Guide
No-exam life insurance
Eligibility for immediate underwriting decisions, how the process works, and what you can expect if underwriting isn't fast-tracked.
Nowadays many carriers provide accelerated underwriting: for applicants within age and amount limits, they decide without a physical exam, using the application, pharmacy records, driving history and other data sources. Decisions can arrive the same day for some. Every quote here shows whether that carrier requires an exam, might need one, or doesn't need one.
What it changes
Accelerated underwriting still includes verification of your answers. A policy issued based on false information can be challenged during a two-year window. If the carrier finds questions during its research, it may still order an exam or lab work; you can proceed or stop at that point.
Who tends to qualify
Typically people under about 60 asking for coverage below a carrier's accelerated cap, with no major health concerns and no tobacco use in the past year—or sometimes longer. Some carriers will use recent medical records from your doctor's office in place of an exam.
If you need an exam, plan for 20 to 30 minutes with a paramedical examiner at your preferred location (home, office, or similar) somewhere in the Santa Monica region—no cost to you. For healthy applicants, exam findings sometimes result in a better rate class, so the exam isn't necessarily a disadvantage.