Before providing life insurance coverage, many firms run a urinalysis. And the urine tests used by life insurance firms look for more than just drugs.
Urine tests for life insurance are not uncommon. They are a standard element of the life insurance application process, with blood tests and a medical assessment. Insurance firms use urine test results to assess your health profile during underwriting.
Urine tests are used to verify the facts on your application and, as a result, calculate how much you will pay in premiums.
Table of Contents:
- Why Do Life Insurance Companies Test Blood And Urine?
- What Do Life Insurance Companies Look For In A Urine Drug Test?
- What Drugs Do Life Insurance Companies Test For?
- Why Should You Obtain a Urine Test for Life Insurance?
- What Procedure Is Used For The Test?
- What Will Happen If You Don't Want to Take the Urine Test?
- What Happens After The Urine Test?
Why Do Life Insurance Companies Test Blood And Urine?
Life insurance companies need to know about any health conditions or issues that may impair your life expectancy because they are insuring your life. They use drug test and medical examination results to determine how dangerous you are to cover and what premium they may offer you for life insurance.
That does not suggest that you won’t get coverage if a life insurance company discovers something during underwriting. Medical exams for life insurance are used only to verify the health information submitted in your application and look for underlying health issues. These checkups are usually free and consist of assessing your height and weight, testing your blood pressure and pulse, obtaining blood and urine samples, and asking further health-related questions.
If you have any chronic medical illnesses, getting your life insurance is easy and often more affordable than you think. Diabetes, HIV, and high cholesterol do not automatically result in application denial. Conditions are handled differently by each insurer. An independent broker may assist you in locating an insurance carrier that provides the most cost-effective coverage for your needs.
What Do Life Insurance Companies Look For In A Urine Drug Test?
Urinalysis tests for life insurance fill in the gaps in your medical records and application for life insurance. A provider may be looking for a variety of things, including
Drugs: For life insurance companies, illegal drug usage is a significant red signal. They may run a urine test for hard narcotics, including cocaine, methamphetamines, opiates, as well as MMJ. Positive results might certainly result in coverage refusal but MMJ usage is becoming increasingly tolerated due to legalization in some states in the US. So you may still be able to receive coverage.
Prescriptions and analgesics: Another thing clinicians will want to know if you're taking any prescription medications that they can detect and trace in your urine. This will either corroborate the facts you provided on your application or raise red flags if they discover something you left out.
Nicotine: Because smokers are regarded to be at a higher risk, your life insurance provider will want to know if you smoke. You may be offered a higher smoking rate for your coverage if nicotine is detected in your system.
Issues with your health: Urine tests can detect drugs and other potential health problems, including kidney disease, liver illness, diabetes, and infections. Your samples will be sent for microscopic examination to assess your general health.
What Drugs Do Life Insurance Companies Test For?
A life insurance company may conduct a drug test for a variety of medications. These are some of them
- Anabolic Steroids
- Amphetamine/Methamphetamine
- Barbiturates
- Cocaine
- MMJ
- Methadone
- Nicotine/Cotinine
- Opiates
- Phencyclidine
- Tranquilizers
Why Should You Obtain A Urine Test For Life Insurance?
The insurance company is taking a risk on your health by not knowing your medical history. Death benefits for no medical exam life insurance are limited, and premiums are often higher than those requiring a medical exam. Furthermore, no medical exam life insurance is only accessible for a limited time - up to 20 years.
The underwriting process can evaluate your level of risk. So, getting your medical exam with a urine test can help you save money on your insurance premiums.
What Procedure Is Used For The Test?
Urine tests are performed in two ways by life insurance companies. They will first conduct a chemical study of your urine. This aids in the detection of nicotine or any other illegal narcotic drug that you may have consumed. They also do a microscopic examination of the urine itself in the lab. This is done to check for a variety of health issues.
- The insurer will send you to a medical specialist for urine tests once you submit your life insurance policy application.
- You must bring a sample of your urine with you during your doctor’s appointment.
- The tester sends the material to a laboratory for further testing.
To achieve positive outcomes, you should begin by improving your nutrition. You must start consuming nutritious foods that will not interfere with the creation of urine in any way.
Abstaining from alcohol can be highly beneficial. It would help if you also stopped smoking a few days before the medical examination. It could be best if you test yourself with high-quality home-based urine testing kits before your drug test.
What Will Happen If You Don't Want To Take The Urine Test?
There are other options if you don't want to take a medical exam or are concerned that your health may impair your eligibility. It is a “no-exam life insurance policy.”
This policy provides basic coverage for persons who do not have any severe health problems. Instead of a medical exam, you will be asked to fill out a health questionnaire when you apply. Simplified issue costs are frequently close to medically underwritten insurance pricing, making it a viable choice for persons with minor medical conditions.
Guaranteed issue policies often have lesser coverage amounts and higher premiums than other policies, but they can offer peace of mind and security to those with significant health issues. Providers may ask basic inquiries about your health and lifestyle, but just to set your rate.
What Happens After The Urine Test?
After the urine test, the complete medical review can take some time. Depending on your health, it could take anything from a few days to a few weeks. The results, along with your medical history, will be utilized to make a final decision on your application. When your application is accepted, the results are also used to establish your insurance rating.
If your health is excellent, you may be eligible for a favorable health rating or possibly a policy discount. However, if severe health conditions are discovered, you may be rated up (paying more for coverage) or denied coverage in the worst-case scenario.
FAQ
Is it possible to get insurance without having to do a medical exam?
A medical exam is not required for all types of life insurance policies. There are usually no exams with guaranteed issue, final expense, or simplified issue term life. You might be asked to answer a few medical questions, depending on the type of coverage. The cost of a policy with a limited medical evaluation is generally higher. This is because the life insurance company issued your coverage without going through the whole underwriting process.
What is the maximum amount of time that a drug test can detect drugs?
It depends on the substance being tested for as well as the technique of testing. Drugs have varying half-lives that can be detected as they pass through the body.
A urine drug test can detect drugs like MMJ for a heavy daily user for up to 6 weeks. Cocaine and opiates like 6-MAM or morphine will show up in a drug test 3–4 days after their last use.