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Many life insurance companies offer no-exam life insurance, which has the obvious appeal of skipping medical exams. For some people, it's a great option, but keep in mind that this type of life insurance policy will still require some information about your medical history.
Best No Exam Life Insurance Summary
- Best term life policy: Ethos Life
- Best for seniors: AARP Life Insurance
- Best for military members: USAA Life Insurance
- Best for higher policy limits: Prudential Life Insurance
- Best for guaranteed acceptance: Mutual of Omaha Life Insurance
- Best for waiting period: AAA Life Insurance
Compare No Medical Exam Life Insurance Plans
No medical exam life insurance is particularly good for people seeking insurance later in life, forfeiting death benefit amounts and paying higher premiums to qualify. As such, the best no exam life insurance should have high age eligibility without too much compromise on coverage and costs.
Policies included in our guide on the best no medical exam life insurance insure people up to 85 years old. Read on to learn more.
Best no exam term life insurance
Ethos Life Insurance
Ethos Life accepts applicants up to age 65 with a 100% online application process, and limits are as high as $2 million.
Ethos Life asks a few basic medical questions, but coverage is effective immediately once approved. In addition, every customer buying policies like this from Ethos Life is eligible for a 30-day look period, which is another way to say you can cancel and get your money back in the first 30 days with no penalties.
- Health questions: Yes
- Coverage limits: Up to $2 million
- Age: 20-65
- Waiting period: May apply
- Unique feature: Instant quotes available with a streamlined online application
Read our Ethos Life Insurance review here.
Best no exam life insurance for seniors
AARP Life Insurance
AARP Life Insurance caters to senior clients for insurance and many other financial products. Older adults between 50 and 74 may qualify as long as they are AARP members. Term policies are available with limits up to $150,000 in most states. Montana and New York residents may be eligible for up to $100,000. Whole life policy limits max out at $25,000.
Whole life policies can be issued without any health exams or medical questions. The term policies, on the other hand, may ask some health questions.
- Health questions: For term life policies, but not whole
- Coverage limits: Up to $150,000
- Age: 50-74
- Unique feature: No medical exam policy caters to older adults
Read our AARP Life Insurance review.
Best no exam life insurance for military members
USAA Life Insurance
USAA Life Insurance is typically associated with military members and their immediate family members, but its insurance products are available to anyone. Pricing is lower, payouts are higher, and customer service is strong. Of course, these services are only available to military and qualifying family members. For the children of a deceased military member to use any USAA products, the military member would need to be signed up before their death.
Guaranteed whole life policies are available in 49 states, excluding Montana. USAA life insurance coverage is available from $2,000 to $25,000 with no medical exam or questions. Applicants who want higher coverage limits can explore medical exam policy options with a licensed agent.
- Health questions: No
- Coverage limits: Up to $25,000
- Age: 45-85
- Waiting period: Two years
- Unique feature: Below-market product costs available for military members and qualifying family
Read our USAA Life Insurance review.
Best no exam life insurance for higher policy limits
Prudential Life Insurance
Prudential Life Insuranceoffers up to $3 million in coverage for term life policies. Adults up to 60 years old are eligible for coverage with a short application involving some medical questions. For younger applicants, conversion options may also be available later to make term policies into whole life policies. However, due to the higher limits, Prudential's application process may also be longer.
- Health questions: Yes
- Coverage limits: Up to $3 million
- Age: 20-60
- Waiting period: Two years
- Unique feature: High expert and customer rankings with a trusted provider
Read our Prudential Life Insurance review.
Best no exam life insurance for guaranteed acceptance
Mutual of Omaha Life Insurance
Mutual of Omaha Life Insurance has high financial stability and customer satisfaction ratings across different types of insurance. Guaranteed life policies are available for adults between the ages of 45 and 85. In New York state, the age range is 50-75. Policies can be as small as $2,000 in most states and as large as $25,000 with no health questions or medical exams.
Mutual of Omaha's no medical exam policies have a graded death benefit. If you die within two years of the policy start date, the company will not pay the full policy. Instead, it delivers 110% of the premiums paid. The Mutual of Omaha website boasts same-day payouts on most policies. Policies for children are also available.
- Health questions: No
- Coverage limits: Up to $25,000
- Age: 45-85 (50-75 in New York State)
- Waiting period: Two years
- Unique feature: Company website lists same-day payment on most claims
Read our Mutual of Omaha Life Insurance review.
Best no exam life insurance for waiting periods
AAA Life Insurance
AAA Life Insuranceoffers immediate death benefits for qualified applicants between 18 and 75. In other words, once your policy starts, you are eligible for the full policy benefit. Policies are available with limits as low as $25,000 and as high as $500,000. While a medical exam is not required, health questions are.
AAA offers term policies with limits as high as $500,000. For a whole life policy, the limit is $25,000. But applicants can add a rider doubling the payout for accidental death coverage. Younger people have no waiting period for benefits. For applicants over age 45, AAA pays out 130% of the premiums paid up to the date of death for the first two years.
