You’re a health conscious person. You eat a healthy diet—with the occasional splurge. You exercise most days of the week. You manage your stress—for the most part. So you might consider the medical exam to be just a hassle when shopping for life insurance. After all, your tests will only confirm what you already know, right?
While you might be generally healthy, medical exams provide a wealth of information to help you make informed and personalized decisions about your health. And while you might be able to get a “decent” rate without an exam, your rates could be substantially lower with just a little extra effort—and who wouldn’t want that? Here are 3 reasons why getting a medical exam is still a smart choice, even if you think you’re healthy.
1. You don’t know what you don’t know.
While everything might seem OK, you simply don’t know your health status unless you get tested. Regular medical exams usually test for biomarkers such as blood pressure, glucose levels, and body fat percentage. But life insurance exams often run tests for antigens that can indicate the presence of prostate cancer as well as provide information on liver/kidney function and overall immune health. Life insurance medical exams can provide health information for other conditions that might not be on your radar. So knowing your numbers empowers you to make informed choices about your health and helps you take steps to prevent the onset of certain diseases.
2. You can save money.
Not only can knowing your numbers keep you healthy—saving you thousands on medical bills—but it can also help you save money when applying for life insurance. Having medical proof that you live a health conscious lifestyle could save you hundreds every year on premium rates—which can add up to substantial savings over the course of a 20 or 30 year term life insurance policy. So while you might be nervous around needles, thinking about all the money you’ll save will be a great motivator for sticking with the exam—plus the savings far outlasts the pain.
3. Exams establish baselines.
Establishing your unique baseline of health is crucial for recognizing any irregularities down the road. Say for instance your blood pressure is usually on the lower end of the normal range, i.e. 105/65 mm Hg. However, you take a blood pressure exam that indicates you are 119/79 mm Hg. While that test result is still in the normal range for most people, it could indicate a medical condition or lifestyle habit that needs your attention. Without knowing your baseline, you might not think twice about the higher result—missing out on a potential health complication. Knowing your baseline means making personalized decisions about your health.
So you’ve decided to get a medical exam. Great decision! Here are a few things to keep in mind:
—Avoid strenuous exercise 48 hours prior to your exam. It can elevate urine protein levels, which can interfere with test results and provide a false positive for high-risk health concerns.
—Avoid high salt foods and alcohol within 24 hours of testing, as they can interfere with blood pressure and body weight results.
—Avoid ingesting caffeine 8-12 hours before your exam. Also avoid eating (unless you are diabetic) 8-12 hours before your exam. Both food and caffeine can interfere with blood sugar and heart rate test results. Pro tip: scheduling an exam earlier in the day can make this part much easier and more accurate!
—Sleep well the night before and drink lots of water, which will increase blood flow and make giving a urine sample much easier. Plus you won’t be tired and dehydrated, which will put you in a better mood on exam day.
—Take all medications as prescribed and bring medications, dosage, and physician info with you to the exam.
ABOUT HEALTH IQ
Health IQ’s mission is to celebrate the health conscious through financial rewards. Featured on Forbes, CNBC, TechCrunch, etc., Health IQ is the fastest growing life insurance company in the United States and has a 9.6 customer satisfaction rating on TrustPilot.