A life insurance policy provides your family with a safeguard against the uncertainty that surrounds life. It lets you take care of your family - even in your absence. When you go ahead to buy life insurance policy, you will be asked to furnish some information and documentation. One of the steps in the process will be ascertaining your health status. In order to do that, you will be asked to undergo a medical test for term insurance. But this happens on a case-by-case basis. Here’s how:

  • When you fill out the application form for your life insurance policy, the company might get back to you with an update on the request for medical tests.
  • Sometimes you may not be expected to undergo a medical test if you are young, but it is always preferable that you go for it. The reason for this being that this is a material fact.
  • The premium you pay for your life insurance depends upon the health status also, so you need to make a declaration with full disclosure of your medical condition.
  • If you hide a health condition, it can have severe consequences, even rejection of the claim when the time comes.

Thus, a medical test for term insurance is a wise idea in any case. In many cases, the life insurance company will get in touch with you for the same if they deem it necessary that you undergo a health check-up. They can then provide you with a list of available centres in your area where you can get those tests done, along with other instructions as needed. Depending upon the information they have gathered from you so far and the structure of the policy, there could be a very specific list of tests to be done.

What does a medical test for term insurance consist of?

Following from the fact that the medical tests required for each individual will vary on a case-by-case basis, it is important to understand the role of your declaration here. Your and your family’s medical history will be taken into account to find out what all medical parameters have to be covered.

  • As a general rule, the most common ones would be basic height and weight measurement, blood test, and urine test. Urine tests ensure the cotinine levels found in the samples are within an acceptable range, thus supporting your smoker or non-smoker status in the application form. So when you apply for a life insurance policy, be prepared for these.
  • The basic measurements of the physical body helps the insurance company to understand Body Mass Index (BMI) and if the potential policyholder is prone to risks.
  • Another common request is for a blood test. These are very versatile in the varied aspects they can help measure. The blood tests usually consist of the following test profiles:
    • Complete Blood Count
    • Differential Count
    • Bio
    • Fasting Plasma Glucose
    • Haemoglobin
  • Another aspect your medical tests could be interested in exploring is the cholesterol levels as well as HIV I & II. If you or anyone in your family has a history of some illnesses or diseases, the insurance company might ask for additional tests.
  • Similarly, if you are a smoker, the diagnosis goes back to the urine and/or blood tests. Tests will look for nicotine that's usually in a person's bloodstream for three days. They'll also search for cotinine, a nicotine byproduct. Cotinine is in the bloodstream longer. These tests are also why it is imperative for you to declare and come clean on all your smoking/drinking habits when you buy life insurance online.
Conclusion

If you fail to provide all relevant information during the purchase of the life insurance policy or if the medical tests aren’t a part of the process, it might come back to haunt you in the form of claim rejection.

Once you have the medical tests reports, you can avail term life insurance plans with affordable premiums. In accordance with your health status and indicated preferences, the premium will slide, but the knowledge from the medical test for term insurance can definitely help ensure a justified premium and coverage.