What is the life insurance medical exam like?

The examiner confirms identity, measures height and weight, takes blood pressure and pulse readings, and draws a few vials of blood. A urine sample is collected for the same panel. The exam itself is quick, and most of the time is taken by the health interview at the end rather than the physical measurements.

Appointments are usually scheduled within a few days of the application and can be done at home, at the office, or at the carrier's facility. Nothing about the process is invasive beyond the blood draw, and you are free to ask the examiner to explain any step.

Blood work covers cholesterol and lipid profile, blood sugar and A1C, liver and kidney function, and markers used to screen for conditions such as HIV and hepatitis. The urine sample screens for drug use, nicotine, and protein levels. Height, weight, and blood pressure feed the same build and cardiovascular risk analysis that determines your class.

The results are compared against the carrier's underwriting guidelines rather than a clinical standard, which is why a reading a doctor may consider borderline can move your class. That is also why the same lab results can produce different outcomes at different companies.

Hydrate well in the day or two before, avoid alcohol for at least 24 hours, and skip heavy or fatty meals on the morning of the appointment. Avoid strenuous exercise the day before, since intense activity can temporarily elevate liver and muscle enzymes. If you are fighting an acute illness, reschedule, because a fever or infection will distort several readings.

Disclose your medications accurately rather than hoping the blood work will not show them. It will. Providing the list up front gives the underwriter context, which usually produces a better outcome than an unexplained result on a lab sheet.