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Should you take the medical tests for term insurance?

Checked 4 October 20262 min read

Short answer

Take the medical tests the insurer asks for. They give the insurer information before it accepts the risk. A “no medical test” offer is not automatically better and does not remove your duty to answer health, occupation, income, tobacco and existing-policy questions truthfully. Complete the proposal yourself and keep a copy.

What to disclose before the policy is issued

Answer the exact question asked, and add context when a yes-or-no answer would hide something material. Common items include: Do not let a seller tick “no” to make the quote pass. The submitted proposal is the record the insurer will compare with medical history during a claim.

  • Diagnoses, past surgery, hospital admission, recurring symptoms and long-term medicines.
  • Smoking, vaping, chewing tobacco, alcohol use and when you stopped.
  • Hazardous work, frequent work travel or risky activities if the form asks.
  • Income and existing or pending life-insurance applications.
  • A proposal declined, postponed or offered at a higher premium by another insurer.

What the test result can change

The insurer can accept the quoted premium, ask for more information, offer cover at a higher premium, reduce or postpone the cover, or decline the proposal. A higher premium is not pleasant, but it is a clear underwriting decision. Hiding the fact that would cause it creates a claim problem instead. Read the acceptance letter and policy schedule before the free-look period ends. Confirm your name, nominee, sum assured, term, smoking status and every health answer. Ask for corrections in writing immediately.

Keep an evidence pack your nominee can find

Save the final proposal form, medical reports, payment receipt, acceptance email, schedule and policy wording together. Tell the nominee where they are. Update contact, bank and nominee details with the insurer when they change. The current policyholder-protection circular says a life policy cannot be contested after three years from the later of specified policy events, but that is not permission to give a false answer. Complete disclosure is the safer buying decision from day one.

Questions people ask next

Will smoking automatically get my proposal rejected?

Not necessarily. It can change the premium or underwriting decision. Declaring it lets the insurer price the known risk; hiding it leaves the claim open to a factual dispute.

What if I quit smoking recently?

State when you stopped and answer the insurer’s look-back question exactly. Do not label yourself a non-smoker if the form defines that term using a period you have not completed.

The agent filled the form. Am I responsible for the answers?

Treat the submitted form as yours. Review every answer before payment and download the final version. If it is wrong, ask the insurer to correct it in writing rather than relying on the agent’s message.

Sources checked

Regulatory rules and product terms can change. We checked these sources on 4 October 2026.