Only a limited amount of information regarding your health is available from your medical records and a phone conversation with the insurance company. Medical tests, such as a urine test, provide underwriters with a complete picture of your present health. The following are some of the things that life insurance urine testing can reveal:
Drug use
Urine tests, in addition to blood tests, are used extensively in life insurance drug testing. The types of drugs revealed by a urinalysis can have severe health ramifications in the perspective of an insurance.
You are likely to be disqualified or denied coverage if you are currently using hard narcotics or medications that have not been recommended to you by a doctor. Amphetamines/methamphetamines, cocaine, opiates, phencyclidine (PCP), barbiturates, benzodiazepines, and methadone are all detected by a life insurance urine test. Marijuana, on the other hand, is an exception.
Life insurance urine tests look for traces of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), a psychoactive ingredient in marijuana that can linger in your system for days to weeks. Urine tests are a valid way to check for marijuana usage, but unlike other substances, a positive result for THC does not automatically disqualify you from coverage. It’s possible that it won’t have a big impact on your life insurance prices.
Marijuana is a legal grey area, with some jurisdictions legalizing and/or decriminalizing it while others do not, and life insurance firms are split on how to account for marijuana use.
Insurance firms are not concerned about its legality. Marijuana and cigarette smoking are frequently lumped together by insurance companies, so if you use marijuana, you may be issued a smoker’s rating, resulting in much higher premiums.
Nicotine
Nicotine is another chemical that is frequently tested for in life insurance medical exams. When life insurance companies assess how dangerous an applicant is to insure, they place him or her in one of five health categories.
What do life insurance blood tests detect?
They’ll search for high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or high glucose levels, as well as signs of nicotine, tobacco, or drug use, in the life insurance blood test. You might be able to qualify for one of an insurer’s best underwriting rate classes based on your results.
Can you get life insurance if you fail a drug test?
This is why, even if it makes you uncomfortable, it’s critical to answer all inquiries from the insurer and testing business honestly. Otherwise, you risk being turned down for coverage. If you take antidepressants or other prescriptions, for example, it’s best to tell your insurance as soon as possible because it will find out. Insurers also have a two-year window from the moment you obtain coverage to terminate your insurance if they discover you provided inaccurate or misleading information.
Drugs and nicotine
If a blood or urine test reveals that you use illegal drugs like amphetamines or opiates, you will be denied life insurance coverage. The single exception to this rule is marijuana, which is assessed differently by each insurer. If you use marijuana on a regular basis, you should speak with an independent insurance advisor about which firms to apply with. MetLife, for example, offers preferential prices even if you smoke several times a week, whereas
In the Weeks Leading Up to the Exam
A few simple dietary changes can help lower your LDL and improve your HDL levels.
- Make sure you drink plenty of water. Water can help dilute sugar and protein amounts and flush toxins from your system.
- Reduce the amount of salt you consume. Overly much salt might cause dehydration by making your pee too concentrated.
- Maintain a balanced diet. According to the Mayo Clinic, foods high in whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and low-fat dairy products can help decrease blood pressure. It’s best to stay away from processed foods with additional sodium.
- Alcohol should be consumed in moderation. Consume alcohol in moderation if you choose to do so. According to the Mayo Clinic, women should have one drink per day and men should have two. Drinking more than a moderate amount of alcohol can raise your blood pressure and make blood pressure drugs less effective.
The Day Before the Exam
- Alcohol and nicotine should be avoided. Both of these things can raise your blood pressure. However, keep in mind that a blood or urine test will indicate recent nicotine usage.
- Antihistamines and nasal decongestants, for example, should be avoided. These drugs have the potential to raise blood pressure.
- Have a restful night’s sleep. According to the Mayo Clinic, people who sleep less than six hours a night may have higher blood pressure.
The Day of the Exam
On the day of the exam, you can take the following procedures to help achieve the best possible results:
- Make sure you drink plenty of water. It’s also easier to provide urine and blood samples when you’re adequately hydrated.
- Prepare a photo ID. A government-issued ID, such as your driver’s license, state-issued photo ID, or passport, will almost certainly be required.
- Prepare your medical information, which should include a list of medical conditions, treatments, prescription drugs, and your physician’s contact information (s).
- To allow the examiner to obtain your blood sample, wear short sleeves or sleeves that may be rolled up.
A few easy actions, such as avoiding having a full bladder and putting your feet flat on the floor when taking your blood pressure, will help you achieve the best results. According to WebMD, a full bladder can elevate your blood pressure by 10 to 15 points, while crossing your legs can add 2 to 8 points. By dangling your legs, you can raise your blood pressure by 6 to 10 points.
WebMD has a list of more blunders that can raise your blood pressure reading.
Can you use fake urine for life insurance?
Several items promise to help you flush particular substances from your system in preparation for urine testing. You’ll take the life insurance urine sample in a cup, just like you would at a doctor’s office for a physical. To avoid using someone else’s pee or synthetic urine, the cup features a temperature strip that helps evaluate if the urine is genuine and fresh. You will be retested if your urine sample is excessively diluted if the results are unintelligible.
What if I lie about smoking for life insurance?
- If your insurance company discovers that you lied about your smoking habits on the application, you will be classed as a smoker.
- If an autopsy reveals any smoking-related ailments, the insurance company may reject the death benefit and refuse to pay your survivors.
- Ensure that your insurer is aware of your smoking habits and that you pay the extra rates to avoid losing your family’s health benefits.
What happens if you fail life insurance exam?
What Happens If You Fail a Medical Exam for Life Insurance? You may be refused coverage or receive a request for additional testing if the information you provided on your original application does not match the data acquired during your medical exam.
How do you prepare for a life insurance test?
The examiner will collect a blood sample for testing and assess your blood pressure and pulse during the life insurance physical. You’re probably aware that diet has an impact on your blood work, which is why people with high cholesterol are sometimes advised to avoid animal products like cheese and beef. Before the exam, avoid processed foods high in sugar, salt, and fat, and eat more vegetables like leafy greens for the best results.
Do you need a physical for life insurance?
A medical exam is required for most life insurance policies, including term life insurance. This exam aids the insurance provider in determining your risk and determining your price. You might think that if you have a major medical problem, you won’t be able to get life insurance, but this isn’t always the case.
Do investment bankers get drug tested?
According to a long-time New York investment banker, an increasing number of people have seen the negative effects of pharmaceuticals physical addiction and ultimate loss of efficacy and believe marijuana is a safer and more effective way to cope with the rigors of working in finance. And it isn’t necessarily an off-the-clock pastime for at least a select few. One trader said he has a friend who works at a top private equity firm and uses a vape pen to smoke marijuana in his office bathroom.
According to financial experts, the lower penalties for marijuana possession in New York police now issue citations for little amounts rather than making arrests as well as the full legalizing of marijuana in some states has eliminated some of the stigma. “For many of the folks I work with, it’s a normal, everyday habit,” the investment banker explained. “It wasn’t always like this.”
All of this is to say that bankers wishing to change firms are in a unique situation. While many smaller hedge funds do not conduct pre-employment drug tests one former trader who worked at three separate funds claimed he was never tested the majority of large investment banks do. Furthermore, national banks are bound by federal regulations, and marijuana remains illegal on the federal level, even if it has been authorized in the state in question.
Surprisingly, a consultant recently told us that while he was not tested by his company, his group was forced to do so by a client with whom they were working on-site. He claimed that only happened once, but that isn’t always the case. This is a fair caution.