Getting life insurance typically requires a medical exam to give your provider a clearer picture of your health status. But there are policies available that don’t require an examination.
No-medical-exam life insurance can take several forms — including a group life policy from your employer or a guaranteed issue policy, which offers a smaller death benefit to pay for funeral costs and other final expenses.
Simplified issue life insurance and accelerated underwriting policies are more on par with term life policies but may have slightly higher premiums or limited coverage. You may also have to answer some questions about your health and a provider may look into your medical records and prescription history.
CNBC Select reviewed life insurance companies that offer no-medical-exam policies and chose the five that stand out for cost, coverage, customer service and more. (See our methodology for more on how we made our selections.)
Best no medical exam life insurance
Shop for the best life insurance policy
Best for affordability
Amica Life Insurance
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Cost
The best way to estimate your costs is to request a quote
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App available
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Policy highlights
Amica offers a level term life insurance and whole life insurance policies payable for 20 years or until ages 65 or 100. Both include a terminal illness rider at no extra charge.
Pros
- Can get term life quote and apply online
- 10% bundling discount with Amica auto insurance
- Terminal illness rider included
Cons
- Not all policies and features available in all states
- No universal or variable life insurance
- No other riders available
Who’s this for? Amica is a great budget-minded option with policies that start at less than $12 a month for a 20-year term and a $250,000 death benefit.
Standout benefits: Applicants in good health can skip the medical exam for a level term life insurance policy with Amica. You may also qualify for a bundling discount worth up to 10% if you have car or homeowners insurance through the brand.
Best for seniors
Ethos Life Insurance
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Cost
The best way to estimate your costs is to request a quote
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App available
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Policy highlights
Ethos offers term and permanent life insurance and includes free will and estate planning tools with policies.
Pros
- No medical exam
- Guaranteed acceptance option
- Instant coverage
- 100% online application
Cons
- Limited customization
- Whole life policies only available to adults 66 to 85
- Not available in all states
Who’s this for? Ethos offers no-exam term life policies you can buy up until age 65 and keep until you’re 80, making it a no-brainer for seniors.
Standout benefits: Ethos’ no medical exam policies provide up to $2 million in coverage in terms of 10, 15, 20 or 30 years. Adults 66 to 85 can qualify for a final expense whole life policy with a payout of up to $30,000.
Best for quick approval
Ladder Life Insurance
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Cost
The best way to estimate your costs is to request a quote
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App available
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Policy highlights
Ladder is a digital-first life insurance company offering up to $3 million in coverage without a medical exam. It only issues term life insurance and offers no riders, but you can adjust coverage as your needs change.
Pros
- No medical exam for coverage up to $3 million
- Online application process
- Rates starting at $5 per month
Cons
- No riders
- No permanent life insurance coverage
- Coverage only available until age 70
Who’s this for? Ladder‘s completely digital application process means you could get approved in as little as five minutes. That’s a big win if you want to cross it off your list quickly.
Standout benefits: The company has no-exam policies that pay out as much as $3 million. (You’ll still need to answer some health questions.)
Best for higher coverage amounts
Nationwide Life Insurance
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Cost
The best way to estimate your costs is to request a quote
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App available
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Policy highlights
Life insurance policies through Nationwide can come with several benefits, including the ability to keep all of your insurance policies in one place. Nationwide offers term, whole and universal life insurance, and offers a no-exam term life insurance option that can be bought online with coverage up to $1.5 million.
Pros
- Long-term care insurance rider is available
Cons
- Not all policies available in all states
Who’s this for? Nationwide‘s Intelligent Underwriting program means healthy applicants may be approved for up to $5 million in coverage without an exam — the most of any provider we reviewed.
Standout benefits: A Life Essentials term life policy offers a death benefit of up to $1.5 million without an exam. The application process is 100% online and it only takes about 30 minutes to get approved.
Best for customer service
State Farm Life Insurance
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Cost
The best way to estimate your costs is to request a quote
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App available
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Policy highlights
State Farm offers a variety of term, whole, and universal life insurance products to choose from, alongside other types of insurance. It’s rated highly for both financial stability and customer service.
Pros
- Outstanding customer service
- Reasonable rates
- Offers return of premium policy
- Bundling discount
Cons
- Policies must be purchased through a State Farm agent
- Doesn’t sell policies in Rhode Island or Massachusetts
- Fewer riders than the competition
- Accelerated death benefit costs extra
Who’s this for? State Farm is a winner if customer service is your priority. It topped J.D. Power’s 2023 Individual Life Insurance Study and has an A+ from the Better Business Bureau. According to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, State Farm receives far fewer complaints than other providers.
Standout benefits: You can apply for and buy a State Farm policy the same day and your premiums can be paid monthly or annually.
More on our top no medical exam life insurance companies
Amica
Amica issues life insurance policies in all 50 states and has been in the market since 1907. Term life quotes are available online and you can save up to 30% by bundling life insurance with Amica auto, home and umbrella policies.
