Planning to purchase Term life policy, do I need to get in shape?

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surfer949
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Planning to purchase Term life policy, do I need to get in shape?

Post by surfer949 »

When purchasing a Term life insurance policy does the insurance company give a health check? I'm 44, good shape not overweight.
Rupert
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Re: Planning to purchase Term life policy, do I need to get in shape?

Post by Rupert »

Yes. They will send a nurse to conduct an exam. You will be asked to fill out a detailed questionnaire re medical history. Don't lie because they'll check with one of the insurance clearinghouses to see if you've omitted something you've been treated for. They also make you sign a HIPAA waiver so they can get copies of your medical records from your doctors. The nurse will weigh you, check your blood pressure, and take urine and blood samples. They'll run a CBC, metabolic panel, lipid panel, and drug screen (maybe others, but those are the ones I can recall). They also test for HIV. It's pretty thorough. I don't think trying to get in shape in the days or even weeks leading up to the exam will make much difference. But in the days leading up to the exam, don't eat a lot of fatty food as that can screw up your cholesterol results. Also, don't drink alcohol excessively (or at all) in the days leading up to the exam. If you're a heavy drinker or smoker, though, that's going to show up in the results, whether you refrain in the few days leading up to the test or not. On the day of the exam, don't drink excessive amounts of liquid in an effort to alter the results. They can detect that too. If your urine is too diluted, that raises a huge red flag.
an_asker
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Re: Planning to purchase Term life policy, do I need to get in shape?

Post by an_asker »

surfer949 wrote:When purchasing a Term life insurance policy does the insurance company give a health check? I'm 44, good shape not overweight.
Yes of course they do. However, if you are pretty healthy with no dependence on drugs (cholesterol and blood pressure being the prime culprits), you should get a very good rate. Even if you were taking drugs, you could get a decent rate (of course, what I think as a decent rate might be daylight robbery from your standpoint ... or vice versa).
an_asker
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Re: Planning to purchase Term life policy, do I need to get in shape?

Post by an_asker »

Rupert wrote:[...]On the day of the exam, don't drink excessive amounts of liquid in an effort to alter the results. They can detect that too. If your urine is too diluted, that raises a huge red flag.
Please PM me offline if this is TMI for the forum, but how can they tell that? [I am not disputing that they could, just curious how]
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surfer949
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Re: Planning to purchase Term life policy, do I need to get in shape?

Post by surfer949 »

Ok thx all. Another good reason to eat better :P
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Hub
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Re: Planning to purchase Term life policy, do I need to get in shape?

Post by Hub »

I'm in the process of trying to drop 10 pounds in advance of getting an updated policy. I already have one in place so there's not a huge rush. Otherwise one may never get a policy.
Rupert
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Re: Planning to purchase Term life policy, do I need to get in shape?

Post by Rupert »

an_asker wrote:
Rupert wrote:[...]On the day of the exam, don't drink excessive amounts of liquid in an effort to alter the results. They can detect that too. If your urine is too diluted, that raises a huge red flag.
Please PM me offline if this is TMI for the forum, but how can they tell that? [I am not disputing that they could, just curious how]
Low creatinine level. This explains it: http://www.crlcorp.com/wp-content/uploa ... 1.2013.pdf
strafe
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Re: Planning to purchase Term life policy, do I need to get in shape?

Post by strafe »

Rupert wrote:
an_asker wrote:
Rupert wrote:[...]On the day of the exam, don't drink excessive amounts of liquid in an effort to alter the results. They can detect that too. If your urine is too diluted, that raises a huge red flag.
Please PM me offline if this is TMI for the forum, but how can they tell that? [I am not disputing that they could, just curious how]
Low creatinine level. This explains it: http://www.crlcorp.com/wp-content/uploa ... 1.2013.pdf

Specifically low URINE creatinine level, which is a marker of dilution (though may also be affected by dietary protein).

