You may be required to submit to a medical exam before your insurer will sell you an insurance policy. This is nothing to worry about and is usually a good thing as it means that your insurer will know all about your health meaning they will be able to advise you what likely exceptions there may be.
There may be many different reasons you have been asked to take a medical, it does not necessarily mean there is something wrong. You are more likely to be asked to take part in a medical the older you are as there are age related conditions they need to consider. They may also decide it is needed due to your family history or if you are insuring yourself for a larger than usual sum.
Insurance companies are all about risk, they are very particular about exposing themselves to risk and need to minimise any potential loss to them. In short if they have to pay out large sums of money they need to make sure they have their books balanced. Most insurance policies are properly underwritten so that the insurer is not exposed to too much risk.
The type of medical you will be asked to participate in is used to assess whether or not to provide over 60 life insurance to you. They will do tests to check if the initial information you have provided is correct, they may test your urine to see if you are a smoker or a drug user. People have been known to lie on insurance applications in order to get cheaper premiums.
There are usually lots of general checks they will do, the sort of thing your doctor will do as a matter of course. Taking your blood pressure and pulse, your height and weight to determine obesity. You may have to provide a blood sample which will provide the insurer with much more information if they feel it is necessary. An X-ray and ECG may also be needed to determine the condition of your heart and lungs.
As well as your age there are a number of different factors than can affect the cost of an insurance policy. Generally the healthier and fitter you are the lower the cost of your premiums will be. If you have a serious pre-existing condition then it may be more difficult to get a policy and you may have to approach a specialist life insurance company specialises in serious medical conditions.
