Life insurance: the ABCs for passing your medical exam

The insurer confirms that your insurance proposal is being processed and that a nurse will come and see you at your home. Relax! Gino Mastrocola, independent consultant, and underwriter shares his expertise to enable you to pass the medical examination before accepting a life insurance contract. Follow the leader!

However, several factors determine the basic medical requirements associated with a life insurance contract. “The amount of coverage, the age of the insured, and the marketing positioning of the insurer are a few examples”, continues Gino Mastrocola. Know that the more the forecasts show that you will be able to assume your premiums over the long term, the less will be the cost of the protection offered. Five-step procedure to improve your risk class and your chances of obtaining a favorable insurance rate

1- When making the appointment: ask your questions

The secret to success is good preparation. When making the appointment, do not hesitate to ask your questions to the nurse. Do you have to be fasting? Will you get a copy of your medical exam results? “The broker also has a responsibility in the file: he must help you prepare for the telephone interview or the medical appointment. Do not hesitate to ask him for coaching if you feel the need,” he suggests.

2- Next step: prepare your medical information

Have a list of doctors consulted in recent years. Also find their full contact details. Then write notes to summarize the date and content of your most recent meeting. “The discussion will focus on your personal, family, and medical history,” confirms our guest. So don’t be surprised: you will have to answer several questions about your lifestyle.

A good practice could be, for example, to think beforehand about the answers you will then have to provide.

  • Are you in good health?
  • What medications and vitamins do you take?
  • What do your alcohol, cigarette, and drug use look like?

The nurse, upon arrival and before measuring your height, weight, and blood pressure, will require an identity document to prove that you are indeed the applicant for the insurance contract in question.

3- Seven (7) days before the exam: maintain a healthy lifestyle

The blood test is one of the elements of the examination that allows the insurer to gauge the risk that you represent. Impossible to camouflage anything in the laboratory! However, you can put the odds on your side for this analysis to be conclusive. For seven days before the appointment, have a healthy and balanced diet. No, it’s not the time to treat yourself to luxury poutine or to gleefully dip into your children’s Easter chocolates! For best results, increase your water consumption: this will eliminate certain toxins from your body.

4- Three (3) days before the fateful date: adopt a stricter diet

Now that you’ve already improved your diet for a few days, it’s time to make an additional sacrifice. Stop alcohol for 72 hours before the medical examination. And if your blood pressure is already on the mat, limit caffeine intake (tea, coffee, chocolate, and energy drinks ) for the occasion. “A Monster Energy -type drink consumed the very morning of the urine sample will notably raise your glucose level to unprecedented heights. Such a situation delays the analysis of the case,” he said.

5- The day before the medical examination: rest

Now that you have prepared yourself optimally, ensure a good night’s sleep. On another note, limit physical exercise the night before your appointment. “Plowing snow from your driveway before the nurse arrives will have an upward influence on your blood pressure,” says Gino Mastrocola. Instead, give it a shovel after he’s gone… And, that morning, take your prescription drugs as you should, but postpone taking your vitamin supplements.

So what? You went there with a last-ditch effort, but the pricing or the response obtained is not what you expected? Be aware that other insurers might see things differently. Do not hesitate to use your favorite comparator to find the desired product.

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