Term lengths available
10, 15, 20, 25 and 30 years
Age limits
18 to 75 (for online term life insurance)
Amount of coverage available
$100,000 to over $1 million
Ethos
Ethos is an online life insurance broker issuing policies from top carriers, including Ameritas, TruStage, Mutual of Omaha and Legal & General America. Policies come with free will templates and other estate planning tools.
Term lengths available
10 to 30 years
Age limits
20 to 85
Amount of coverage available
Age 21 to 50: $20,000 to $2 million
Age 50 to 85: $20,000 to $500,000
Ladder
Ladder operates in all 50 states and Washington, DC. Depending on where you live, your policy may be underwritten by Allianz Life Insurance Company of New York, Amica Life Insurance, Fidelity Security Life Insurance Company, Ladder Life Insurance Company or S. USA Life Insurance Company.
Term lengths available
10 to 30 years
| Age | Maximum term length |
|---|---|
| 40 years old | 30-year term |
| 45 years old | 25-year term |
| 50 years old | 20-year term |
| 55 years old | 15-year term |
| 60 years old | 10-year term |
Age limits
20 to 60
Amount of coverage available
$100,000 to $3 million without a medical exam. Up to $8 million with an exam.
Nationwide
Nationwide lets you apply for no-exam insurance online with approval available in minutes. It came in second in JD Power’s 2023 Individual Life Insurance Study and earned an A+ from the Better Business Bureau.
Term lengths available
10 and 20-year terms
Age limits
Ages 18 to 50: $100,000 to $5 million
Ages 51 to 60: $100,000 to $1 million
Amount of coverage available
$100,000 to $5 million
State Farm
State Farm offers rate estimates online and policies are available nationwide. It’s Instant Answer term life insurance plan pays out up to $50,000, while a guaranteed issue final expense plan provides up to $25,000.
Term lengths available
10-year-term or age 50, whichever is longer
Age limits
Up to age 50 Instant Answer term life insurance
Amount of coverage available
Up to $50,000 for Instant Answer term life insurance
What is no medical exam life insurance?
Most life insurance policies require a medical exam to determine your risk level and the premiums you’ll pay. If you have a preexisting condition — or just don’t want the hassle of scheduling an exam — some plans don’t require an examination.
Since providers have less information, though, the death benefit is usually smaller and premiums are higher.
There are several types of no-exam life insurance.
- Group life insurance: If your company offers life insurance, it generally won’t require an exam. The amount is usually smaller than a standalone policy and coverage terminates when you leave your job.
- Guaranteed issue life insurance: No medical information is required, although the coverage level is usually much smaller and premiums are higher. Guaranteed issue final expense insurance can pay for funeral and burial costs.
- Simplified issue life insurance: While you won’t have to undergo a full exam, you will have to answer questions about your health and medical history.
- Accelerated underwriting life insurance: Uses third-party data about your health and lifestyle, like your driving record and prescription medication history, instead of a medical exam.
Pros and cons of no medical exam life insurance
Pros of no medical exam life insurance
- A guaranteed issue policy can be beneficial if you have preexisting conditions
- Faster underwriting time
- Don’t have to disrupt your schedule
- Can avoid disclosing personal health information
Cons of no medical exam life insurance
- You’ll pay more if you’re in good health
- Coverage amount may be more limited
- Stricter age restrictions
- Few if any riders
FAQs
Can I get life insurance without a medical exam?
You can get life insurance without a medical exam if you’re in relatively good health. Some plans may require you to answer health questions, however, or provide records. If you’re older with health complications, you may be able to skip the exam still and get a small guaranteed issue policy.
How much life insurance can I get without a medical exam?
Each company sets its own limits. Nationwide has no-exam policies that pay out $5 million, the most of any insurer we reviewed.
Is no-exam life insurance worth it?
A no-exam policy may be worth it if you have a preexisting condition or don’t have the time to be examined. If you’re healthy, you could qualify for an accelerated underwriting policy, which considers other health data (like prescription records) instead of exam results. No medical exam term policies may cost more or have slightly lower limits, however.
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Why trust CNBC Select?
At CNBC Select, our mission is to provide our readers with high-quality service journalism and comprehensive consumer advice so they can make informed decisions with their money. Every insurance review is based on rigorous reporting by our team of expert writers and editors with extensive knowledge of insurance products. While CNBC Select earns a commission from affiliate partners on many offers and links, we create all our content without input from our commercial team or any outside third parties, and we pride ourselves on our journalistic standards and ethics.
Our methodology
To determine the best no medical exam life insurance companies, CNBC Select analyzed dozens of providers, focusing on the availability of exam-free policies for a wide variety of customers.
We also considered CNBC Select audience data when available, such as general demographics and engagement with our content and tools.
While narrowing down the best insurance companies, we compared companies on cost, customer satisfaction data from J.D. Power and the Better Business Bureau and financial strength ratings from A.M. Best. From there, we sorted our recommendations by the best for affordability, seniors, quick approval, higher coverage amount and customer service.
Premiums and policy structures advertised for life insurance companies fluctuate in accordance with company policies.
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Editorial Note: Opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the Select editorial staff’s alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any third party.
