Medical Underwriting in Life Insurance UAE

From basic health checks to detailed medical reports, underwriting ensures that policies are tailored to your health profile. It may sound complex, but it’s a crucial step to get accurate protection for you and your loved ones. 

Here, we’ll break down how medical underwriting in life insurance works, what tests and documents are required, and how your health and lifestyle choices can impact your insurance approval and premium.

Types of Underwriting in Life Insurance Policy

There are 2 types of underwriting methods. Let’s understand each one in more detail —

Financial Underwriting – This method evaluates the financial condition of an applicant to evaluate the risk of insuring them and categorise them appropriately. 
During the insurance underwriting process, the provider reviews the applicant’s financial information like their net worth, salary, and other financial obligations to determine appropriate coverage. It also helps understand whether the applicant can pay the premium or type or not. 

Medical Underwriting – During medical underwriting, an applicant’s full health history is reviewed to decide coverage. If health risks are high, the premium may increase, or coverage may be delayed, limited, or even denied. 
In this process, the insurer may ask for —

• Details of pre-existing conditions (if any)
• Doctor’s prescriptions
• Lab test results
• Medical reports and family history (if needed)

It’s important to give honest and complete information. This helps insurers set fair premiums and ensures claims aren't rejected later due to false or missing details.

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Types of Medical Underwriting under Life Insurance

Medical underwriting in life insurance can be further divided into two categories —

• Full Medical Underwriting – This involves a complete health check-up, including blood tests, urine tests, and, sometimes, additional reports like X-rays or MRI scans. The insurer uses these details to assess the applicant’s overall health before approving the policy.
• Simplified Issue Underwriting – This type of medical underwriting in life insurance doesn’t require a medical test. Instead, the applicant answers a few basic questions about their health, medical history, and lifestyle. Based on the responses, the insurer decides whether to offer coverage and at what premium.

While simplified underwriting is quicker, full medical underwriting is usually required if more health details are needed for higher coverage.

Role of Underwriters & Insurance Underwriting Process

The insurance underwriting process is done by underwriters. These are specialists selected by the insurance company to evaluate the risk. They assess factors like the applicant’s financial background, lifestyle, health condition, and other relevant details. 

These assessments help in making an informed decision and offering the right life cover recommendations. These recommendations are for the following –

• Whether to issue the life insurance policy
• Whether to increase the premium (in case of higher risk)
• Whether the medical conditions affect life coverage

Once you apply for life insurance, the underwriter will carefully check your application. They may confirm details with you in person or over the phone and verify them using supporting documents. 

If your form is filled out correctly, this process is quick. In case of any missing or unclear details, the underwriter will correct them after confirming with you. You will also be asked to take medical tests. The type of tests depends on factors like —

• Your age
• Existing health conditions
• Information in your application
• The type and amount of coverage you want
• The insurer’s policies

Common tests that need to be done include —

• Blood test: Checks for diabetes, heart or bone diseases, and smoking habits
• Urine test: Detects basic health issues and possible alcohol or drug use
• Height and weight: Used to calculate your BMI
• Blood pressure: Helps assess your heart health

The list of required documents usually includes —

• Proof of age
• Address proof
• Completed application form
• Income proof
• Medical history

After reviewing all tests and records, the underwriter decides your eligibility and premium. The key factors include —

• Age: Older applicants may pay higher premiums
• BMI: A healthy BMI may lead to better rates
• Lifestyle: Smoking, alcohol, or drug use increases risk and premiums
• Health conditions: Existing issues may lead to higher premiums or even rejection

These factors together help the insurer understand the risk and set a fair premium for your policy.

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