Can I get life insurance faster with accelerated underwriting?

Accelerated underwriting can help healthy people age 18 to 60 get life insurance faster by forgoing a medical exam and using existing records to set policy rates.

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By

Katherine MurbachEditor & Licensed Life Insurance AgentKatherine Murbach is an editor and a former licensed life insurance agent at Policygenius. Previously, she wrote about life and disability insurance for 1752 Financial, and advised over 1,500 clients on their life insurance policies as a sales associate.&Amanda ShihEditor & Licensed Life Insurance ExpertAmanda Shih is a licensed life, disability, and health insurance expert and a former editor at Policygenius, where she covered life insurance and disability insurance. Her expertise has appeared in Slate, Lifehacker, Little Spoon, and J.D. Power.

Edited by

Antonio Ruiz-CamachoAntonio Ruiz-CamachoAssociate Content DirectorAntonio helps lead our life insurance and disability insurance editorial team at Policygenius. Previously, he was a senior director of content at Bankrate and CreditCards.com, as well as a principal writer covering personal finance at CNET.
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Reviewed by

Eloise Spinello Eloise Spinello Associate Director of Partner Success, Policygenius ProEloise Spinello is a life insurance expert and the associate director of partner success for Policygenius Pro.

Updated|3 min read

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The life insurance application process can take between four and six weeks from the time you apply to the time your coverage is active. During this time, the insurance company reviews your application through a process called underwriting. If you want to obtain life insurance faster, accelerated underwriting (AU) life insurance could get you approved for a policy in under two weeks or, with certain insurance companies, even one day.

Key takeaways

  • Underwriting is the process insurers use to evaluate how risky you are to insure, and how much you’ll pay for your life insurance policy.

  • Accelerated underwriting allows many people age 18 to 60 to forgo the medical exam that’s a standard part of the life insurance application process, as long as they’re in good health.

  • Instead of an in-person exam, insurers use readily available data and previous medical records to set your premiums for term life insurance coverage.

  • An independent broker can help you compare policy options from multiple different insurers to let you know if you qualify for an accelerated underwriting policy.

What is accelerated underwriting?

Accelerated underwriting is a type of no-medical-exam life insurance that speeds up the typical underwriting process by eliminating requirements such as the medical exam and the attending physician statement (APS).

  • To verify your health status and lifestyle, you’ll have a medical interview over the phone and the insurance company will verify your application details.

  • This includes checking medical records through the Medical Information Bureau (MIB) , your motor vehicle report, and your prescription history.

  • If there are no concerns about the riskiness of your health or finances, you’ll likely be approved without needing to submit any additional information.

Some AU policies are classified as instant issue life insurance — meaning that you’ll get an application decision immediately after you submit your information to the insurer. Other times, you might get an approval within a few days.

Accelerated underwriting is different from simplified underwriting — or simplified issue life insurance which doesn’t include a medical exam either, but is used for more costly burial insurance policies.

Who should get accelerated underwriting life insurance?

Accelerated underwriting policies are a good option if you: 

  • Have few health conditions

  • Need coverage as soon as possible 

  • Prefer to avoid blood tests

  • Prefer to avoid medical exams in general

Who qualifies for accelerated underwriting?

You’re not guaranteed to qualify for accelerated underwriting just because you’re in good health, but you’re more likely to be approved if you are:

  • Age 18 to 60

  • Generally healthy with no family history of serious medical conditions

  • In good financial shape with good credit and no recent history of bankruptcy

  • Clear of serious criminal charges, including felonies and moving violations

  • A U.S. citizen or permanent resident

  • Someone who has not been declined insurance coverage in the past

You may not be approved for an AU policy if you have:

  • A complex health profile or a serious condition

  • A high-risk profession

  • A heritable health condition in your family health history, like breast cancer 

Your age can also impact the amount of coverage you’ll be able to buy without taking a medical exam. Some insurance companies still allow people age 50 to 60 to apply for an AU policy, but limit them to around $100,000 in coverage.

Being disqualified from accelerated underwriting doesn’t mean you can’t get life insurance. It just means you’ll have to go through traditional underwriting with a full medical exam.

→ Learn more about how life insurance works

Where can you buy accelerated underwriting life insurance?

You can get an accelerated underwriting life insurance policy through these five Policygenius partner insurers: 

Here’s a quick comparison between all these AU life insurance options.

Life insurance company

Term lengths available

Age

Coverage amount limits

Legal & General America: Horizon AU

10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35 & 40 years

20 to 60

$100,000 to $2 million

Brighthouse: SimplySelect

10, 20 & 30 years

25 to 50

$100,000 to $3 million †

Prudential: FastTrack

10, 15, 20 & 30 years

18 to 60

$100,000 to $3 million

Transamerica: AU

10, 15, 20, 25 & 30 years

18 to 60

$250,000 to $2 million

Pacific Life: PAL+

10, 15, 20, 25 & 30 years

18 to 60

$50,000 to $3 million

Methodology: Information is based on policies offered by Policygenius as of January 2024 and subject to change. For Brighthouse SimplySelect, coverage limits vary by risk class.

