What Medical Tests are Required for Term Insurance?
Many term insurance providers ask policyholders to go through medical tests before buying term plans. These tests are done to assess the health of the policyholder so that the insurance company can determine the risk profile. The premium of the term plan as well as the sum assured and policy period are also decided as per this information. Read on to learn about the tests required.
Let’s take for example a term insurance plan. We buy term insurance to secure the future of our loved ones so that in our absence (after death), our family has a backup to meet all their needs and goals financially. In helping us secure our family’s interests, the insurer too takes a risk with us, the policyholder. The insurer does not know or cannot tell for certain our exact life expectancy or how long would we actually live. This means that if, after a small period of time of buying the term insurance, we succumb to death, the insurer goes in for a loss.
This risk of financial loss always looms over the term insurance sector, undeniably. Therefore, to help provide some form of assurance to the term insurance companies, the IRDAI (Insurance Regulatory Development Authority of India) mandates all policy applicants to term insurance to undergo compulsory medical tests to confirm their state of health at the time of buying a term life insurance policy.
Why Undergo Medical Test for Term Insurance?
The entire purpose of a term insurance plan is to protect our family’s financial future. In the unfortunate event of our untimely death, our loved ones should not feel lost. With a term life insurance policy, they would have something to reliably fall back on to achieve all their financial goals. The insurance company would be liable at the time to provide a specific amount of assured monetary death benefit to the family (nominee/beneficiary chosen by the policyholder at the time of policy purchase).
Now, in case the policyholder has some pre-existing medical condition which the insurer is unaware of at the time of term insurance policy purchase, there’s a large amount of risk involved for the insurer. This would essentially imply that the insured might succumb to their disease/illness anytime soon (resulting in even death). In this case, the insurer would have to pay a huge amount of the sum insured under the policy to the family of the insured (deceased) rather sooner than expected.
This is why the insurer asks the applicant (prospective policyholder of term insurance) to undergo a specific set of medical tests before actually buying the plan. This helps the insurer to know the current health condition and state of well-being of the applicant before issuing term insurance to them. Also, the medical test for term insurance help the insurer identify or see through any pre-existing ailments that the applicant may be a patient of and accordingly decide whether or not to issue them the term life insurance policy.
Medical Test for Term Insurance List
We learned about the need for medical test for term insurance. Here we present an entire list of tests that you may need to undergo so that you know which medical test is required for term insurance, in case you decide to buy one:
- Blood Tests: Your insurance company may ask you to undergo a full body blood testing to check for any pre-existing ailment or to identify if you currently have any health condition. Blood tests analyze the cells, proteins, molecules, and the likes present in the bloodstream.
- Liver Function Test: They are also called liver panels and are directed at the assessment of a number of chemicals, including enzymes and peptides, that the liver produces. This helps identify whether or not the liver is in healthy working condition.
- HIV/AIDS Test: This is one of the most critical tests conducted for term insurance. It is common knowledge that a person diagnosed with HIV/AIDS does not have a long life expectancy. Hence, it is imperative for the insurance company to get this test done from the policy applicant before issuing term insurance to them.
- Urine Tests: Urine test also forms a part of routine testing for term insurance to identify certain ailments such as urogenital infections, diabetes, or renal disease. Urine testing is also called urinalysis.
- Abdomen Test: Ultrasound imaging is done to examine the interior of the abdomen to check for any abnormality in this organ, such as stones in the kidney, tumor, or liver disease.
- Chest X-Ray: The condition of the lungs and the working of the heart can be determined via X-rays of the chest.
- Kidney Function Test (KFT): This is yet another diagnostic test conducted for assessing the smooth functioning of the kidneys and to determine whether this vital pair of organs is performing its job well – of clearing the toxic waste from the body.
- Complete Blood Count (CBC) Tests: The CBC test is generally done to assess the general state and well-being of the body and to identify other ailments that may be present in the body. A few examples include anemia, leukemia, and any other infection.
Read More: 10 Cheapest Term Life Insurance Plans with the Minimum Sum Insured in India
In a Nutshell
Term insurance is a vital policy document that every person must purchase in their lifetime to safeguard the future of their family when they leave this world. However, it is equally important to safeguard the interests of the insurance company that undergoes risk in the process.
Medical test for term insurance are therefore designed to provide assurance to the insurer of the general well-being and good health of the prospective policyholder. To look for the best term insurance plan for you and your family’s needs, visit PayBima. You can also look over other insurance plans on the website, such as life insurance, health insurance, and motor insurance.
Author Bio
Paybima Team
Paybima is an Indian insurance aggregator on a mission to make insurance simple for people. Paybima is the Digital arm of the already established and trusted Mahindra Insurance Brokers Ltd., a reputed name in the insurance broking industry with 17 years of experience. Paybima promises you the easy-to-access online platform to buy insurance policies, and also extend their unrelented assistance with all your policy related queries and services.
Other Life Insurance Products
Latest Post
Choosing the best health insurance for parents as they grow older and become more prone to diseases is important. With medical costs on the rise in India, properly insuring your parents can help alleviate some of the financial strain. This will ease the burden of unforeseen medical emergencies.
However, choosing a good plan can be a tricky matter. There are many kinds of insurance policies available, you should consider their health situation and future needs and know about insurance policies in general. This guide explains what crucial points to take into account (including renewal processes, age, and health conditions ) and helps bring clarity to make educated decisions.
Even though motherhood is one of the most beautiful things in a woman’s life, it is also one of the most financially burdensome phases. Maternity insurance entails all forms of checkups, delivery and postnatal, and as such expenses can easily skyrocket.
Therefore, it becomes a worthy affair for expecting parents to incur the cost. Maternity insurance covers several expenses that are associated with pregnancy and assists in reducing the financial stress and offer assurance during this important time.
For a homeowner, insurance acts as an essential part wherein the protection of their assets is ensured. In this regard, appraisals in real estate work in tune with something called the 80% rule that is used for selecting a policy and at a rate. Loss can become an absolute if one cannot fathom what homeowner insurance is. This blog will discuss the range of the 80% rule and how it affects your premium.
For policyholders, medical insurance has been a contentious issue, especially on account of claim rejections or delays. However, the insurance industry is increasingly worried about the rise of tech-savvy fraud, where fraudulent medical claims are made using forged documents and sophisticated digital techniques.