3 Best No Medical Exam Life Insurance Policies for September 2024

Skip the tests and get coverage quickly with companies that offer life insurance with no medical exam.

Updated Aug 28, 2024 · 2 min read Written by Georgia Rose Lead Writer

Georgia Rose
Lead Writer | Finance, technology, science

Georgia Rose is a lead writer on the international team at NerdWallet. Her work has been featured in The Washington Post , The New York Times, The Independent and The Associated Press . Throughout her career, Georgia has written on a variety of subjects, including personal finance, government policy, science and technology. She enjoys researching complex topics and distilling the information for her readers. Before joining the international team, she wrote for the insurance vertical, specializing in life insurance.

Assigning Editor

Erica Corbin
Assigning Editor

Erica Corbin is a former assigning editor at NerdWallet. Erica joined NerdWallet in 2020 as an assistant assigning editor at large. In 2023, she was promoted to assigning editor and helped lead the credit cards vertical at NerdWallet Canada. She previously wrote and edited content at companies such as GOBankingRates and Nasdaq. Her work has been syndicated to USA Today, Yahoo Finance, MSN and more.

Fact Checked

Many, or all, of the products featured on this page are from our advertising partners who compensate us when you take certain actions on our website or click to take an action on their website. However, this does not influence our evaluations. Our opinions are our own. Here is a list of our partners and here's how we make money.

In the market for life insurance but want to skip the medical exam for one reason or another?

Here are the best no-exam life insurance policies from highly rated U.S. companies. Some of these policies guarantee acceptance regardless of your health, while others require you to answer a few health questions to qualify for coverage.

Best no medical exam life insurance for September 2024

Our top picks for this category earned a NerdWallet rating of at least 4.5 out of 5 stars.

NerdWallet's ratings are determined by our editorial team. The scoring formula incorporates consumer experience, financial strength ratings and complaint data.

No exam or medical questions (whole life). No exam but you may have to answer medical questions (term life).

NerdWallet's ratings are determined by our editorial team. The scoring formula incorporates consumer experience, financial strength ratings and complaint data.

No exam but you may have to answer medical questions.

NerdWallet's ratings are determined by our editorial team. The scoring formula incorporates consumer experience, financial strength ratings and complaint data.

No exam but you may have to answer medical questions.

NerdWallet rates insurers at the company level, not the policy level. This means our star rating reflects the company as a whole, and not its no-exam insurance life policy specifically.

Best no-exam life insurance policies in 2024

Learn more about each company in our top list by reading the brief summaries below and checking out the NerdWallet review links.

Country Financial: Best for customization Nationwide: Best for accessibility Best for senior members

insurance-product-card-logo

AARP

NerdWallet's ratings are determined by our editorial team. The scoring formula takes into account consumer complaint and customer satisfaction data.

Bottom line: Great option for senior AARP members. Older applicants can get coverage without answering any medical questions or taking an exam.

COMPARE QUOTES pros & cons why we picked it

Financial strength rating

These ratings indicate an insurer’s ability to pay future claims.

Exceptional

This indicates whether the company offers a way to apply for and purchase policies entirely online.

Ratings are based on complaints to state regulators relative to a company’s size, according to three years’ worth of data from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners. NerdWallet conducts its data analysis and reaches conclusions independently and without the endorsement of the NAIC.

Fewer than expected

Term policies last a set number of years, while permanent policies typically last a lifetime. No-exam policies don’t require a medical exam.

Term, permanent & no-exam

For senior applicants, AARP stands out for offering whole insurance with guaranteed coverage, which means you won’t have to take a medical exam or answer health questions. AARP also offers simplified issue term life insurance, if you’re willing to answer health questions.

Best for senior members

insurance-product-card-logo

COMPARE QUOTES

AARP

NerdWallet's ratings are determined by our editorial team. The scoring formula takes into account consumer complaint and customer satisfaction data.