For a comprehensive overview of each insurer’s customer service record and financial standing, take a look at our life insurance company reviews.

Best accelerated underwriting policies in 2024

The right policy for you will vary depending on your individual circumstances. We recommend two options offered by our insurance partners, Brighthouse SimplySelect and Legal & General America Horizon AU, for their affordability and flexibility.

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Brighthouse Financial

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Policygenius rating 

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AM Best rating 

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A

Cost 

Using a mix of internal and external rate data, we grade the cost of each insurance company's premiums on a scale from least expensive ($) to most expensive ($$$$$).

$

$

$

$

$

No-medical-exam option

Why we chose itchevron icon

Brighthouse Financial offers competitive rates, comprehensive coverage, and application decisions in as little as 24 hours, making it a great choice for people who want to get life insurance coverage without having to take the medical exam.

Pros and conschevron icon

Pros

  • Extremely affordable

  • Instant-decision applications

  • Best-in-class no-exam option

Cons

  • Traditional term life not available in CA, IL, LA, ME, or NY

  • Term life applicants limited to ages 25-50

Brighthouse SimplySelect

Brighthouse SimplySelect offers some of the lowest life insurance rates for eligible AU applicants and some of the highest coverage amounts — up to $3 million. Most people receive an application decision immediately after their phone interview.

Legal & General America has some of the cheapest life insurance rates available, even for people with some medical conditions. It offers the longest term available — 40 years — and has one of the quickest timelines for approval at eight days, on average.

Most people go from applying to having a policy in about a week — all without having to take a medical exam.

Ready to shop for life insurance?

Start calculator

How much does accelerated underwriting life insurance cost?

A 30-year-old female who doesn’t smoke and has just one or two mild health conditions would pay around $23 per month for a 20-year AU term life insurance policy with a $500,000 payout. A 30-year-old male with the same health profile would pay around $29 per month for the same policy.

Below you’ll find more sample rates for AU policies, but your final rate will depend on your age, gender, health profile, and lifestyle habits.

If you want to get a life insurance quote for your personal situation, connect with a Policygenius agent. At Policygenius, our experts are licensed in all 50 states and can walk you through the entire life insurance buying process while offering transparent, unbiased advice.

Age

Gender

$250,000 coverage amount

$500,000 coverage amount

$1 million coverage amount

20

Female

$15.01

$22.65

$33.63

Male

$19.18

$30.20

$47.51

30

Female

$15.17

$22.98

$36.90

Male

$18.19

$29.32

$48.89

40

Female

$21.66

$35.27

$60.65

Male

$25.39

$42.94

$75.24

50

Female

$43.92

$78.29

$139.50

Male

$56.69

$102.50

$188.29

Collapse table

Methodology: Average monthly rates are calculated for male and female non-smokers in a Preferred health classification obtaining a 20-year term $250,000, $500,000, or $1,000,000 term life insurance policy. Life insurance averages are based on a composite of policies offered through Brighthouse Financial, Foresters Financial, Legal & General America, Transamerica, and Pacific Life. Rates may vary by insurer, term, coverage amount, health class, and state. Not all policies are available in all states. Rate illustration valid as of 01/01/2024.

The bottom line

Accelerated underwriting can save you time on your life insurance application and money on premiums.

A Policygenius advisor will let you know if you qualify for a no-exam life insurance policy, an accelerated policy, or even instant life insurance during your initial phone interview.

If your accelerated application is not approved by the insurer for any reason, your agent will find the best alternative for your needs.

Frequently asked questions

How does accelerated underwriting work?

Accelerated underwriting is when an insurance company reviews your application without requiring a medical exam or attending physician statement (APS). The process uses existing records to evaluate you for term life insurance, which shortens the application timeline to around two weeks or less.

Which life insurance companies offer accelerated underwriting?

Legal & General America, Brighthouse Financial, Prudential, Transamerica, and Pacific Life all offer accelerated underwriting life insurance through Policygenius.

Who is eligible for an accelerated underwriting life insurance policy?

Eligibility varies by insurance company. If you’re between the ages of 18 and 60, don’t have a pre-existing medical condition, and have no criminal record or history of bankruptcy, you’re more likely to qualify.

Authors

Katherine Murbach is an editor and a former licensed life insurance agent at Policygenius. Previously, she wrote about life and disability insurance for 1752 Financial, and advised over 1,500 clients on their life insurance policies as a sales associate.

Amanda Shih is a licensed life, disability, and health insurance expert and a former editor at Policygenius, where she covered life insurance and disability insurance. Her expertise has appeared in Slate, Lifehacker, Little Spoon, and J.D. Power.

Editor

Antonio helps lead our life insurance and disability insurance editorial team at Policygenius. Previously, he was a senior director of content at Bankrate and CreditCards.com, as well as a principal writer covering personal finance at CNET.

Expert reviewer

Eloise Spinello is a life insurance expert and the associate director of partner success for Policygenius Pro.

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