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Best No Exam Life Insurance Companies

Licensed Life Insurance Agent/Staff Writer
May 04, 2020
We researched 141 companies to find the best no medical exam life insurance providers.

What is no exam life insurance?

Many insurers require an applicant to take a medical exam to help the insurance company evaluate your health. No medical exam life insurance is simply life insurance that doesn’t require this exam as part of the application process—however, they can still use medical underwriting, meaning they can take your health history into account.

If you apply for exam required life insurance, you’ll schedule a free exam with a paramedical professional, typically in your home or office.

During this appointment, you’ll:

  • Answer in-depth health questions
  • Have your blood pressure taken
  • Have your weight and height measured
  • Give blood and urine samples.

The results will be used to confirm whether you have certain health conditions, such as diabetes or high blood pressure. With this knowledge, an insurer will decide whether to approve your application and how much your premiums will be.

There are plenty of reasons to buy a no medical exam life insurance policy. No medical exam life insurance is typically more convenient and has a shorter approval process than other types of life insurance. If you’re in good health with a good medical history, you could receive quick coverage at a great price.

Call today: 888-234-8376

Best no medical exam life insurance companies

  1. Haven Life
  2. American Amicable
  3. Gerber
  4. AARP
  5. Bestow
  6. Principal Life
  7. John Hancock
  8. Transamerica
  9. Mutual of Omaha
  10. Lincoln Financial

No exam life insurance company comparison chart

Each of the companies on our list excels at providing at least one type of no medical exam life insurance. We’ve chosen 10 that stand out from the competition.

Provider
No exam policy types
Coverage up to
Compare rates
Term, whole, universal$250K
Term, whole, final expense, guaranteed issue$300K
Term, whole, guaranteed issue, final expense$100K
Term life$1M
Term, universal, indexed universal, variable universal$1M
Term, universal, indexed universal, variable universal, final expense$1M
Term, final expense$250K
Term, guaranteed issue$100K
Term, universal, indexed universal, variable universal$1M

Information is from Havenlife.com, AmericanAmicable.com, Gerber.com, NYLAARP.com, HelloBestow.com, Principal.com, JonHancockInsurance.com, Transamerica.com, MutualofOmaha.com,  LFG.com, and a Clearlink Technologies Partner. Data as of 12/5/2019.

If you’re looking for life insurance for diabetics or another preexisting medical condition, know that most no medical exam policies still ask questions about your medical history (known as medical underwriting). You won’t be able to hide your health condition. But there are some no exam policies that ignore your health status altogether, such as guaranteed issue policies.

Not looking for no medical exam life insurance in particular? Check out the best life insurance companies.

Haven Life: Best overall no exam life insurance

High death benefit payouts, instant coverage, and an AI-driven application make Haven Life our top pick for no exam life insurance.

Why we chose it

Haven Life offers coverage of up to $1 million for applicants 59 and younger, and most applicants can buy a life insurance policy after answering just a few questions. Haven Life’s insurance bot objectively analyzes your health data to give you an answer in minutes. But if you don’t qualify instantly, you still have the option to take a medical exam for further consideration.

Although Haven Life is relatively new to the industry, it’s backed by MassMutual—an insurance company that has been in business since 1851.

Haven Life no exam life insurance sample rate
Policy type

Coverage

Age

Monthly premium

20-yr term

$500K

30

$19

Rate is for a healthy female. Sample rate is from HavenLife.com and is for illustration purposes only. Actual rates may vary. Data as of 12/2/2019.

Learn more about Haven Life insurance.

American Amicable: No exam with the most choices

Unlike most companies, American Amicable offers all three major types of life insurance without a medical exam.

Why we chose it

American Amicable Life Insurance Company of Texas specializes in no physical life insurance. You can buy term, whole, or universal life insurance without taking a medical exam. Depending on the type of life insurance policy you choose, you can buy up to a $250,000 death benefit—or more, if you decide you don’t mind taking the exam after all. You can’t apply online with American Amicable.

This insurer has been in business for 120 years and has a spotless claims record.

American Amicable no exam life insurance sample rate

Unfortunately, American Amicable doesn’t have rates on its website. To see rates for your situation, you’ll need to call an American Amicable agent directly.

Learn more about American Amicable life insurance.

Gerber: Best no exam for preexisting conditions

Look to Gerber for top-notch life insurance that doesn’t depend on your health.

Why we chose it

Many no medical exam insurance companies still require applicants to fill out a health questionnaire or provide medical records. But Gerber's guaranteed issue life insurance isn't based on your health at all. You can choose up to a $25,000 payout for a guaranteed issue burial insurance policy.

If you’re not looking for final expense insurance, you could qualify for up to $300,000 in no exam whole life or term life coverage instead. But you’ll have to answer medical questions.