Bottom line: Great option for senior AARP members. Older applicants can get coverage without answering any medical questions or taking an exam.

pros & cons why we picked it

Financial strength rating

These ratings indicate an insurer’s ability to pay future claims.

Exceptional

This indicates whether the company offers a way to apply for and purchase policies entirely online.

Ratings are based on complaints to state regulators relative to a company’s size, according to three years’ worth of data from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners. NerdWallet conducts its data analysis and reaches conclusions independently and without the endorsement of the NAIC.

Fewer than expected

Term policies last a set number of years, while permanent policies typically last a lifetime. No-exam policies don’t require a medical exam.

Term, permanent & no-exam

For senior applicants, AARP stands out for offering whole insurance with guaranteed coverage, which means you won’t have to take a medical exam or answer health questions. AARP also offers simplified issue term life insurance, if you’re willing to answer health questions.

No medical exams required.

Fewer than the expected number of complaints to state regulators.

Anyone age 50 and up can get access through AARP membership.

Term life insurance premiums rise every five years.

AARP no-exam policy details

Policy type: Term.

Policy name: Level Benefit Term Life Insurance.

Issue age: 50 to 74 for AARP members (45 to 74 for partners and spouses).

Coverage: $10,000 to $150,000 (up to $100,000 for New York residents).

Application: No exam, but you may have to answer questions about your health.

Policy type: Whole.

Policy name: Guaranteed Acceptance Life Insurance.

Issue age: 50 to 80 for AARP members and 45 to 80 for partners and spouses (50 to 75 for members and spouses in New York).

Coverage: Up to $25,000.

Application: No health questions or exam.

Best for customization

Country Financial

NerdWallet's ratings are determined by our editorial team. The scoring formula takes into account consumer complaint and customer satisfaction data.

Bottom line: A range of life insurance riders can be added to both term and whole life policies so you can customize your coverage.

COMPARE QUOTES pros & cons why we picked it

Financial strength rating

These ratings indicate an insurer’s ability to pay future claims.

Exceptional

This indicates whether the company offers a way to apply for and purchase policies entirely online.

Ratings are based on complaints to state regulators relative to a company’s size, according to three years’ worth of data from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners. NerdWallet conducts its data analysis and reaches conclusions independently and without the endorsement of the NAIC.

Fewer than expected

Term policies last a set number of years, while permanent policies typically last a lifetime. No-exam policies don’t require a medical exam.

Term & permanent

If you want a no-medical exam policy you can customize to your liking, Country Financial might be right for you. The company sells no-medical exam term and whole life with several riders you can add-on, including accelerated death benefits and child term insurance.

Best for customization COMPARE QUOTES

Country Financial

NerdWallet's ratings are determined by our editorial team. The scoring formula takes into account consumer complaint and customer satisfaction data.

Bottom line: A range of life insurance riders can be added to both term and whole life policies so you can customize your coverage.

pros & cons why we picked it

Financial strength rating

These ratings indicate an insurer’s ability to pay future claims.

Exceptional

This indicates whether the company offers a way to apply for and purchase policies entirely online.

Ratings are based on complaints to state regulators relative to a company’s size, according to three years’ worth of data from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners. NerdWallet conducts its data analysis and reaches conclusions independently and without the endorsement of the NAIC.

Fewer than expected

Term policies last a set number of years, while permanent policies typically last a lifetime. No-exam policies don’t require a medical exam.

Term & permanent

If you want a no-medical exam policy you can customize to your liking, Country Financial might be right for you. The company sells no-medical exam term and whole life with several riders you can add-on, including accelerated death benefits and child term insurance.

Offers multiple insurance products.

Not available in all states.

Country Financial no-exam policy details

Policy type: Simplified term or whole life insurance.

Issue age: 50 or younger.

Coverage: Up to $100,000.

Application: No exam, but you may have to answer questions about your health.

Best for accessibility

Nationwide

NerdWallet's ratings are determined by our editorial team. The scoring formula takes into account consumer complaint and customer satisfaction data.

Bottom line: The issue age range for this policy is 80 and younger — a relatively broad age range for this type of coverage.

