and calculating BMI
• Taking your blood pressure
• Urine test
• Blood test
• Fitness test (in some cases)

How much is the medical exam for life insurance?

You should be able to get this exam for free on the NHS. However, your life insurance provider will cover the cost of the examination if needed.

While you wait for your appointment and the results, you will be offered an accident only life insurance cover, which means you will still get a payout for a claim resulting from an accident.

Can life insurers access your medical records?

Yes, but only with your permission.

If an insurer requires more information following your application for cover, it might be easier all around for the company to access your records, rather than ask you to complete a medical exam.

While access to your records is dependant on you giving permission, failure to do so may lead to your application being denied.

If you have an existing policy, your insurance company can access your medical records upon your death or under suspicion of fraud. This will be stated in the terms and conditions you sign when taking out the policy.

Will not providing my medical history invalidate my policy?

If you are asked to provide a medical history and give an inaccurate or incomplete answer, you run the risk of invalidating your policy. This means you or your loved ones might not get a payout even if you pay your premiums in full.

Refusing to provide your medical history before you take out the policy won’t invalidate it, but you might be denied cover.

Frequently asked questions

• Can I get cover with a pre-existing condition?

  Yes, but your choice of cover may be limited and the premiums are likely to be more expensive.

• Why would I not disclose my medical history when applying for life insurance?

  If you’re not asked for this, then you are not obliged to disclose your full medical history when applying for life insurance.

  Certain things in your history may make your insurance more expensive, even if they no longer affect your health.

  However, make sure you answer every question you are asked fully and honestly. Failing to do this can invalidate your policy altogether, which means you or your loved one might not be given a payout even if you’ve paid your premiums in full and the claim is a result of an unrelated condition.