The Medical Exam

By Author: Norris Rios
Total Articles: 572
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When you are looking for insurance on the vehicle you drive, everyone accepts you could change to a different vehicle tomorrow. It's the same with a rental home. People who do not own their own homes often move on a fairly regular basis. Put the other way around, many people feel able to change their insurers more or less at will. If one insurer hikes their premium rates, many shop around and find another insurer with lower rates. That's the way the world works. But, when it comes to buying cover for your life, there's a big change.

The first policy you are looking to buy may be for a fixed term, making it unlikely you will cancel. If you buy a whole life policy, this is an even more permanent commitment. Given the policy depends on you building up the cash value, you are not expecting to change insurers unless there's a crisis that requires you to surrender or sell the policy. This means both sides of the proposed bargain are going to look more carefully at each other. You want to feel confident you are buying a policy with the right terms for your particular circumstances. You also want to be reasonably sure the company ...
... is financially sound and likely to be around to pay out in thirty or more years from now. On their side of the fence, they want to ensure you are not going to die tomorrow - that means a medical exam.

If all you want is a policy with a short term for a small amount of money, a young man will be waved through with only a nominal check on your health. But if you are older and/or you ask for a larger amount of cover, the checks will get more real. The first rule to understand is that you cannot rely on your regular doctor to provide a medical report. You will always either be seen by an employee of the potential insurer, or referred to an independent person with medical expertise. Depending on the level of protection demanded by the insurer, you may find the exam will come to you. Many life insurance companies operate with mobile testing facilities that will visit your office or home. This provides an opportunity for a detailed questionnaire on your medical history and a basic set of samples for testing. But the more comprehensive tests will always require you to go to a clinic or hospital where you can be put on a treadmill for measurement of your breathing capacity, heart performance, and so on.

Remember you will be subject to a standard range of tests to determine whether you are currently taking any drugs. This ensures your honesty in disclosing existing medical conditions and also looks at your lifestyle to confirm you are not currently taking anything illegal. If any problems are detected, you may be asked for further tests or time may be allowed for you to take remedial action, e.g. to quit smoking, eliminate street drugs or lose weight. Life insurance rates are based on your health as it is. A healthy young person will be offered a low rate. Anyone with lifestyle or health issues will either be offered a high rate (as a deterrent) or refused outright.