COMPARE QUOTES pros & cons why we picked it

Financial strength rating

These ratings indicate an insurer’s ability to pay future claims.

Exceptional

This indicates whether the company offers a way to apply for and purchase policies entirely online.

Ratings are based on complaints to state regulators relative to a company’s size, according to three years’ worth of data from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners. NerdWallet conducts its data analysis and reaches conclusions independently and without the endorsement of the NAIC.

Fewer than expected

Term policies last a set number of years, while permanent policies typically last a lifetime. No-exam policies don’t require a medical exam.

Term & permanent

Unlike most other no-exam life insurance, Nationwide’s Simplified Whole LIfe policy offers coverage for customers younger than 20 years old. The company issues policies to applicants 80 years old or younger.

Best for accessibility COMPARE QUOTES

Nationwide

NerdWallet's ratings are determined by our editorial team. The scoring formula takes into account consumer complaint and customer satisfaction data.

Bottom line: The issue age range for this policy is 80 and younger — a relatively broad age range for this type of coverage.

pros & cons why we picked it

Financial strength rating

These ratings indicate an insurer’s ability to pay future claims.

Exceptional

This indicates whether the company offers a way to apply for and purchase policies entirely online.

Ratings are based on complaints to state regulators relative to a company’s size, according to three years’ worth of data from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners. NerdWallet conducts its data analysis and reaches conclusions independently and without the endorsement of the NAIC.

Fewer than expected

Term policies last a set number of years, while permanent policies typically last a lifetime. No-exam policies don’t require a medical exam.

Term & permanent

Unlike most other no-exam life insurance, Nationwide’s Simplified Whole LIfe policy offers coverage for customers younger than 20 years old. The company issues policies to applicants 80 years old or younger.

Lots of policy options and riders to choose from.

Low volume of complaints for a company of its size.

Strong digital presence, with plenty of online learning resources and a highly-rated mobile app.

Not all policies can be paid for online.

Nationwide no-exam policy details

Policy type: Whole.

Policy name: Nationwide Simplified Whole Life.

Issue age: 80 or younger (75 and younger in Minnesota, Mississippi, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania).

Coverage: $10,000 to $50,000 ($25,000 to $50,000 in Washington).

Application: No exam, but you may have to answer questions about your health.

Find the right life insurance plan for you

Make sure you and your loved ones are covered - compare customized life insurance quotes from our partners.

Compare with Policygenius

Life Insurance illustration of mother with young child

How we ranked the top life insurers

NerdWallet’s life insurance ratings are based on consumer experience, complaint index scores from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners for individual life insurance, and weighted averages of financial strength ratings, which indicate a company’s ability to pay future claims. Within the consumer experience category, we consider ease of communication and website transparency, which looks at the depth of policy details available online. To calculate each insurer’s rating, we adjusted the scores to a curved 5-point scale.

These ratings are a guide, but we encourage you to shop around and compare several insurance quotes to find the best rate for you. NerdWallet does not receive compensation for any reviews. Read our editorial guidelines .

How we review life insurance companies

In our life insurance reviews, our editorial team considers the customer and the insurer. These are some of the factors we take into account:

Policies offered. There are many types of life insurance on the market, and they fall into three key categories:

Term life insurance offers temporary coverage and a guaranteed payout if the policyholder dies during the term.

Permanent life insurance typically lasts a lifetime and builds cash value that can be borrowed against in the future.

No-exam life insurance issues coverage without the need for a medical exam.

Financial strength. We use AM Best ratings to confirm an insurer’s long-term financial stability and ability to pay claims. For life insurance, NerdWallet typically recommends considering insurers with ratings of A- or higher. Here’s the breakdown:

Exceptional: A+, A++. Strong: A-, A. Moderate: B, B+.

Complaints. These ratings are based on complaints to state regulators relative to a company’s size, according to three years’ worth of data from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners. The best life insurance companies have fewer than the expected number of complaints.