Most people are more familiar with SERUM (blood) creatinine levels, which are used to estimate kidney function.
PowDay
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Re: Planning to purchase Term life policy, do I need to get in shape?

Post by PowDay »

I was 1lb over the limit to get premium pricing, I was able to utilize doctors records to show a lower weight, vs the cheap home scale the nurse brought to the house.
smackboy1
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Re: Planning to purchase Term life policy, do I need to get in shape?

Post by smackboy1 »

Getting in better shape can't hurt. Also:

- If you are planning to have a checkup or medical testing, if it's not an emergency, ask your physician about putting it off until after you purchase the policy.
- If you are prone to "white coat hypertension" (i.e. anxiety causes BP to increase during a medical exam even though normal resting BP is within normal range), learn some visualization or breathing exercises so your BP stays normal during the exam.
- The examining nurse can make mistakes. If something seems completely wrong, question it and get a second opinion. e.g. sometimes the EKG leads are incorrectly placed making it seem like there is a heart problem when none exists.
Disclaimer: nothing written here should be taken as legal advice, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night.
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soaring
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Re: Planning to purchase Term life policy, do I need to get in shape?

Post by soaring »

If you drink everyday, even one drink a day, then don't drink at all for at least two weeks. Maybe longer I'm not sure.
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lthenderson
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Re: Planning to purchase Term life policy, do I need to get in shape?

Post by lthenderson »

I'm not sure why people feel the need to lose weight, stop drinking, flush out systems etc, more than they normally due right before an insurance policy checkup. The big picture seems to be that saving a few bucks on an insurance policy premium is more important than living healthy everyday and prolonging your life.
an_asker
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Re: Planning to purchase Term life policy, do I need to get in shape?

Post by an_asker »

lthenderson wrote:I'm not sure why people feel the need to lose weight, stop drinking, flush out systems etc, more than they normally due right before an insurance policy checkup. The big picture seems to be that saving a few bucks on an insurance policy premium is more important than living healthy everyday and prolonging your life.
While you make an excellent point, the truth is that better health - as measured for the insurance purchase - will result in a lower insurance rate. I know folks who visit the Doctor (completely unrelated to the insurance) staying off of sugar (or fatty food) for a month or two so that the doctor does not yell at them!! ;-)

Thanks strafe and Rupert for responding to my question.
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powermega
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Re: Planning to purchase Term life policy, do I need to get in shape?

Post by powermega »

If you haven't done it in a while, get a blood test done with your doctor first.
Even a stopped clock is right twice a day.
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mephistophles
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Re: Planning to purchase Term life policy, do I need to get in shape?

Post by mephistophles »

If you need the coverage, apply for it now. Come as you are.
ole meph
gnujoe2001
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Re: Planning to purchase Term life policy, do I need to get in shape?

Post by gnujoe2001 »

Years ago I qualified for the "super premium" rate on my term: I'm nowhere near athletic and not strict on diet.

I'll guess what helped was scheduling the nurse exam early in the morning, IIRC per suggestion of the insurance agent. Woke up just a few minutes before the appointment. Waited to eat breakfast after the exam.
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SmileyFace
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Re: Planning to purchase Term life policy, do I need to get in shape?

Post by SmileyFace »

What you consider overweight and what they consider overweight might be two different things. They look purely at "weight per sex and height" regardless of whether you are large boned and very muscular or very skinny in stature. Back when I got a term life plan I got rated "premium non-smoking male" instead of "super-premium non-smoking male" because they considered me overweight (I'm 6 feet tall and they told me I needed to be something like 195 lbs - I was about 10 lbs over). I could have starved my self for a month to save a hundred or so a year but decided not to.

What type of health check they give might depend upon how much insurance you are buying - I was going for a $1M policy and at that level they had a nurse come to my house and take an EKG in addition to blood tests, blood pressure, and so on. (By the way - probably a good way to get a free physical - apply for Term Life :)).
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