Term Insurance Medical Test

Is a Health Check-up Mandatory For Term Insurance?

Getting a health check-up done is not mandatory to get a term insurance, but most of the insurers in India ask you to get it done in order to get a good understanding about your current medical status. This way, insurers can assess your health risks more accurately, manage your premiums accordingly, and offer you the option to enhance your coverage through riders, which are available at an additional cost.

Why Are Medical Tests Needed?

Medical tests help insurers understand your current health and assess the risk of offering you term insurance. They reveal any existing health issues or potential risks, allowing the company to decide on your premium and coverage. These tests give a clear picture of your health profile.

Benefits of Medical Tests in Term Insurance

Medical tests offer several advantages when applying for a term insurance plan. Here’s how they help:

● Accurate Premium Calculation

Medical tests allow insurers to assess your health and offer a premium that reflects your risk level. If you're in good health, you may get a lower premium.

● Transparent Risk Assessment

These tests help both you and the insurer understand any existing health conditions, ensuring there are no surprises during the claim process.

● Lower Claim Rejection Chances

With proper medical documentation, your insurer has complete health details upfront—this reduces the chances of claim rejection due to undisclosed illnesses.

● Higher Coverage Possibility

A clear medical report may help you qualify for a higher sum assured, giving your family better financial protection.

● Informed Policy Decisions

Medical results help insurers offer a policy that truly fits your needs, ensuring the terms match your health profile and future risks.

Common Medical Tests Needed for Term Insurance

A few of the common term insurance medical tests are mentioned below:

• Blood pressure test
• Blood cholesterol levels or Lipid profile
• Test for Blood glucose levels
• Body Mass Index (BMI) measurement
• Routine Urine Analysis (RUA)
• Electrocardiogram (ECG)
• Liver function test (LFT)
• Complete blood count (CBC)
• Chest Xray
• Ultrasonography (USG), etc.

Importance of Medical Tests in Term Insurance

Here are some points that depict the importance of term life insurance medical tests:

1. Informed decision-making

The term insurance medical test allows the insurance company to assess the health risk of an individual and determine the risk of premature demise. The insurance company can make informed decisions about the premium to be charged and whether the coverage should be issued or not.

2. Reduces the possibility of claim rejection

Once the medical tests are completed, the insurance company knows your medical health. The possibility of hiding about a health condition reduces. This may lower the chances of claim rejections.

3. Faster underwriting

As the insurance company gets the medical reports, it can quickly complete the medical underwriting process and issue the policy without further delays.

4. Wider coverage

If your medical reports show a good medical history with no health issues, you will be able to enjoy higher sum assured levels in your term insurance plan. Such optimal levels would help you get adequately insured and provide complete financial security to your family.

Factors Affected by Term Insurance Medical Test

Based on the reports of the term insurance medical test, the following policy parameters might be affected:

1. Premium payable

If the medical tests find an adverse health condition, the insurance company might charge a higher premium to compensate for the higher coverage risk. As such, the premium amount may be affected after the term insurance related medical tests.

2. Sum assured

If there are existing medical conditions which are detected in the health check-up, the insurance company might offer the policy coverage but at restricted sum assured levels.

On the other hand, if the report is clean and favourable, you might be allowed to choose a high sum assured for optimal protection.

3. Claim rejection

As the medical tests establish the medical condition of the life insured, the chances of claim rejections due to hidden medical deaths, are reduced.

What do the medical tests cover?

Medical tests for term insurance are done to check your overall health and detect any possible risks. These tests depend on your age, lifestyle, and medical history. Basic checks include measuring your height, weight, and Body Mass Index (BMI). Blood and urine tests are also common, which help assess sugar levels, cholesterol, liver and kidney function, and the presence of nicotine or alcohol in the body.

Tests may also include checking for conditions like diabetes, HIV I & II, and heart-related risks. If you or your family have a history of certain illnesses, the insurer may ask for a few extra tests to get a clearer picture of your health.

It’s important to be honest about your lifestyle habits, such as smoking or drinking, as these can affect your policy terms. These medical tests help the insurance company offer you the right coverage and reduce any issues during future claims.