Buy online. This indicates whether an insurer allows you to apply for and buy a policy completely online.

What is no-exam life insurance?

With traditional life insurance policies, applicants typically have to fill out a questionnaire about their health and lifestyle and take a medical exam. It's similar to an annual physical. A medical professional measures your height, weight, blood pressure and cholesterol and usually takes a blood, urine and saliva sample.

No-medical exam policies remove the exam from the application process. Depending on the type of policy you apply for, you might still need to answer questions about your health and lifestyle — but some policies skip that part, too.

These policies tend to appeal to those with serious health conditions or healthy people who want to speed up the life insurance application process.

Alternatives to no medical exam life insurance

In general, policies that don’t require an exam can be more pricey than ones that do. So if you’re young and healthy, you may want to consider a policy with full medical underwriting. If you’re looking for a quick application process, you may want to consider instant life insurance , which uses big data and complex algorithms to calculate risk and reserves the right to ask for an exam.

More about buying life insurance as a senior

More about top-rated life insurance companies

Looking for a different type of life insurance policy? Check out NerdWallet’s top picks across these categories:

More about buying life insurance with a health condition

Life insurance ratings methodology

NerdWallet’s life insurance ratings are based on consumer experience, complaint index scores from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners for individual life insurance, and weighted averages of financial strength ratings, which indicate a company’s ability to pay future claims. Within the consumer experience category, we consider ease of communication and website transparency, which looks at the depth of policy details available online. To calculate each insurer’s rating, we adjusted the scores to a curved 5-point scale.

These ratings are a guide, but we encourage you to shop around and compare several insurance quotes to find the best rate for you. NerdWallet does not receive compensation for any reviews. Read our editorial guidelines .

Insurer complaints methodology

NerdWallet examined complaints received by state insurance regulators and reported to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners in 2020-2022. To assess how insurers compare with one another, the NAIC calculates a complaint index each year for each subsidiary, measuring its share of total complaints relative to its size, or share of total premiums in the industry. To evaluate a company’s complaint history, NerdWallet calculated a similar index for each insurer, weighted by market shares of each subsidiary, over the three-year period. NerdWallet conducts its data analysis and reaches conclusions independently and without the endorsement of the NAIC. Ratios are determined separately for auto, home (including renters and condo) and life insurance.

About the author

You’re following Georgia Rose
Visit your My NerdWallet Settings page to see all the writers you're following.

Follow for more nerdy know-how Keep up with your favorite financial topics on NerdWallet.

Georgia Rose is a lead writer on the international team at NerdWallet. Her work has been featured in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Independent and ABC News. See full bio.

On a similar note.

Compare term life insurance rates

Get free quotes from top companies.

Compare rates

NerdWallet Home Page Finance Smarter Credit Cards Financial Planning Financial News Small Business

Download the app

QR code for downloading the app

Disclaimer: NerdWallet strives to keep its information accurate and up to date. This information may be different than what you see when you visit a financial institution, service provider or specific product’s site. All financial products, shopping products and services are presented without warranty. When evaluating offers, please review the financial institution’s Terms and Conditions. Pre-qualified offers are not binding. If you find discrepancies with your credit score or information from your credit report, please contact TransUnion® directly.

NerdUp by NerdWallet credit card: NerdWallet is not a bank. Bank services provided by Evolve Bank & Trust, member FDIC. The NerdUp by NerdWallet Credit Card is issued by Evolve Bank & Trust pursuant to a license from MasterCard International Inc.

Impact on your credit may vary, as credit scores are independently determined by credit bureaus based on a number of factors including the financial decisions you make with other financial services organizations.

NerdWallet Compare, Inc. NMLS ID# 1617539

California: California Finance Lender loans arranged pursuant to Department of Financial Protection and Innovation Finance Lenders License #60DBO-74812

Insurance Services offered through NerdWallet Insurance Services, Inc. (CA resident license no.OK92033) Insurance Licenses

NerdWallet™ | 55 Hawthorne St. - 10th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94105