Guide
No-exam life insurance
Which applicants qualify for rapid underwriting, the process, and what happens without it.
Several carriers provide accelerated underwriting: for applicants in specified age and amount ranges, they approve or decline based on your application, drug history, driving record and other information without a physical exam. Decisions sometimes arrive within hours. Every quote displayed here indicates whether an exam is required, could be required, or is unnecessary.
What it changes
No exam does not mean no underwriting. Your responses are checked, and a policy issued on false information can be challenged within the first two years. If the carrier's records flag questions, it may still require an exam or lab results; you decide then whether to proceed.
Who tends to qualify
Usually applicants younger than roughly 60 seeking amounts within a carrier's accelerated threshold, with no significant health diagnoses and no tobacco use in the past year. If you received recent lab work from a doctor visit, some carriers will use those results instead of requiring an exam.
If you need an exam, it typically takes 20 to 30 minutes, conducted at your Berkeley area home or workplace at no charge to you. Strong results can improve your rate class for qualified applicants, so the exam is not inherently unfavorable.