If you’ve been declined for traditional life insurance because of a health condition, or you’re worried a health issue in your history will keep you from getting coverage, guaranteed issue whole life insurance may be exactly what you’re looking for.
No medical exam. No long health questionnaire. No height or weight requirements. If you meet three simple work and health requirements, you’re approved — guaranteed.
Here’s how it works and who it can help.
Note: Not all guaranteed issue policies work the same way. Many guaranteed issue products include a 2-year graded death benefit period and cap coverage around $25,000–$50,000 — see our general guide to guaranteed issue whole life for how that type works. The product below is different: no graded period, full coverage from day one, and up to $80,000 in coverage.
What is guaranteed issue whole life insurance?
This guaranteed issue whole life insurance program is a group whole life policy sold to individuals, issued through a carrier rated A (Excellent) by A.M. Best. Unlike traditional life insurance, there’s no medical exam, no long health questionnaire, and no underwriting based on your medical history. If you meet the basic eligibility requirements below, your application is approved.
Because it’s a whole life policy, your coverage carries to age 100 as long as premiums are paid, your rate is locked in at issue and never increases, and the policy builds cash value over time.
How much coverage can you get?
Primary insured: $10,000 up to $80,000 in coverage, in $5,000 increments.
Spouse: Can be covered for up to $30,000 under the primary insured’s policy, or can secure their own separate policy for up to $80,000 in coverage.
Children: A child rider can be added for $20,000 of coverage per child.
Who is eligible?
This policy is available to individuals age 18 to 70, in all states except New York.
There are just three requirements to qualify:
- You must have been working at your regular place of employment for at least the last 3 months, at least 20 hours per week, for wage or profit, and performing all the normal duties of your occupation during that time — except for a minor illness or injury of one week or less, or a normal pregnancy.
- You must not be terminally ill (defined as having been told you have less than 12 months to live).
- You must not currently be in treatment for internal cancer.
That’s it. No medical exam. No blood work. No height or weight limits. No detailed health questionnaire.
First-day full coverage — no graded death benefit
This is one of the most important features of this policy, and it’s what sets it apart from many other guaranteed issue products on the market: coverage is full from day one, for both illness and injury-related deaths. There is no graded death benefit period and no waiting period where your beneficiary would only receive a return of premiums.
Many guaranteed issue policies include a two-year graded period during which a death from illness only pays back premiums paid, not the full face amount. This policy does not work that way. From the day your coverage takes effect, your full death benefit is in place, regardless of cause of death.
Optional riders: accident and critical illness coverage
Each insured person on the policy — the primary insured, a covered spouse, or a spouse with their own separate policy — has the option to add:
- Accident insurance coverage
- Critical illness coverage
These riders can be added individually to each covered person for an additional fee, allowing you to build a policy that fits your specific situation.
Rates: the same for men and women, with a smoker and non-smoker distinction
This policy uses universal rates — meaning the premium is the same for men and women at the same age and coverage amount. The only rate distinction is between smokers and non-smokers.
This is different from most life insurance products, where gender is a significant pricing factor — see our guide on what men and women actually pay for term coverage for comparison. Here, gender isn’t a factor at all.
How fast is the process?
The enrollment application takes about 10 minutes to complete. Once approved, coverage becomes effective on the 1st of the month following enrollment.
There’s no waiting weeks for underwriting, no scheduling a paramedical exam, and no waiting on lab results. If you meet the three eligibility requirements, you know your outcome right away.
A real placement from our book
Client — age 46, male. A client came to us after being declined for fully underwritten life insurance due to a significant health history that made him medically uninsurable through traditional carriers. He’d been turned away by more than one company and was starting to think coverage simply wasn’t available to him.
We placed him with this guaranteed issue whole life product at the maximum available coverage — $80,000 — for a monthly premium of $151.27 (rate as of August 2026).
For someone who had been told “no” everywhere else, this was real, permanent coverage that gave his family genuine financial protection.
Who this policy is right for
This coverage makes the most sense for people who:
- Have been declined for traditional life insurance due to a health condition
- Have a health history that would result in a very high rated premium through fully underwritten coverage
- Want to avoid the medical exam and underwriting process entirely
- Need coverage quickly, without a weeks-long underwriting timeline
- Want to make sure final expenses, small debts, or a modest financial cushion are covered for their family, regardless of health
If you’re in good health and can qualify for traditional coverage, a fully underwritten term or whole life policy will typically give you significantly more coverage for the money. This guaranteed issue product is the right tool specifically for people who can’t access — or don’t want to go through the process of qualifying for — traditional underwriting.
If you’re not sure whether traditional coverage is still an option for your situation, our guides on high blood pressure, Type 2 diabetes, and obesity walk through what fully underwritten carriers actually look at — many people assume they’ll be declined when they wouldn’t be.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a medical exam for guaranteed issue whole life insurance?
No. This policy requires no medical exam, no blood work, and no height or weight requirements. Approval is based on meeting three basic eligibility requirements, not a health questionnaire.
What disqualifies someone from guaranteed issue whole life insurance?
Three things: not meeting the work requirement (employed at least 3 months, 20+ hours per week), being terminally ill with less than 12 months to live, or currently being treated for internal cancer.
Is there a waiting period before the full death benefit is paid?
No. This policy pays the full death benefit from day one, for both illness and injury-related deaths. There is no graded death benefit period.
How much does guaranteed issue whole life insurance cost?
Rates depend on age, coverage amount, and smoker status, but are the same for men and women. As an example, a 46-year-old male secured $80,000 of coverage for $151.27 per month as of August 2026.
Is guaranteed issue whole life insurance available in every state?
It’s available in all states except New York, for individuals age 18 to 70.
How is this different from other guaranteed issue whole life policies?
Many guaranteed issue policies include a 2-year graded death benefit period and cap coverage around $25,000–$50,000. This program has no graded period, pays full coverage from day one, and offers up to $80,000 in coverage for ages 18–70.
Get your free quote today
At Term Insurance Brokers, we’re licensed independent insurance agents who help people every week who assumed they couldn’t get life insurance. If you or someone you love has been declined elsewhere, or you simply want coverage without a medical exam, this may be the answer.
There’s no medical exam, no long health questionnaire beyond the three basic requirements, and no obligation.
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Term Insurance Brokers is a team of licensed independent insurance agents operating in 35+ states, based in Las Vegas, Nevada. We are not affiliated with any single insurance company. This guaranteed issue whole life product is underwritten by a carrier rated A (Excellent) by A.M. Best and is not available in New York.