Procedure for Medical Test for Term Insurance Cover

Medical tests for term insurance are carried out based on your age, the plan you choose, and the sum assured. If you apply for a high coverage amount or fall in the age group where health checks are mandatory, the insurer will ask for a medical test as part of the process.

After the tests are completed, the reports are sent directly to the insurer for review. Based on your medical results, the insurer may suggest revisions in the policy such as revisions in premium amount, sum assured, etc., issue the policy as is, or deny the policy if there are major health risks.

This procedure ensures that your policy is issued with accurate risk assessment and the right premium, offering transparency and fair coverage based on your health condition.

How Is the Term Insurance Medical Test?

Insured needs to specify the age, the plan and the sum assured under which medical tests for term insurance become important and mandatory.

If you choose such plans, are older than the specified minimum age for medical check-ups, or opt for a high sum assured, you might have to undergo a pre-entrance health checkup.

The insurance company conducts the term insurance medical tests at one of its clinics and also bears the underlying charges. Once the reports are generated, they are sent to insurance company for medical underwriting of the proposer.

Depending on the medical reports, Insurance Company might do any of the following:

• Revise the premium due to existing medical complications
• Deny issuing the policy in the case of bad medical health
• Restrict the maximum sum assured allowed under the policy
• Issue the policy and allow the choice of a high sum assured if the medical tests give a favourable report

What Is a Telemedical Examination for Term Insurance?

Thanks to the advancement of technology, video calls and phone calls might be used for medical check-ups of the life-insured. This is called Telemedical examination.

Under Telemedical examination, the doctor might give a video call to the life insured and ask the relevant medical questions on the call. The video call also allows the doctor to see the life insured and assess if there’s any physical condition present.

Things to Remember About Telemedical Examination

• The call usually happens at a specified time and date which is predetermined between the insurance company and the policyholder.
• You should be in a place where there’s complete internet connectivity for a high-quality call
• The doctor might ask you to show previous medical reports, if any. Keep such reports handy

Do’s and Don'ts for Telemedical Interviews

Do’s

• Answer all the doctor’s questions honestly
• Disclose any previous health condition that you might have had
• If you don’t have information about any particular question, let the doctor know of the same
• Give clear and coherent answers so that the doctor understands what you are saying

Don’ts

• Don’t hide any material health-related information or lie about the same
• Don’t rush to complete the call

Conclusion

Check the requirement and term insurance medical test list when buying the policy. If required, undergo the medical check-up at the insurer’s clinics when buying the term plan. If available, telemedical examinations can prove convenient as you can get the check-up done right from your home.

So, understand the concept of medical test for term insurance and see if it is required or not.

FAQs

1. Is opting for a medical test mandatory for term insurance?

Medical tests for term insurance are not mandatory for all policies. It is required depending on the type of policy that you buy, your age, the sum assured selected and also if you have any adverse history of medical condition.

2. Do we need to submit the medical history or records to the insurance company?

If you have any previous medical history or ailments that you suffered in the past, you have to disclose the same in the proposal form. However, previous records might not be required. Instead, the insurance company might ask you to fill out a separate questionnaire or undergo a medical check-up.

3. Who will pay for my medical tests?

In India, typically the insurance company covers the full cost of medical tests required for term insurance. You don’t need to pay anything out of pocket. Once your application is submitted, the insurer will schedule your tests and bear all related charges.

4. Is the medical test mandatory?

It depends on the type of policy and the insurer's requirements. Most of the insurers in India ask you to get it done. These tests help the insurer evaluate your health risks accurately and decide your premium. Some policies may waive tests for lower coverage and younger applicants, but it's always better to go through them for transparency and to avoid claim issues later.

5. Are there any hidden terms or conditions that I should know about while opting for a term insurance?

No, there are no hidden terms if you choose a reliable insurer. However, it's important to read your policy document carefully. Disclose all health-related details and check conditions related to claims, exclusions, and medical history. Misrepresentation or hiding information can lead to claim rejection later.

6. Do I have to visit the diagnostic centre to undergo a medical test?

Not always. Most insurance companies offer flexibility in medical testing. You can either visit a nearby diagnostic centre from their approved list or opt for a home collection if the insurer provides that service. The insurer will coordinate and fix an appointment based on your convenience. Home testing is a convenient option for many.