Term life insurance without medical underwriting: smart protection for your loved ones
18.06.25
9
Minutes
Katrin Straub
Managing Director at nextsure
Are you looking for term life insurance without a medical examination to protect your family? That is an understandable wish, because not everyone can or wants to answer detailed health questions. Find out here what options are available and how you can still obtain suitable cover.
The topic in brief and concise terms
A term life insurance policy completely without a health check has no longer been available in Germany since 2010; instead, there are options with simplified health questions. [2]
Simplified health questions are often subject to conditions such as age, sum insured and policy term, especially in property financing. [3,4]
The truthful answering of all health questions is crucial, as false information can jeopardise insurance cover (pre-contractual duty of disclosure). [2]
Understand the basics: Why is there hardly any term life insurance without a health check?
Health screening enables insurers to assess your individual risk fairly. [4] Without this assessment, all policyholders would have to pay higher standard premiums, regardless of their health status or lifestyle. [1,5] This principle is not based on solidarity, as in statutory health insurance, but on an individual risk calculation. [3] A term life insurance policy without health screening has therefore no longer been common since a change in the law in 2010. [2] Nevertheless, there are important differences in the health questions, which often look back five years. [2]
This individual calculation ensures that people with a lower risk, such as young non-smokers without pre-existing conditions, also pay correspondingly lower premiums. [4] If health factors were completely ignored, healthy people would have to bear the risks of people with serious pre-existing conditions or dangerous hobbies, which would make the tariffs unaffordable for many. [3] The health questions are therefore a tool for fair and affordable premiums for each individual. [2] This paves the way for alternative solutions and policies with tailored conditions.
Exploring options: simplified health questions as a viable path
Although term life insurance without health questions hardly exists at all, many insurers offer policies with simplified health questions. [3,4] This option is often subject to certain conditions. These typically include:
A maximum entry age, for example forty years. [3]
A limited sum insured, which varies depending on the provider. [3]
A relatively short policy term. [3]
Often in the context of property financing, where loans of up to 500,000 euros are covered. [4]
Such simplified checks significantly speed up the application process. Instead of up to 25 questions, only around five key health questions are often asked. [5] These arrangements are particularly interesting for young families or property buyers seeking quick and straightforward cover. [5] The benefits of term life insurance remain valid here as well. Insurers assume that people taking out large loans are, statistically speaking, often in good health. [3] It is important to review the exact requirements and the scope of the questions carefully.
Special cases and exceptions: When no new health check is required
In certain situations, you can adjust or take out term life insurance without having to undergo a new or full medical assessment. An important option is increasing an existing sum insured in response to certain life events. [2] These include, for example:
Marriage.
Birth of a child.
Purchase of an owner-occupied property, up to a sum of €500,000. [4]
Establishing or taking over a practice for doctors, likewise with a sum insured of up to €500,000 and a maximum age of 50. [4]
Many policies include a guaranteed insurability option, which allows cover to be adjusted without further medical questions, often within the first five policy years. [4] Check the terms of your existing policy carefully for such options. A renewal guarantee can also make it possible to continue the contract without any further medical questions. [3] These arrangements offer flexibility when your protection needs change, as is often the case with the family protection option. This means your cover can grow with your life circumstances.
Costs and Contributions: How health information influences the price
The cost of term life insurance depends on many factors, with health status playing a central role. [2] Insurers calculate premiums based on the individual risk of death. [3] Good health and a low-risk lifestyle generally lead to lower premiums. [1] Factors that influence the premium, alongside age and the sum insured, also include occupation, risky hobbies such as skydiving or diving, and whether you smoke. [3,4] Basic cover is possible from just a few euros per month, especially for young, healthy people. [2] A whole-of-life policy without health questions is often more expensive and focuses on different priorities. Answering the health questions honestly is crucial, as false information can jeopardise cover. [2,3]
Insurers usually ask about illnesses and treatments from the past five years, and in the case of hospital stays sometimes also the past ten years. [1] It is a misconception that every pre-existing condition leads to a rejection or extremely high premiums; many minor ailments have little impact. [4] The exact calculation is complex, but transparency in your health declarations is always the best approach. This enables the insurer to make you a fair offer.