- Health questions: Yes
- Coverage limits: Up to $500,000 term/$25,000 whole
- Age: 18-75
- Waiting period: Applies after age 45
- Unique feature: Death benefit available regardless of the cause of death
How to Choose the Best No Medical Exam Life Insurance Company
The number of life insurance providers can be overwhelming and paralyzing. Asking friends and family about their life insurance policy and using guides like ours can be a great first step toward finding your policy.
However, guides and recommendations can only go so far in helping you decide which no medical exam life insurance company is best for you. You'll need to take factors like age, medical history, and your financial goals into consideration when you make your decisions. A qualified insurance professional may be able to help you crunch your numbers and find the best policy.
Coverage Amount
The most important, and most obvious, consideration when choosing a life insurance policy is the payout your loved ones will receive. The coverage you need will often depend on why you want life insurance. If your main goal is to make sure your final expenses are covered, than you'll have plenty of options. However, if you have long-term goals in mind, you may want to consider other life insurance options.
It's worth noting that no exam life insurance often has limited death benefits, so your options will be limited.
Policy Type
Generally speaking, most no exam life insurance fits into two types of life insurance policies: simplified issue and guaranteed issue.
Simplified issue: This is ideal for people who want life insurance but have a moderate health condition that may bar them from other insurance options. It's worth noting that some simplified issue life insurance providers enforce graded death benefits, withholding access to your full death benefits for a few years.
Guaranteed issue:Guaranteed issue life insurance is for older people looking for final expense coverage, which includes funeral and burial expenses. It limits applicants to those who are 50 and above.
Premiums
Premiums for no medical exam life insurance are generally higher as applicants tend to be high-risk and requirements are lower. You'll want to keep this in mind as you sort through quotes.
Customer Service
You should peruse customer reviews on websites like Trustpilot and the Better Business Bureau while shopping for a life insurance company. You should note how helpful and accessible a company's customer service team is and any issues with receiving payouts. Unresponsive insurance companies are the last thing that anyone wants to deal with after the passing of a loved one.
Why You Should Trust Us: How We Reviewed the Best No Exam Life Insurance
The coverage and riders offered are vital parts of our evaluation. We also look at the speed of payouts, customer satisfaction, and financial strength ratings. All of these factor into the immediate and long-term performance of the life insurance companies we review.
If you're looking for more information about a specific life insurer, our reviews offer a deep dive into individual policies, riders, and more. The same considerations are used for all competitors to ensure readers have the edge to make informed decisions in an ever-changing market.
See our life insurance rating methodology for more details.
Best No Medical Exam Life Insurance FAQs
Is there any life insurance with no waiting period?
Most life insurance policies have some waiting period, whether it's a few weeks or longer. However, no medical exam life insurance is sometimes available with no waiting period, and you also have the option to purchase temporary coverage in the interim before your policy takes effect.
Are there alternatives to a no medical exam policy?
There are alternatives to a new medical exam life insurance policy. Insurance agents can quote you medical exam policies if you're denied a no medical exam option. An experienced agent may be able to assess your application before starting the process to avoid official denials. If you're concerned about premium limits, you can explore options like IUL (indexed universal life) for permanent life insurance that increases your benefit as long as you make premium payments.
What is the highest amount of life insurance you can get without a physical?
The highest amount of life insurance you can get without a medical exam is lower than what you could get with a medical exam. Guaranteed-issue policies that don't require medical exams typically top out at $25,000 or $50,000 in coverage, while standard life insurance policies can offer millions in coverage.
Should I choose a whole or term policy with no medical exam life insurance?
You'll have to decide whether you prefer a whole or term policy based on your situation if you're getting no medical life insurance. A term policy has an expiration date, and extensions or conversions to a whole life policy are not guaranteed. If anything, your rate may be higher if you try to convert your policy. The insurer looks at you just as it would any other applicant of your age, health, etc. A whole life policy locks in premiums and payouts.
Can you really get life insurance without a medical exam?
Yes, you can really get life insurance without a medical exam, but your options will be different. That's because you'll need to choose a guaranteed issue policy — a specific type of insurance that lets you bypass the medical exam requirement — and it will probably cost more than a regular policy including a medical exam.
Insurance Editor, LIA, MLO
Lina Roby (she/her) was a Personal Finance Insurance editor at Insider. She covered pet, travel, auto, and other common insurance products. She is also a licensed property & casualty insurance agent. Her goal is to help readers make informed decisions for all their insurance needs and plan for the unexpected, especially in a constantly evolving insurance marketplace. As a licensed insurance agent, she worked closely with clients and insurance carriers to quote and bind homeowners, auto, liability, and other insurance plans for personal and business. As a licensed mortgage loan originator, she was also able to more effectively quote and bind homeowners insurance policies meeting mortgage lender requirements. With a love for writing, she has also assisted with marketing for her local insurance marketplace.
Compliance and Operations Associate
Evelyn He is a Compliance and Operations Associate on the Personal Finance team to ensure content accuracy and editorial independence so readers get up-to-date and objective financial advice.The compliance team's mission is to provide readers with fact-checked and current stories so they can make informed financial decisions. The team also works to minimize risk for partners by ensuring language is clear, precise, and fully compliant with regulatory and partner marketing guidelines that align with the editorial team.
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