Applying for life insurance often requires a look at your medical history to determine if you are in good enough health to be supported by an insurance company. Traditional underwriting processes require extensive testing and evaluations of your health and lifestyle. The more information needed by the underwriter, the longer it may take to receive approval.
If you require coverage as soon as possible or would like to avoid lengthy medical exams, you can apply for a life insurance policy with accelerated underwriting to speed up the process. Let’s take a look at what is involved in the underwriting process and help you determine if accelerated underwriting is right for you.
What Is Underwriting for Life Insurance?
When applying for a life insurance policy, the insured individual often needs to take a medical exam or provide lab testing to determine the premiums of that policy. Based on this lab testing, in addition to an examination of medical history, the policyholder will be given a classification regarding associated risks and how suitable the individual is for the company to insure. This evaluation process is known as underwriting.
The insurance classification determines the eligibility for coverage as well as what the insurance rate will be. If you have a good classification, you’ll likely have a lower premium in comparison to people with a poor classification. Having a history of smoking or frequent hospital visits may result in a lower classification, and thus a higher premium.
The underwriting process can take several weeks or even months to complete, depending on the insurer and how thorough their evaluation is. Traditional underwriting processes are quite complex and time-consuming. However, an accelerated underwriting process forgoes the need for medical exams and can be approved in just a few days or weeks.
Important Note: Accelerated underwriting is only available for some insurance policies—it is not universally available. Your life insurance agent can refer life insurance products with the appropriate underwriting process for your needs.
How Does Accelerated Underwriting Work?
Instead of waiting months to be evaluated by your insurance company, you can speed up the process through accelerated underwriting if you are in good health. By waiving the medical exam on your insurance application, the underwriting process can be whittled down to a few weeks, or even a day, depending on what is offered by your provider.
Insurers will evaluate your medical history to determine the premium set for your term life insurance coverage. Let’s look a bit closer at what this process entails.
Application
The first step of the accelerated underwriting process is to apply for life insurance through your provider, noting that you prefer an accelerated option. Your insurance agent will use this preference to refer you to a product that has an underwriting process that meets your needs without extensive time spent undergoing medical exams or testing. These applications are often available online, which will speed up the underwriting process even more.
Questionnaire
To gain more information on your medical history, insurance companies will ask you to fill out a questionnaire. This may include information from the Medical Information Bureau (MIB), your prescription history, as well as your motor vehicle report to check for previous injuries related to accidents on the road. Underwriters may also ask for your family’s medical history to determine if you are at risk of a hereditary condition.
Analysis
After the information is provided, your insurance company will review it. During this portion of the accelerated underwriting process, the underwriter will decide if the applicant is eligible for a life insurance policy with the provider. The more information that is provided, the longer the analysis can take.
Classification
Following the analysis, the applicant will receive their classification. Classification levels may differ between providers but generally, they determine the premium on the life insurance policy in relation to health and potential risks uncovered during the analysis portion of the underwriting process.
Here’s a look at what these classifications may entail:
- Elite: You are in excellent health and pose few risks as a life insurance policyholder. Expect lower premiums compared to the other classification levels.
- Preferred: You are in good condition overall, though you may experience minor health issues. The premiums for this classification may be higher than the elite classification.
- Standard: As one of the most common classifications, you are likely in good health with some risks to keep in mind. Policyholders within this classification may have high premiums.
- Substandard: This classification means you may be denied coverage or your premiums will be quite high as a result of your medical status.
To better understand these classifications, consider where you may fall on the range of benefits provided by an insurance policy. Investopedia outlined that the lowest death benefit amount for accelerated underwriting policies is typically between $50,000 or $100,000. With a high classification level, you might even receive death benefits of up to $1 million.
Of course, there is always room for variance depending on your specific circumstances and the insurance company’s own products and policies.
Are Products with Accelerated Underwriting Right for Me?
Products with accelerated underwriting are not right for everyone, but they can be beneficial for some life insurance policy applicants. Not everyone who applies for an insurance policy that has an accelerated underwriting process may be approved, but there are some factors that might increase your likelihood of gaining that approval.
Underwriters typically approve individuals for accelerated underwriting if they are:
- Between 18 and 60 years old
- Have a healthy medical history as well as no serious medical conditions in their family history
- Have no criminal charges on their record
- Are in good financial standing
- Are a U.S. citizen or a permanent resident
- An individual who has not been previously denied coverage
Keep in mind that some of these benefits can differ depending on age and the specific requirements of the insurance company you’re purchasing a life insurance policy from.
Underwriters want to make sure that they are approving you for a life insurance policy that fits your lifestyle. When looking at your application, underwriters consider your health, lifestyle, and your occupation. This can include your age, gender, medical history, lifestyle choices, and hobby. Overall, the goal is to determine if a person is a good fit to be a policyholder for life insurance.
If you’re looking to get started with a life insurance policy with accelerated underwriting, the insurance agents at ELCO Mutual are here to help! Get in touch with an independent insurance agent that offers ELCO products today for more information on underwriting and life insurance contracts today.