Expert tips: The pre-contractual duty of disclosure and its significance
When taking out a term life insurance policy, you are subject to the pre-contractual duty of disclosure. This means you must answer all of the insurer’s health questions fully and truthfully. [2] This also applies if you are seeking a policy with simplified health questions. Concealed pre-existing conditions or false statements can have serious consequences: The insurer may withdraw from the contract, reduce the benefit, or, in the worst case, completely refuse payment in the event of death. Our expert tip: Take your time when answering the health questions and, if in doubt, consult your medical records or your doctor. Your health insurance provider can provide you with an overview of the diagnoses from recent years. [5]
It is important to know that changes to your state of health after the contract has been concluded generally do not affect your existing contract; there is usually no obligation to report them subsequently. [1] From this point on, the insurer bears the risk. [1] Careful and honest answers at the outset ensure your beneficiaries have full entitlement to benefits in the event of a claim. This creates a solid foundation for your insurance cover.
Consider alternatives: When term life insurance isn’t right
If taking out term life insurance, even with simplified health questions, is not possible or does not meet your needs, there are alternatives. A commonly cited option is funeral expense insurance. [1,6] This primarily serves to cover funeral costs, which can average between six thousand and eight thousand euros. [6] Many funeral expense insurance policies are available without a medical examination up to a sum insured of around 15,000 euros and from a certain age (e.g. forty years) onwards. [3,1] However, please note that policies without health questions are often associated with waiting periods of six to 36 months. [1,6] In the event of accidental death, the waiting period is often waived. [1]
Another option may be endowment insurance, which combines death benefit protection and capital accumulation, although the terms and focus are different here. [6] For cover of high sums, such as in mortgage financing, funeral expense insurance is usually not an adequate alternative. [3] Carefully weigh up which cover is best suited to your individual situation and your financial objectives. Comprehensive advice can help bring clarity here.
Finding the ideal term life insurance, especially when it comes to medical underwriting, can be complex. At nextsure, we understand your need for tailored and easy-to-understand insurance solutions. Even though term life insurance without any medical underwriting is no longer standard in the market, we support you in finding the options that are right for you. We help you get an overview of the market and identify tariffs with simplified health questions or suitable guaranteed insurability options. Our goal is to enable you to secure the best possible protection in a transparent, digital-first way.
We guide you through the process and help you provide all the necessary information correctly so that your cover is built on a solid foundation from the very start. A careful analysis of your situation is the first step towards long-term security for your loved ones. Use our expertise to reduce complexity and make an informed decision. The next step is an individual analysis of your needs.
Request your individual risk analysis now
Have your insurance situation reviewed free of charge and receive concrete suggestions for improvement. Secure the future of your loved ones – with a solution that really suits you. Contact us today for your personal consultation and find out how you can also create valuable survivor’s protection, even with health-related conditions. At nextsure, we are here to support you with our expertise.
More useful links
GDV provides basic information on term life insurance.
The Consumer Advice Centre provides comprehensive information on cover in the event of death through term life insurance.
A press release from the Consumer Advice Centre RLP looks at the right cover through term life insurance.
Destatis provides current tables on life expectancy and life tables in Germany.
You can also find further publications on period life tables at the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis).
The GDV offers a detailed publication with figures and facts on German life insurance in 2024.
The German Actuarial Association explains the derivation of the DAV 2008 T life table, which is relevant for life insurance policies with death benefit character.
FAQ
Why is a health assessment necessary for term life insurance?
The medical assessment enables the insurer to assess your individual risk and calculate a fair premium. Without it, there would be more expensive standard tariffs, which would disadvantage healthy people. [1,4]
What questions are asked in a simplified health assessment?
In a simplified assessment, significantly fewer questions are asked, often only around five instead of up to 25. [5] They usually relate to serious illnesses, hospital stays in recent years and certain risk factors.
Can I increase my term life insurance without a new medical examination?
Yes, many policies offer a guaranteed insurability option. This allows you to increase the sum insured without a new medical examination in certain events (e.g. marriage, birth, property purchase), often within specified time limits and sum limits. [2,4]
What if I have pre-existing conditions?
Even with pre-existing conditions, a policy can often still be arranged. Not every condition leads to rejection or higher premiums. [4] An anonymous pre-assessment enquiry can provide clarity on whether insurance cover is granted and on what terms. [4]
How far back does the insurer go when asking health questions?
As a rule, the questions relate to the last five years for outpatient treatments and illnesses. For inpatient hospital stays or mental health conditions, the period may also be ten years. [1]
Is funeral insurance a good alternative?
Funeral expense insurance can be an alternative for covering funeral costs, especially if no medical examination is desired. However, it usually offers lower sums insured than term life insurance and is not intended to cover large loans or your full living expenses. [3,6]
