Taking a Life Insurance Medical Exam
Once you decide you are going to purchase a life insurance policy you should be prepared to face a medical exam. Generally, these exams are no different than your average physical with a few more questions. Generally, having a medical exam will save you money on your policy. If you need to buy any type of life insurance with undeclared health problems, you are going to a pay a lot more for that luxury. The good news is that the exam will be short and to the point. What else can you expect?
The Process
The insurance company will inform you that you need to have a medical exam. The whole point behind the medical exam is to get you lower premiums. Insurance companies charge more in premiums to some to cover other higher risks. They want to spread the risks of covering all their clients. When you have a successful medical exam, you are basically showing the insurance companies that you deserve lower premiums. You want to present yourself as a low risk client. You can do this by disclosing any health issues upfront. The insurance company wants to know that you have allergies but is that going to cost you? Probably not. They are much more concerned with issues that affect your long term health and viability. If you have high blood pressure, don't hide it. They will find out. It is much better to show them that you manage your condition well using medication, diet, and exercise. You can accomplish this by providing a letter from your doctor.
Once you have been told you need a medical exam you will get a call from the insurance company's doctor. They will schedule an appointment rather quickly. To be blunt, they don't want to give anyone time to fool the system. They want to be able to detect any substances in your blood. If you are claiming to be a non-smoker but they detect tobacco in your blood, it will be a problem. Once the appointment is scheduled you will either be visited at home or asked to visit an office.
The doctor works for the insurance company. Their goal is to get as much information as they can about your health history and the history of your family. They understand that all of us deal with some health issue in our lives. There is no reason to believe that any one answer about your grandfather's health is going to deem you to risky to insure. They just want a general overview of your potential risks, but they are much more interested in your personal health. They want to ensure you do not use drugs or tobacco. They want to know that you manage your health, and any health problems, well.
24 Hour Preparation
Before your appointment try to avoid eating a heavy meal or doing strenuous exercise. Relax and get a good nights sleep. You want to be as relaxed as possible. Remember that the small blood sample you will give can show spiked sugar readings, higher liver enzyme results, and higher than normal cholesterol readings if you were to gorge on a fatty meal and a couple drinks the night before.
Once the test is completed you can ask the insurance company for a copy of the results. They will usually give your doctor a copy or give it directly to you. The life insurance medical exam is just part of the process and should not cause you stress. You can control some elements but the rest is up to the doctor. Just relax, open wide, and say ah.