No medical life insurance

Yes, you’ll need to provide medical information when applying for term-based cover (decreasing term or level term).

These types of policies are medically underwritten so that insurers can assess the likelihood of a claim and the level of risk involved with offering cover.

However, it's not always necessary to undergo a physical medical exam.

In most cases, providing information about your health via a medical questionnaire is sufficient for insurers to determine the level of risk.

A life insurance medical is type of health assessment that can help to check your overall health and identify your risk of getting certain medical conditions, such as:

• Heart disease
• Kidney disease
• High blood pressure
• Diabetes
• High cholesterol

You’ll be asked some questions about your lifestyle and family medical history, and undergo a number of simple tests and measurements, including:

• Blood tests
• Blood pressure test
• Smoker test
• Urine test
• Height and weight measurements to calculate your Body Mass Index (BMI)
• Waist measurement

If you’re requested to attend a medical then it’ll be arranged at a time and date to suit you, at your local GP surgery or pharmacy.

It’s typically carried out by an NHS nurse or healthcare professional and takes around 20 - 30 minutes.

If a life insurance provider requests that you to undergo a medical, they'll cover the cost of the exam.

Between the application and medical exam results, most insurers will provide you with accidental life cover.

This means that if you were to pass away during this period as a result of an accident, your loved ones will receive a pay out.

If you lie about your health to avoid a medical exam, this is known as non-disclosure and is a type of insurance fraud.

Not being fully truthful on your application from can cause your policy to be invalid, meaning any future claims will be declined.

Your insurer has the right to obtain your medical records after you pass away if there’s any suspicion of non-disclosure.

It's essential that you provide the correct information when applying for life insurance to ensure that your family are protected and your premiums don’t go to waste.

If an insurer requires access to your medical records whilst assessing your application, then they must obtain your permission first.

You’ll be given the option to see the records yourself via your GP before these are sent to the insurer.

Medical records will include your medical history over the past five years, sometimes longer depending on your circumstances.

Typically, the information provided by your GP is specific to your life insurance application.

Once your policy is in place, insurers can access your medical records upon your death or under suspicion of fraud.

This is as a result of the terms and conditions you'll have signed with your policy.

This will allow them to ensure all aspects of your application were truthful and if applicable, a claim is valid.

It's often believed there are a number of steps you can take to ensure you pass a medical exam.

However, in reality, the aspects measured are unlikely to be altered in the short period of time between the exam request and appointment.

Before attending your medical exam, you'll be advised on any action you should take prior, such as not eating for a defined period.

Yes, it's possible to retake a life insurance medical exam, however, usually a 6 month waiting period is enforced.

During this period your application may be deferred, or you may be required to make a new application once the time has passed.

If your original medical exam allowed you to be accepted for life cover, but at inflated premiums, you may be able to retake it in an attempt to reduce the cost.

This must be approved by the underwriters and agreed that they're willing to review your premiums when a period of time has elapsed.