eTopical Precious Finds
One thing that most life insurance policies have in common is that they require you to take a medical exam. The exam requirement is there, generally speaking, so that your insurer can get an idea of your basic medical history and find out if you have any underlying medical conditions that will affect your insurance application. In addition, the exam allows your insurer to verify the information you submitted with your initial application.
These are some of the most important determining factors for how high a premium you’ll need to pay, and better health results will result in lower charges. It’s important, therefore, for you to know as much as you can about the process so you can be well-prepared. Here are some of the most important details you should keep in mind.
What Insurers Are Looking For
Your insurer is trying to get a picture of your overall health. The less healthy you are, the greater risk they take insuring you (and vice versa). As a result, they’ll be testing for common health conditions that could impair your longevity, including:
- High cholesterol
- High blood pressure
- HIV/AIDS
- Hepatitis
- Hyperglycemia/Diabetes
Additionally, they’ll be wanting to know if you smoke or do any drugs, as these also play a part in how long you’re expected to live. Because of this, it’s best if you mention any medical conditions you might have (instead of trying to hide them), and be honest with all of the questions you’ll have asked of you, speaking of which…
What Questions/Procedures to Expect
During your medical examination, you can expect a verbal questionnaire that will go over your current health, lifestyle, and habits. The examiner may, for instance, ask:
- About the basics (your name, address, phone number, etc.)
- About your medical history (whether you’ve ever been hospitalized, medications you take, surgeries or procedures, and conditions)
- About your family medical history
- About your lifestyle (do you exercise, smoke, drink, do drugs, etc.)
After the questionnaire, you’ll go through a physical examination, which is fairly similar to an annual check up and typically administered by a nurse.
They’ll measure your height and weight, take your blood pressure, take your pulse, draw some blood (to check for vital indicators), and might even collect urine samples as well (again, for vitals, but also to see if you’ve recently used any drugs).
And with that, your exam will be finished. It’s nothing too out of the ordinary, so if you’ve ever had a doctor visit before, this isn’t anything that you should feel worried about.