Gerber is a financially stable insurance company that got its start with children’s life insurance in 1967—and now offers quality coverage for adults too.

Gerber no exam life insurance sample rate
Policy type

Coverage

Age

Monthly premium

Guaranteed issue

$25K

50

$85

Rate is for a female. Sample rate is from Gerberlife.com and is for illustration purposes only. Actual rates may vary. Data as of 12/2/2019.

Learn more about Gerber life insurance.

AARP: Best no exam insurance for seniors

This trusted insurance provider specializes in no exam term and whole life for people 45 or older.

Why we chose it

People 50 and older can buy up to $100,000 of AARP’s no exam term life insurance after answering a few questions. People as young as 45 can buy no exam whole life up to $50,000 after the same application process. Or, you can skip the questionnaire altogether and get up to $25,000 in guaranteed acceptance whole life. This makes AARP an excellent final expense option if you’re looking for a low coverage amount and have health issues

All AARP policies are provided by New York Life, one of the most financially stable insurance companies in the nation. To buy a policy, you’ll need to be an AARP member, but you can join for as little as $12 your first year.

AARP no exam life insurance sample rate
Policy type

Coverage

Age

Monthly premium

Term

$100K

55-59

$13

Rate is for a female. Sample rate is from NYLAARP.com and is for illustration purposes only. Actual rates may vary. Data as of 12/2/2019.

Learn more about AARP life insurance.

Not sure AARP is the right insurance company for you? Discover other top senior life insurance companies.

Bestow: Most innovative no exam life insurance

Bestow’s streamlined, user-friendly application allows you to buy a term life insurance policy online in minutes.

Why we chose it

If convenience is your main concern, consider Bestow. Using an innovative application, answer a handful of questions you probably know off the top of your head. Then, choose and adjust your coverage amount (up to $1 million) and term length. This fast, easy application process makes it well-suited to people looking to fulfill life insurance requirements for an SBA loan or a divorce decree on a tight deadline.

Bestow’s data-driven application process is backed by North American Company for Life and Health Insurance®—a robust and stable insurance company with an excellent claims record.

Bestow no exam life insurance sample rates
Policy type

Coverage

Age

Monthly premium

20-yr term

$500K

30

$20

Rate is for a healthy female. Sample rate is from HelloBestow.com and is for illustration purposes only. Actual rates may vary. Data as of 12/2/2019. The opinions and ideas expressed in the article are those of the author(s) and are not promoted or endorsed by Bestow or North American. 

Learn more about Bestow life insurance.

Principal life insurance

Principal offers accelerated underwriting for healthy people applying for almost any policy.

Why we chose it

Principal Life offers an accelerated underwriting process that allows people who meet certain conditions to skip the exam when applying for most policies. If you qualify, you could see approval within 24 hours.

Principal is a financially stable insurance company with a clean claims history and a 140-year history of providing quality life insurance.

Principal no exam life insurance sample rate
Policy type

Coverage

Age

Monthly premium

20-yr term

$500K

30

$18

Rate is for a healthy female. Sample rate is from Principal.com and is for illustration purposes only. Actual rates may vary. Data as of 12/2/2019.

Learn more about Principal life insurance.

John Hancock life insurance

John Hancock offers high coverage amounts and a proprietary wellness program.

Why we chose it

While most insurers lower the death benefit you can get without taking a medical exam, you can get a cool $1 million with John Hancock. You’ll hear back about your application in as little as three days.

This insurer also offers a unique wellness program called Vitality. You can earn premium savings and other perks for healthy behaviors such as staying active and drinking plenty of water.

John Hancock no exam sample rate
Policy type

Coverage

Age

Monthly premium

20-yr term

$500K

30

$27

Rate is for a healthy female. Sample rate is generated from partner data and is for illustration purposes only. Actual rates may vary. Data as of 12/2/2019.

Learn more about John Hancock life insurance.

Transamerica life insurance

Transamerica provides quality life insurance, two no exam options, and top-notch service.

Why we chose it

Transamerica offers final expense insurance without a medical exam. If you’re healthy and attest to that in your application, you may also be able to qualify for a term life insurance policy without taking an exam. This insurer is financially stable and is well-known for offering excellent customer service.

Transamerica no exam life insurance sample rate
Policy type

Coverage

Age

Monthly premium

20-yr term

$50K

30

$12

Rate is for a healthy female. Sample rate generated from partner data and is for illustration purposes only. Actual rates may vary. Data as of 12/2/2019.

Learn more about Transamerica life insurance.

Mutual of Omaha life insurance

Mutual of Omaha provides no medical exam options for whole life and term life.

