What Do Life Insurance Companies Test For
If you are planning to purchase a life insurance policy you may be expected to take a physical exam before being approved. The exam itself usually takes no longer then fifteen or twenty minutes and will be conducted by a licensed physician. Part of the exam will most likely include you giving blood and urine samples. It will also include the doctor checking your vital signs such as your blood pressure, pulse and respiration, along with your weight and height. Depending on the type of policy you are applying for you may also be asked for an in depth medical history, including any surgeries, disease or family history of disease that may be prevalent in your family.
The physician performing the test may ask for the name of your regular doctor along with dates you last saw he/she, what the visit entailed and any treatment you received. A few companies go as far as having you take part in a stress test to monitor your heart or an EKG to look for abnormalities. Neither of these are painful procedures.
To prepare for your life insurance company test you should have as much information on hand as possible, such as your current doctors name, address and phone number. Write down any tests you've had recently and the results if you have them. Wear comfortable clothes and foot wear for the exam. Try not to arrive after just consuming a large meal and never drink alcoholic beverages before a physical test for your insurance company. Drink plenty of water beforehand, while avoiding caffeine filled drinks such as soda, coffee or tea. Too much caffeine in your system can cause your heart to beat faster then it normally would, thus causing irregularities to possibly show up on some of your test results.
Don't smoke or use tobacco products before your exam. These too, can cause a higher heart rate and probably a lecture from the doctor also. If you can, avoid using over the counter medications such as cold medicine. If you have no alternative and have to take them, be sure you explain this to the doctor who is performing the test so he can make note of it. Lastly, try to get a good nights sleep the evening before you will be having the test done.
Life insurance companies test for the signs that you may be living an unhealthy lifestyle. They want to run tests to see if you are a smoker and exactly how many packs you smoke a day. They also want to know if you are living a healthy lifestyle. Life insurance companies want to do business with someone who gets enough cardiovascular work. This means that you should be just sitting on the coach all day, eating potato chips and other unhealthy foods and expect to get a good deal on your life insurance.
Life insurance companies are also going to look at your family history. They are going to check to see what kind of illnesses have stricken your loved ones and family members in the past. Life insurance companies are wanting to know whether you would be susceptible to such afflictions. They also want to know if you have any other issues such as a preexisting condition that could effect your ability to live a long life. It can be nearly impossible to obtain a life insurance policy if you have a preexisting condition. Things like diabetes particularly when it may say in your medical records that you do a bad job of treating the diabetes may cause you not to receive a life insurance policy.
Life insurance companies are going to test for such things as irregular heart beat or things such as sexually transmitted diseases. Life insurance companies would also like to look at your medical records to see exactly how many surgeries you have had in the past. They know that if someone has been in the operating room quite a few times, such a fact could increase their chances of death. They also want to know about certain allergies that you have and will definitely test for such a thing. If you have something like an uncommon food allergy, they want to know that. If you were to die eating a certain food on accident, such circumstances could come into play within the decision of you receiving your benefits. Life insurance companies don't want to hear about you eating Peter Pan from your doctor when it is noted that you have a peanut allergy.
A life insurance company may also do some mental health screenings to see if you are a reliable customer. If you have had a history of suicide attempts or a history of domestic violence this could be a problem. If you have been in these type of situations where you have sustained a high number of serious injuries this could make it hard for you to obtain life insurance.
The physician performing the test may ask for the name of your regular doctor along with dates you last saw he/she, what the visit entailed and any treatment you received. A few companies go as far as having you take part in a stress test to monitor your heart or an EKG to look for abnormalities. Neither of these are painful procedures.
To prepare for your life insurance company test you should have as much information on hand as possible, such as your current doctors name, address and phone number. Write down any tests you've had recently and the results if you have them. Wear comfortable clothes and foot wear for the exam. Try not to arrive after just consuming a large meal and never drink alcoholic beverages before a physical test for your insurance company. Drink plenty of water beforehand, while avoiding caffeine filled drinks such as soda, coffee or tea. Too much caffeine in your system can cause your heart to beat faster then it normally would, thus causing irregularities to possibly show up on some of your test results.
Don't smoke or use tobacco products before your exam. These too, can cause a higher heart rate and probably a lecture from the doctor also. If you can, avoid using over the counter medications such as cold medicine. If you have no alternative and have to take them, be sure you explain this to the doctor who is performing the test so he can make note of it. Lastly, try to get a good nights sleep the evening before you will be having the test done.
Life insurance companies test for the signs that you may be living an unhealthy lifestyle. They want to run tests to see if you are a smoker and exactly how many packs you smoke a day. They also want to know if you are living a healthy lifestyle. Life insurance companies want to do business with someone who gets enough cardiovascular work. This means that you should be just sitting on the coach all day, eating potato chips and other unhealthy foods and expect to get a good deal on your life insurance.
Life insurance companies are also going to look at your family history. They are going to check to see what kind of illnesses have stricken your loved ones and family members in the past. Life insurance companies are wanting to know whether you would be susceptible to such afflictions. They also want to know if you have any other issues such as a preexisting condition that could effect your ability to live a long life. It can be nearly impossible to obtain a life insurance policy if you have a preexisting condition. Things like diabetes particularly when it may say in your medical records that you do a bad job of treating the diabetes may cause you not to receive a life insurance policy.
Life insurance companies are going to test for such things as irregular heart beat or things such as sexually transmitted diseases. Life insurance companies would also like to look at your medical records to see exactly how many surgeries you have had in the past. They know that if someone has been in the operating room quite a few times, such a fact could increase their chances of death. They also want to know about certain allergies that you have and will definitely test for such a thing. If you have something like an uncommon food allergy, they want to know that. If you were to die eating a certain food on accident, such circumstances could come into play within the decision of you receiving your benefits. Life insurance companies don't want to hear about you eating Peter Pan from your doctor when it is noted that you have a peanut allergy.
A life insurance company may also do some mental health screenings to see if you are a reliable customer. If you have had a history of suicide attempts or a history of domestic violence this could be a problem. If you have been in these type of situations where you have sustained a high number of serious injuries this could make it hard for you to obtain life insurance.
