Why do life insurance companies make you go to see a doctor for a checkup?

Actually, most life insurance companies do have a medical exam requirement for applicants based on the person's age and amount of life insurance being requested.

For instance, some insurers may require a medical exam if you are over age 30 or requesting more than $50,000 of life insurance.

However, the exam is usually a paramedical exam performed in your home or office by a paramedical examiner, not a doctor. And, the exam is paid for by the insurance company.

Sometimes, the exam may only consist of some questions asked about your health, a check of your eyes, ears, blood pressure, breathing, and a sample may be taken of your blood which is sent to a laboratory for testing.

Your blood may be tested for several health issues, including high protein levels, high cholesterol, diabetes, STD's, legal and illegal drugs, cancer, etc. They will also check for the presence of nicotine in your system, so make sure your answer all health questions truthfully, including if you smoke or not.

There are some insurance companies that offer life insurance without any doctor checkups or blood testing.

Here's how you can learn more about life insurance medical exams and what to expect.