Why we chose it

Mutual of Omaha's guaranteed issue policies can be considered final expense insurance for seniors because they offer low payouts (up to $25,000) for older adults (ages 45–85). Healthy applicants may also be able to skip a medical exam when purchasing a term life insurance policy.

Mutual of Omaha consistently ranks in best-of lists for life insurance and customer service.

Mutual of Omaha no exam life insurance sample rate
Policy type

Coverage

Age

Monthly premium

Guaranteed issue

$25K

50

$74

Rate is for a female. Sample rate is from MutualofOmaha.com and is for illustration purposes only. Actual rates may vary. Data as of 12/2/2019.

Lincoln Financial life insurance

Lincoln Financial provides an over-the-phone application process for healthy customers.

Why we chose it

If you’re looking for $1 million or less in no exam term life insurance, you’re healthy, and you’re between the ages of 18 and 60, you could skip the medical exam with Lincoln Financial. You can apply over the phone, and if you choose eDelivery, you can receive your life insurance policy even faster via email.

Lincoln receives top financial strength marks and has a clean claims history.

Lincoln no exam life insurance sample rate
Policy type

Coverage

Age

Monthly premium

20-yr term

$500K

30

$29

Rate is for a healthy female. Sample rate is generated from partner data and is for illustration purposes only. Actual rates may vary. Data as of 12/2/2019.

Types of no exam life insurance

There are three types of no exam life insurance.

Accelerated underwriting

Also called express underwriting, these policies allow applicants to skip the medical exam and receive a fast decision from the life insurance company. Strictly speaking, accelerated underwriting isn't a distinct type of life insurance, but a different application process. As such, many insurers offer this process for some policies—but typically only for the healthiest applicants.

With this process, you’ll still need to answer medical questions truthfully. If you qualify, you could get covered within minutes at the same price as you’d get if you had taken an exam. If you don’t qualify, the insurer may require blood and urine samples to complete your application.

If immediate coverage is your main concern, this could be the right choice for you.

Simplified issue

Simplified issue life insurance also considers your health and uses medical underwriting. You'll answer medical questions and give the insurer permission to pull your medical records.

This process isn’t as quick as accelerated underwriting, but you won’t have to give blood or urine samples. If you’re healthy and don’t need insurance immediately—but you want to avoid an exam—simplified issue could be right for you.

Guaranteed issue

Guaranteed issue life insurance doesn’t consider your health at all during the application process. Not only can you skip the exam, but you can skip the questionnaire and keep your records private too. You can’t be turned down for this policy due to medical reasons.

The catch, of course, is that these policies provide less value than other no exam options—$50,000 is about as high a death benefit as you'll see. And you'll probably pay just as much as (or more than) you would for an exam-required policy.

Unfortunately, most companies offer guaranteed issue life insurance only to older adults, so you may have trouble finding one before your 50th birthday.

Still, if you've been turned down for life insurance before, a guaranteed issue life insurance policy might be your best bet.

Bottom line: No exam life insurance options are plentiful

Being able to skip the medical exam when applying for life insurance can be a huge relief. Applicants typically receive a faster response and possibly immediate coverage. And those with preexisting health conditions can buy guaranteed issue policies without worrying about how their health will affect coverage.

But no exam may not be for everyone.

Who might choose no exam life insurance?

  • Entrepreneurs: If you own a business, it may make sense to insure your or your partner's life to protect the company. SBA loans and other funding sources may require you to have life insurance—and come with tight deadlines for getting coverage. Or, you may be too busy wearing all those hats to schedule an exam.
  • People with preexisting medical conditions: Many no exam applications still uncover health issues, but guaranteed issue life insurance doesn’t depend on your health at all. While these policies typically offer low coverage ($50,000 or less), they could be your best option for life insurance with preexisting conditions.
  • People comfortable shopping online: Some companies offering no exam policies allow applicants to complete the entire process digitally. If you’re just plain busy and want to check life insurance off your to-do list fast, this type of life insurance might be what you need.
  • Divorcees: If you’re parting ways with your spouse, the courts may require that you have life insurance to protect your family. If so, you may have to gain coverage on a deadline, and taking a medical exam can make that challenging.

The right type of policy for you depends on your situation—and so does the right insurance company. If you're ready to skip the exam, get no medical exam term life insurance quotes tailored to your situation.

Still not sure? Learn more about the advantages of choosing no exam versus life insurance exam policies.

Written by
Kathryn Casna
Kathryn Casna is a licensed insurance agent and life insurance specialist who has appeared on The Simple Dollar and Best Company. On a weekly basis, she dives into complex life insurance topics to wring out genuinely useful information. When she’s not wrangling big ideas into easy-to-understand articles, Kathryn nerds out on budget-tracking spreadsheets and tries to coax her leash-trained cat to take outdoor adventures.