Medical Examinations May Be Needed By The Life Insurance Company

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Medical examinations are sometimes required when you purchase a life insurance policy. This helps the company more accurately asses the risk they are about to undertake. If you buy a small policy at a younger age you may only be required to complete a "non medical form". You know, they just ask you a few questions and that is it. Medical examinations are usually required for larger policies and at older ages.

For impaired risks or for larger policies the insurance company may ask for an in depth medical examination or may be a series of examinations. Here are some of the things you would need to provide them.

• They always check your height, weight, blood pressure and pulse rate.

• The doctor will listen to your lungs and check out your eyes, your ears, nose and throat.

• The Insurance company may want to know when you had your last examination and why you had this examination done. The more detail you provide the easier it is to have the policy issued.

• They want to know if you were hospitalized at any time and for what reason. What was the end result? Are you completely recovered?

• They want to know if you are on any medication and for what reason.

• An EKG or Chest Xray may be required.

• A urine specimen, an oral swab, or even a blood sample may be needed.

• You would sign an authorization form giving the insurance company the authority to request information on all examinations you may have had done in the past.

• If the first medical should uncover any problem you could be required to do a second set of tests or even as many as two more medical examinations.

• There are certain medical conditions that are passed down in families. The insurance companies want to know about these. I refer to certain cancers, heart or lung problems, liver or kidney disease, high blood pressure, tuberculosis etc.

For smaller amounts of life insurance and if your medical history is good you may be able to get your insurance issued on a non medical basis. You would be asked some of the same questions as would be asked for the larger policies but you would not need a complete medical examination.