When applying for life or health insurance, which of the following is likely to occur?

• A. Medical history from the insured may be reviewed and reported
• B. Policy is issued instantly without any medical checks
• C. No health information will be collected
• D. Applicants are not required to disclose prior illnesses

Answer: (A)

Underwriting for life or health insurance relies on medical information to assess risk and set premiums. When you apply, the insurer typically reviews your medical history and may obtain and report health information to the underwriting process. This can come from medical records, responses to health questions on the application, results of a paramedical exam, and data shared with sources like the Medical Information Bureau. Because gathering and reviewing your medical history is a standard part of underwriting, this option reflects what’s likely to occur.

Policies issued instantly without any medical checks are not the norm for most life or health policies, since underwriting and health information collection are common—even for policies that don’t require a full medical exam, there are usually health questions and some level of underwriting involved.

No health information being collected is not accurate, as health information is central to determining eligibility and premiums. Applicants are also required to disclose prior illnesses; omitting such information can lead to denial or cancellation of coverage for misrepresentation.

So the most accurate claim is that medical history from the insured may be reviewed and reported.