Table of Contents
- Best Guaranteed Acceptance Life Insurance Companies
- What Is Guaranteed Acceptance Life Insurance?
- What Is the Waiting Period for No Health Questions Whole Life?
- How Guaranteed Life Insurance With No Health Questions Works
- Pros and Cons of Guaranteed Whole Life Insurance
- How Much Does Guaranteed Life Insurance Cost?
- Who is Guaranteed Acceptance Life Insurance For?
- What Are Alternatives to Guaranteed Issue Life Insurance?
- Frequently Asked Questions:
- How Do I Get Guaranteed Life Insurance?
- Guaranteed Issue Life Insurance Reviews
Best Guaranteed Acceptance Life Insurance Companies
What Is Guaranteed Acceptance Life Insurance?
When considering life insurance, guaranteed issue policies offer the convenience of no health underwriting and streamlined application processes. However, these policies present a higher level of risk for insurers, leading to increased premiums compared to traditional life insurance products.
In contrast to underwritten policies, where applicants must disclose medical histories and undergo medical exams, guaranteed issue policies provide coverage without requiring health information. Insurers accept the greater risk of insuring unknown health conditions, which increases the cost.
| Features | Description |
|---|---|
| Approval | Guaranteed approval regardless of health condition, age or gender. |
| No medical exam | No medical exams or health questionnaires are required. |
| Cost | Premiums are generally higher compared to traditionally underwritten policies due to higher risk. |
| Death benefit | A guaranteed death benefit is provided to beneficiaries after the policyholder’s death. |
| Cash value | A cash value component is included that grows tax-deferred over time. |
| Coverage limits | Death benefits from $2,500 – $25,000. |
| Waiting period | Most policies have a waiting period before the death benefit can be paid out, usually two years. |
What Is the Waiting Period for No Health Questions Whole Life?
Guaranteed issue whole life insurance policies have a waiting period because they are designed to offer coverage without requiring medical underwriting. The waiting period is a way for insurance companies to mitigate the risk of insuring individuals with pre-existing health conditions or high mortality risk. The waiting period allows the policy to become effective without incurring an immediate payout of the full coverage amount. Depending on the policy, this life insurance waiting period is typically two to three years.
Guaranteed issue whole life insurance policies do pay out for accidental death during the waiting period.
What Is a Modified Benefit Period?
A modified benefit period is a duration of time during which the life insurance policy doesn’t pay the full coverage amount. If the insured were to pass during this time, the beneficiary would receive all paid premiums plus interest (typically 10%).
What Is a Graded Benefit Period?
Under a graded whole life insurance policy, beneficiaries may receive 30% of the death benefit if the policyholder passes away during the first year of the waiting period and 70% if the policyholder passes away during the second year. Once the two-year waiting period ends, the beneficiaries will receive the full death benefit amount.
How Guaranteed Life Insurance With No Health Questions Works
As the name suggests, a guaranteed issue life insurance policy provides life insurance coverage, regardless of your health or financial history. This policy may also be called a guaranteed acceptance whole life insurance policy. This type of life insurance is generally available to individuals between the ages of 50 and 85, though some companies may provide coverage for people as young as 45 while others won’t approve coverage for someone older than 80.
Guaranteed issue whole life insurance doesn’t qualify you based on your health. The price for a 50-year-old in supreme health is the same as for a 50-year-old with a long history of health conditions. Consequently, if you’re in good health, you could save a lot of money going with a traditional final expense life insurance policy instead.
Pros and Cons of Guaranteed Whole Life Insurance
No life insurance type is perfect for everyone. Here are some of the pros and cons of guaranteed issue life insurance:
Pros of Guaranteed Issue
- You can leave a decent amount of money to your loved ones, even if your health or financial history isn’t stellar.
- There are no medical examinations or health questions to answer.
- Depending on the insurance company, a guaranteed issue policy can be approved as soon as the same day, though there may be a waiting period before coverage starts.
Cons of Guaranteed Issue
- Guaranteed issue life insurance is expensive compared to some other options.
- Some guaranteed acceptance policies have a graded death benefit period. This means that if you pass during this time, your beneficiary won’t receive the full coverage amount of the policy.
- You can’t buy as much coverage as with other life insurance options. For example, the typical maximum coverage for a guaranteed issue plan is $25,000, with some exceptions going up to $50,000.
How Much Does Guaranteed Life Insurance Cost?
A guaranteed issue life insurance policy is more expensive than other products. This is primarily because there are no medical exams or health questions involved. As a result, it’s most popular for individuals with less than-average health.
The sample rates for guaranteed acceptance life insurance for men:
How much does guaranteed life insurance cost?
Who is Guaranteed Acceptance Life Insurance For?
Guaranteed acceptance life insurance plans are more expensive than other alternatives. Therefore, it’s most common for seniors or people who are considered high-risk.
When Are You Considered High-Risk?
The most common reason to be considered high-risk is primarily because of health or health history. If you’re diagnosed with a serious health condition, such as some types of cancer, you’ll be considered high-risk for many years to come. Other reasons to be flagged as high-risk are dangerous professions or hobbies. Skydiving or deep-sea diving are just two examples.
If you’re a high-risk individual, a guaranteed issue policy can be a good option. However, most guaranteed acceptance products do have a graded benefit duration of 2 years. For that reason, your beneficiaries won’t receive your full coverage amount during this period. Instead, they’ll receive your paid premiums, plus a certain amount of interest. A guaranteed issue policy can provide up to $40,000 of coverage (and sometimes more). This is enough to pay off debt, pay for funeral costs, or leave a small inheritance.
