What does a life insurance medical exam involve, and can I skip it?

A traditional life insurance medical exam is a short, free appointment — usually at your home or a clinic — where a paramedic measures height, weight, and blood pressure and collects blood and urine samples. The insurer checks for conditions like high cholesterol, diabetes, nicotine use, and certain diseases to set your rate class. Fully underwritten policies with an exam typically offer the lowest premiums for healthy people. If you'd rather skip it, no-exam (accelerated underwriting) policies exist: they use your prescription history, medical and motor-vehicle records, and questionnaires instead of a needle. The trade-off is that no-exam policies often cost more or cap coverage amounts, though healthy applicants increasingly qualify for competitive rates without a needle. If you're young and healthy, getting an exam usually saves money; if you're pressed for time or needle-averse, no-exam is a fine option.