Health Questions Life Insurance Applicants Should Prepare For

Applying for life insurance involves filling out paperwork, taking a medical exam, and providing health histories for yourself and your immediate family. The younger and healthier you are, the lower the premiums will be. Most life insurance policies require that you answer medical questions and submit to a medical exam. However, no-exam policies exist, but they are usually more expensive and have a lower face value. During the medical exam, a paramedical will record your medical history, take your vital signs, and ask about your lifestyle habits. The insurance company will then review your application and medical exam results and either approve or deny your request to purchase coverage.

Medication, surgeries, and health history

When applying for life insurance, you will be asked about your medication, surgeries, and health history. This is to assess your risk of death and determine the cost of the policy. The healthier you are, the lower the premiums will be.

You will be asked about any medications you are taking, including prescription and over-the-counter drugs. You will also be asked about any surgeries you have had, as well as your medical history, including any medical conditions, diagnoses, treatments, and procedures. This will include dates of surgeries, diagnoses, procedures, and treatments, especially those that have occurred in the last 10 years. You will also be asked for the names and dosages of your current prescriptions.

In addition to your own health history, you will be asked about your family's medical history, including cases of heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and cancer. This is to determine if there are any hereditary diseases that may affect your future health.

It is important to be truthful when answering these questions. If the insurance company discovers that you have lied about a health condition, they may deny your application or increase your insurance premium.

Tobacco and alcohol use

Life insurance companies are interested in your tobacco and alcohol use because it helps them assess your risk of death. The higher the risk you present to the insurer, the higher your premiums will be.

When applying for life insurance, you will be asked about your tobacco and alcohol use. It is extremely important to provide factual answers on the application. Failure to do so could void the policy.

The insurance company will also assess your health through a medical exam. They will ask about your lifestyle habits, including smoking and drinking. They will also check your driving record, which can give them information about your drinking habits.

If you are a tobacco user, you will likely be asked about the frequency and type of tobacco use. This could include cigarettes, cigars, pipes, chewing tobacco, or other forms of tobacco consumption. The insurance company may also ask if you have used any smoking cessation programs or treatments in the past.

For alcohol use, the insurance company will want to know about the frequency and amount of alcohol consumption. They may ask about your typical drinking habits, such as how many drinks you have per week or per month. They may also inquire about any history of alcohol-related problems, such as DUI convictions or treatment for alcohol abuse.

Your answers to these questions will impact the cost of your life insurance policy. Tobacco and alcohol use are considered risk factors that can negatively affect your health and increase the likelihood of an early death. As a result, life insurance companies will usually charge higher premiums for individuals who use tobacco or drink alcohol regularly.

However, it's important to note that quitting smoking or reducing your alcohol intake can lower your insurance premium over time. Life insurance companies may reassess your risk status if you make positive changes to your lifestyle habits, and this can lead to lower premiums.

Occupation and hobbies

When applying for life insurance, you will be asked about your occupation and hobbies. This is because these are factors that can influence your health and life expectancy, and therefore the likelihood of you needing to make a claim.

Occupation

Your occupation will be a factor in determining the cost of your life insurance policy. If you work in a high-risk occupation, you may have to pay more for your policy. This is because your job may put you in dangerous situations or expose you to hazardous materials. Examples of high-risk occupations include construction workers, firefighters, miners, and military personnel.

Hobbies

The types of hobbies you engage in can also impact the cost of your life insurance policy. Dangerous hobbies, such as skydiving, rock climbing, scuba diving, and racing, can drive up the cost of your policy. This is because these activities increase the risk of injury or death. Even if you don't participate in extreme sports, other hobbies can still affect your policy. For example, if you enjoy cooking or gardening, your insurance company may consider you at higher risk for burns or injuries related to those activities.

It's important to be honest when disclosing your occupation and hobbies to your insurance company. Failure to do so could result in your policy being denied or your beneficiaries being denied the death benefit.

Driving record

When applying for life insurance, you should be prepared to answer questions about your driving record. This is because insurers will consider you a higher risk if you have multiple moving violations, traffic violations, DUIs, or speeding tickets. This will likely cause your life insurance premiums to be higher.

In addition to your driving record, insurers will also want to know about your criminal record, including any convictions, particularly those related to driving. It is important to be honest when answering these questions, as providing false information could result in your application being denied or your policy being cancelled.

Insurers will also ask about your lifestyle habits, such as smoking, drinking, exercise, and drug use, as well as any risky hobbies, such as rock climbing or skydiving. They will also be interested in your family's medical history, including cases of heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and cancer. This information helps them assess your overall risk and determine your insurance rates.

The application process for life insurance typically involves filling out paperwork, undergoing a medical exam, and providing detailed health histories for yourself and your immediate family. The cost of your premiums will depend on the risk you present to the insurer, with younger and healthier individuals usually paying lower rates.

Family medical history

When applying for life insurance, you will be asked to provide a detailed family medical history. This is because certain medical conditions are genetic, and understanding your family history helps the insurer to assess your overall health and longevity. Insurers will be looking for a strong pattern of mortality, or multiple family members with similar severe, genetic health issues at a young age. This information will be used to determine eligibility and pricing.

Insurers will ask about hereditary conditions in your immediate family, such as cancer (including breast, colon, lung, skin, and prostate cancer), diabetes, heart disease, kidney disease, Huntington's disease, and similar genetic conditions. They will also ask about additional conditions that can have a genetic component, such as Alzheimer's disease, ALS, attempted suicide, and Parkinson's disease.

If you answer yes to any of these questions, you will be asked to give additional information, such as your relative's age when diagnosed, the severity of the condition, and whether they are still alive or deceased. This information will help the insurer to assess your risk level. For example, having a parent who died of a heart attack at 45 will present a higher level of risk than a parent who was first treated for heart disease at 75.

If you don't know your family's medical history, you can select the "I don't know" or "not sure" option on the application, which usually won't be penalized. However, it is important to be as honest as possible, as lying or omitting information can invalidate your policy.

Frequently asked questions