What does a life insurance medical exam consist of?

Asked by: Camille Feil  |  Last update: February 10, 2023
Score: 4.4/5 (72 votes)

During the exam, your height, weight, pulse and blood pressure will be recorded. You likely will have to provide a urine sample and have blood drawn to test for health issues such as elevated cholesterol or blood sugar levels, and to screen for nicotine and drug use.

How do you pass a life insurance medical exam?

Seven Tips to Pass Your Life Insurance Medical Exam
  1. Schedule Your Life Insurance Medical Exam in the Morning. ...
  2. Don't Drink Coffee or Smoke Beforehand. ...
  3. Avoid Salts and Fatty Foods. ...
  4. Drink Lots of Water. ...
  5. Avoid Working Out. ...
  6. Get a Good Night's Sleep. ...
  7. Have Important Documentation Ready.

What should I avoid before life insurance test?

You'll want to take a few extra precautions the day before the exam, such as:
  1. Avoid alcohol and nicotine. Both can increase your blood pressure. ...
  2. Avoid red meat. Red meat is a high-cholesterol food.
  3. Avoid over-the-counter medications such as antihistamines and nasal decongestants. ...
  4. Get a good night's sleep.

What does the blood test look for in life insurance?

With the life life insurance blood test, they'll be looking for high blood pressure, high cholesterol or glucose levels, as well as indications of nicotine, tobacco or drug use. Depending on your results, you may be able to qualify for one of an insurers' best underwriting rate classes.

What medical questions do they ask for life insurance?

Medical History
  • Height.
  • Weight.
  • Smoking and tobacco use.
  • Use of marijuana or recreational drugs.
  • Any medical diagnosis you have received.
  • Any use of prescription medications.
  • Previous or current treatments you're receiving or expected to receive.
  • History of procedures you've had, including surgeries.

Medical Exam | Life Insurance Explained

36 related questions found

How can I lower my blood pressure for a life insurance test?

So, how can I lower my blood pressure for my insurance test? Drink a few extra glasses of water for a few days before your exam. Try to avoid eating or drinking anything except water for 12 hours before you are examined. Try to avoid drinking alcohol, coffee, and smoking cigarettes before taking your brief exam.

What information do life insurance companies have access to?

They will typically check your height, weight and blood pressure, and take blood and urine samples (which can detect nicotine and drug use, among other things). Some insurers require an EKG and/or cognitive assessment depending on your age or health.

Do drugs show up in a full blood count?

Drugs in blood are typically detectable within minutes to hours, depending on the drug and the dose, versus one to several days in urine. Blood drug screen tests are performed on whole blood specimens using immunoassay screening with reflex to definitive testing.

Can you be denied life insurance for high cholesterol?

Because high cholesterol can put you at risk for heart attacks and strokes, two of the leading causes of death in the U.S., insurance companies consider it a risk factor. If your cholesterol is particularly high, not well controlled with medication or if you have other health issues, you might even be denied coverage.

Do they test for nicotine during a physical?

Medical tests can detect nicotine in people's urine, blood, saliva, hair, and nails. Nicotine is the addictive substance in tobacco, cigarettes, and vapes or e-cigarettes. When someone smokes a cigarette, their body absorbs up to 90 percent of the nicotine.

What should I do the week before my medical exam?

Relax. It may be a determining factor for your job but you should not worry that much. Get a good night sleep a day before and eat healthy food as early as one week before the exam. Limit your fast food and canned food intake especially within the 48-hour period before the exam itself.

Can I drink coffee before life insurance exam?

Scheduling your life insurance medical exam early in the morning makes this task much easier so you're not starving all day. Skip your morning cup of coffee and cigarette because the caffeine and nicotine may elevate your blood pressure readings that could put you in a higher price (rate class) group.

Can I drink night before medical?

It's also recommended that you avoid alcohol for 24 hours before your test, as well as any strenuous exercise.

Can you cheat life insurance test?

Notice - BEWARE!! Cheating is a Crime . . . Per Section 1681.5(b) of the California Insurance Code, willfully cheating or subverting a license examination is punishable by a fine not to exceed $10,000 or imprisonment not to exceed one year.

Why do they test urine for life insurance?

Why do they test urine for the life insurance medical exam? Insurance companies use blood and urine samples to learn more about your health profile. Health is one of the factors underwriters use to determine policy rates. Urine tests can reveal information about drug/nicotine use and other underlying health issues.

Why does life insurance take blood?

Life insurance companies use bloodwork to test for nicotine and drug use, high cholesterol, blood sugar, and other signs of pre-existing medical conditions.

Will high triglycerides affect life insurance?

GOOD NEWS IF YOU ARE OVER 65. If you're over 65, high triglyceride levels are more common, so they matter less for life insurance underwriting.

Is 210 total cholesterol high?

In adults, total cholesterol levels less than 200 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) are considered healthy. A reading between 200 and 239 mg/dL is borderline high. A reading of 240 mg/dL and above is considered high.

What is the average life insurance cost per month?

The average cost of life insurance is $26 a month. This is based on data provided by Quotacy for a 40-year-old buying a 20-year, $500,000 term life policy, which is the most common term length and amount sold. But life insurance rates can vary dramatically among applicants, insurers and policy types.

How far back can a blood test trace drugs?

Unlike urine samples, blood samples generally detect alcohol and drug compounds themselves rather than their metabolites. Blood testing typically detects substance use that occurred within 2 to 12 hours of the test [7].

How do you cheat a blood drug test?

Usually people try to cheat drug testing by three different ways: substituting their urine with synthetic urine or drug-free urine purchased from a clandestine source; drinking a commercially available product to flush out drugs; or adding an adulterant in vitro to the urine specimen after collection.

How far back does a urine test go?

Drug testing specimen types

Illicit substances are detectable for only five to 10 days in urine; whereas, hair drug tests can detect drug or alcohol use for up to 90 days. Blood testing is very accurate, but costly and invasive. It does have a shorter detection period (minutes to hours), however.

What disqualifies you from getting life insurance?

Their reasons could be anything from a serious medical condition (like heart disease) or poor results from your life insurance medical exam to nonmedical reasons like bankruptcy, a criminal record, a positive drug test or even a dangerous hobby.

What if I lie about smoking for life insurance?

You could be denied a life insurance policy if you lie on the application about your smoking habits. Many insurers require a life insurance medical exam that includes blood samples and urine tests that screen for nicotine use. You could also be denied if you have medical conditions in addition to smoking.

How far back do insurance companies check medical records?

How far back can an insurance company request medical records? Generally, medical records are kept for between five and 10 years after a patient's latest treatment, discharge or death.