Speak with an experienced advisor! How to Prepare for a Life Insurance Exam
Knowing how to prepare for a life insurance exam is essential if you want to qualify for the best rate possible. Sometimes the reason life insurance applications receive a higher rate than applied for is due to a lack of understanding of what companies are testing. After you have selected the right insurance company and decided how much life insurance you need, these suggestions will help you receive the best rate. Note, you can always try the no exam route or, depending on the amount of insurance requested, work with a company that uses an accelerated underwriting process.
First, What Are Insurance Companies Testing For
- Indications of nicotine, tobacco, or drug use.
- High blood pressure.
- High cholesterol and glucose levels.
- High BMI
- HIV and AIDS
- No detection of a significant illness
- No detection of diabetes
- No abnormal labs for liver or kidney functions
Second, What to Avoid Before a Life Insurance Exam
Several foods and chemicals that have the potential to trigger inaccurate exam results. Here is what you want to avoid:
- Sleeping Pills – these can cause a false positive for barbiturates.
- Vitamin B12 or Riboflavin Supplements – these can cause a false positive for marijuana.
- Poppy Seeds – these can cause a false positive for opiates.
- High Protein Snack Bars – these can cause a false positive for marijuana.
- Tonic Water – The quinine can cause a false positive for cocaine.
- Ibuprofen – this can cause a false positive for marijuana
- Cold Remedies and Decongestants – these can cause a false positive for amphetamines.
Third, How to Qualify For The Best Results
To get the best results is is vital to know how to prepare for a life insurance exam. This list is essential!
1. Schedule a time when you are most relaxed
It is best to schedule the exam when you can be completely rested. For most people, this is in the morning. Please keep in mind that it is essential to get a good night’s sleep. Be ready for the exam a few minutes early. A short period of relaxation can do wonders to relieve tension and lower blood pressure. Stay calm and don’t get stressed and let the examiner take two or three readings, relax.
2. Watch what you eat
Stay away from processed foods high in salt 3-4 days before the exam. If you have weeks before you have the exam scheduled, you might want to start this at that time. You should also avoid fast food. Foods high in sodium can elevate blood pressure. Also, avoid fatty foods and those with large amounts of sugar. Sugar could raise your blood sugar levels and give you negative results on your life insurance exam. Avoiding sugar is especially true if you have diabetes and are taking a life insurance exam. It is better to avoid both high salt and sugar to achieve better test results. Try to eat foods that improve your blood pressure and cholesterol.
3. Drink plenty of water
Do not skimp on water or stay away from fluids. It is a false conclusion that your weight decreases if you limit fluids. You should drink plenty of water leading up to the exam and a large glass an hour before the exam. If you do not drink much water, you can become dehydrated. If the company is looking for sugar and protein in the urine, if you are dehydrated, these factors can end up elevated and outside the normal range. The result being, a higher life insurance premium.
4. Limit coffee
Coffee acts as a diuretic and causes you to urinate more. It is also a stimulant. Altogether avoid coffee the morning of your medical exam. It can cause elevated blood pressure.
5. Eliminate exercise for 24 hours before the exam
Avoid strenuous exercise 24 hours before the exam because it often causes abnormal lab readings. Exercise can elevate your blood pressure and may also cause elevated proteins in your urine temporarily due to the exercise. High protein in the urine can indicate kidney disease.
6. Avoid alcohol for 36 hours before the exam
Drink no alcohol for 24 hours before your medical exam for life insurance. You cannot get drunk the night before. Consuming alcohol can affect test results for your liver function Alcohol is high in calories and sugar and has a direct effect on triglycerides (However, a small glass of wine might benefit you. Plus, it does not look good to have blood work or a urine sample high in alcohol levels. Instead, take 24 hours to detox before your exam for life insurance.
7. Fast for 8-12 hours before the exam
If you do not fast, you risk elevated blood sugar levels and blood pressure levels. The last thing you want is a false positive in your life insurance physical exam. If you are concerned about fasting for 8 hours, consider taking your life insurance exam first thing in the morning. That way, you can fast in your sleep, wake up, and take your exam.
8. Things to do the morning of your exam
Dress in light clothing. Sometimes the difference between one rate class or another is one pound. Don’t take any risks on your medical exam for life insurance. Wear shorts and a T-shirt. A sweater can weigh as much as two pounds. Deal with the cold and ditch the sweater, at least for the exam. Take your shoes off, empty your pockets before being weighed, then put your shoes back on for the next step.
Stand up tall. When the examiner measures, you stand tall. Life insurance carriers use a build chart to determine your rate class. It is essential to qualify for the best class. The taller you are, the more weight you can carry. Stretching your neck and keeping your shoes on could mean hundreds of dollars in savings!
Smoking. Avoid tobacco in any form at least one hour before the exam. Tobacco can elevate your blood pressure because it is a stimulant. You cannot avoid higher nicotine rates. Evidence of smoking shows up in the lab results. If, at some point, you do quit smoking. Once a year passes, reapply for life insurance to qualify for a non-tobacco rate.
To summarize how to prepare for a life insurance exam
If the examiner has not asked you additional questions regarding your health history before the medical exam, they may ask some additional questions about your health history after the exam. The number of questions asked depends on the insurance company and on how much information you submitted before taking your life insurance physical exam.
The examiner submits your labs to a lab processing company. And the exam company processes your lab work (i.e., screen your blood and urine for any adverse health markers or drugs).
After processing the lab work, the company submits the results to the life insurance company underwriter. An attending physician statement from your doctor or doctors may be requested. This request depends on the lab results and information provided at the time of the exam.
Once the life insurance underwriter receives any additional information requested and reviews the lab results, you receive your life insurance rating and premium based on those results.
Please note we cannot guarantee following these steps results in a less expensive policy. However, you can feel prepared that you did your best and confident with the resulting rating. Also, note that we have an underwriter on staff that reviews the findings. If, for some reason, our underwriter determines that a different company will give you a better rating, we can move your application to that company and, in some cases, not have to repeat the exam.
Use Independent Agents
As experienced independent agents, Strahan Financial Services has extensive knowledge of the life insurance industry and company underwriting guidelines. We know how to qualify you for the best possible 
life insurance rates using the best company. As independent agents, we listen and are committed to helping you find the best policy tailored to your individual needs and budget.
Many of the websites offering life insurance are call centers with cubicles of agents using a script to sell life insurance. Some of the websites sell your information to 10 or more agents, which results in you receiving many unwanted and unnecessary calls. We are not a call center.
We only represent the top 1% of the market place. We know the companies, the products they offer, and we use the latest technology to improve your experience and get your policy issued as fast as possible at the least expensive rate. Some of the top-rated companies we work with are Mutual of Omaha, Transamerica, SBLI, Protective Life, American General, and Prudential, to name a few. We are not obligated to any company, finding the company that is the right fit for you, at the lowest possible price with the best rating and benefits is our goal.
Why Use Strahan Financial Services
We are professional
We are knowledgeable
We use the latest technology available
We are customer-service driven
We will earn your business
We want to over-deliver on your expectations
We want to earn a genuine “Thank you!” at the end of the process
We want to earn the opportunity to help your family and friends with their insurance