What Are Alternatives to Guaranteed Issue Life Insurance?
The best alternatives to guaranteed issue life insurance are term life insurance, traditional final expense life insurance, and accidental death insurance. The alternative that’s best for you depends on your age and your health.
Term Life Insurance – Average or Better Health, Age 55 or Younger
- Level term life insurance is a common choice for those aged 55 or younger. Those in excellent to average health can get the same coverage as with a guaranteed acceptance policy, but at lower rates.
- Depending on the term policy and coverage amount applied, there will be a medical examination. For policies under $1 million, you may have the option of a no medical exam life insurance plan.
Final Expense – Average Health, Age 55 or Older
Final expense is the a common life insurance option for healthy seniors. It’s a whole life insurance policy. As long as you make the premium payment, you’ll stay insured.
- Final expense insurance offers a higher coverage amount than guaranteed issue policies, up to $100,000. However, this is rare. More often, companies offer up to $35,000.
- No medical examination is involved. However, insurance providers will ask you some health questions and check your public records to qualify you.
Accidental Death – High-Risk Individuals, any Age
- Accidental death life insurance is very affordable. Additionally, it’s available to anyone, regardless of their health or financial history.
- However, an accidental death policy only pays your beneficiaries if the cause of death is due to an accident. Accidents are the most common cause of death only for individuals age 44 or younger, according to CDC data from 1981 to 2020.
Group Life Insurance – High-Risk Individuals at any Age
- Group life insurance is most commonly offered to employees by employers. Group insurance is also offered by trade groups, organizations, and associations.
- Small life insurance coverage amounts are offered as a free benefit or at a low cost to a group’s members. Very few health questions are asked.
- Groups are able to offer guaranteed issue term life insurance, whole life, and universal life insurance plans to their members. The coverage types available depend on the insurance company underwriting the policies.
- The group coverage is owned by the group, which is the master policyholder, and members receive certificates of participation. Coverage may decrease or end if the organization drops the coverage.
Frequently Asked Questions:
What is guaranteed acceptance life?
Guaranteed acceptance life insurance is a type of life insurance policy that guarantees coverage for applicants regardless of their health status or medical history. This means that anyone who applies for this policy will be approved for coverage, without having to answer health questions or undergo a medical examination.
Guaranteed life insurance is typically designed for individuals who have pre-existing medical conditions or are of advanced age, making it difficult for them to obtain traditional life insurance policies.
What is the difference between guaranteed issue and guaranteed acceptance?
Guaranteed issue and guaranteed acceptance are terms that are often used interchangeably in the context of life insurance policies. Both refer to a type of life insurance policy that guarantees coverage for applicants regardless of their health status or medical history.
What is the Difference Between Guaranteed Life Insurance and Whole Life Insurance?
In many cases, whole life insurance only requires you to pay premiums for a designated period of time, though other payment plan options may be considered. After you’ve paid for the policy, you have lifetime coverage. Your beneficiaries will receive death benefits when you pass away. Whole life policies also have a cash value, and they may pay dividends.
Guaranteed issue life insurance requires you to keep paying premiums, which stay the same. You have coverage as long as you pay the premiums. In some cases, a cash value policy may be an option, though not all guaranteed issue life insurance policies earn cash value.
What age can you get guaranteed acceptance life insurance?
Guaranteed acceptance life insurance is generally available to individuals within a specific age range, with the minimum age for guaranteed acceptance whole life insurance typically starting at age 45. The maximum age for eligibility can vary between providers, but it is often set between ages 80 and 85.
What is the major problem with guaranteed issue?
The major problem with guaranteed life insurance is the two to three-year waiting period, also known as a modified or graded benefit period. During this time, if the policyholder passes away due to natural causes, beneficiaries will only receive the paid-in premiums plus a small percentage, typically around 10%, rather than the full death benefit. This waiting period is a drawback for those seeking immediate full coverage for their loved ones.
How Do I Get Guaranteed Life Insurance?
We make shopping for life insurance as simple as possible. You can shop online, or we can assist you in finding the best policy from the best company, based on your situation.
Compare rates online
- Fill out our quote form to compare rates online from the best providers in less than 30 seconds.
- Select the policy you like, and submit an application.
Speak to a licensed agent
- Do you prefer to make financial decisions by speaking to a professional? Call us at 1-866-816-2100 to speak to a friendly licensed life insurance agent.
- We’re able to answer any questions you may have and recommend the best insurance company based on your situation.
Guaranteed Issue Life Insurance Reviews
See what you qualify for by answering some health questions.
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Brian is the founder and CEO of Insurist and carries Life, Health, and Property & Casualty licenses in all 50 U.S. states. Since 2013, Brian has been a member of Million Dollar Round Table, a designation for the top 1% of financial advisors worldwide. Brian has been featured in Yahoo! Finance, Money.com, Entrepreneur.com, Life Happens, Forbes, MSN, and Good Financial Cents. Brian’s goal is to show customers the best products, the quickest answers to their questions, and provide expert advice.
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Lisa worked as a medical claims specialist for five years, adjudicating claims, developing appeals training programs and liaising with insurance auditors. As a full-time freelancer, she now completes work that includes writing and fact-checking life and health insurance content for a variety of online publications.
