Burial Insurance With No Medical Exam (2026 Guide)
Burial insurance with no medical exam is a type of whole life policy that pays a tax-free benefit of $5,000 to $50,000 to your family, with no physical, no blood work, and no doctor visit. Carriers also call this final expense insurance, and the two terms mean the same thing. Instead of an exam, you answer a short health questionnaire over the phone. Asurgo is an independent brokerage licensed in all 50 states. We compare rates across 25+ carriers to find the lowest premium you qualify for, and most applicants have coverage in force within 24 hours of their application.
Jump to the 2026 rate table, the carrier-appetite overview, or the FAQ.
Get Your Free Quote- No medical exam does not always mean no health questions. Most no-exam plans are simplified issue, which skips the physical but still asks a short health questionnaire.
- Simplified-issue coverage ranges from $5,000 to $50,000. Guaranteed-issue coverage typically caps at $25,000 and has a 2-year waiting period on natural-cause death.
- 2026 rates for a $10,000 level policy range from $24/month at age 50 to $172/month at age 80, depending on gender, carrier, and tobacco status.
- Most simplified-issue applications receive an underwriting decision within 24 hours. Some are approved the same day.
- Asurgo compares 25+ carriers on a single call and places you with the carrier whose appetite matches your health history.
The 60-Second Difference
"No Medical Exam" vs "No Health Questions"
These two phrases look similar in an ad and get used as if they are the same thing. They are not. One skips the physical. The other skips the physical and the questionnaire. The difference determines whether you get day-one coverage or a 2-year waiting period.
| No Medical Exam (Simplified Issue) | No Health Questions (Guaranteed Issue) | |
|---|---|---|
| Medical exam required? | No | No |
| Health questions asked? | Yes (short questionnaire) | No |
| Day-one full coverage? | Usually yes, if you answer No to knockout questions | No. 2-year waiting period. Beneficiaries get premiums back plus interest if you pass during the waiting period. |
| Who it's for | Seniors in fair-to-good health, or with managed conditions | Seniors with serious or recent conditions who can't qualify for simplified issue |
| Typical cost | Lower | 20 to 40 percent higher for same coverage |
| Max coverage | Up to $50,000 (carrier-dependent) | Typically $25,000 max |
The Knockout Question Trap
"No medical exam" is not the same as "no questions." Almost every no-exam plan on the market is simplified issue, which means you will still answer a set of yes-or-no health questions. Answering Yes to one of the carrier's knockout questions moves you out of simplified issue and into graded or guaranteed-issue coverage, which costs more and has a waiting period.
Common simplified-issue knockout questions cover conditions like active cancer treatment, end-stage renal disease or dialysis, a terminal diagnosis within 12 months, a recent stroke within 12 months, HIV/AIDS, and currently living in hospice or a nursing home. Each carrier phrases their knockouts slightly differently, and the exact wording matters.
An independent broker who knows each carrier's specific knockouts can often place an applicant in simplified issue where a single-carrier agent would default them to graded or guaranteed issue. That single placement decision is often worth thousands of dollars of premium over the life of the policy.
Not sure which category you fall into?
A licensed Asurgo specialist will run a soft pre-qualification in under 5 minutes and tell you whether simplified issue is on the table.
2026 Rate Tables
How Much Does No-Exam Burial Insurance Cost in 2026?
Premiums depend on four things: age, gender, tobacco status, and the carrier you qualify with. Below are the current 2026 monthly rates we pull directly from carrier illustrations for a $10,000 level benefit simplified-issue policy, non-tobacco.
2026 Monthly Rates by Carrier ($10,000 coverage, simplified issue, non-tobacco)
| Carrier | Product | 50 F / M | 60 F / M | 70 F / M | 80 F / M |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mutual of Omaha | Living Promise Level | $24 / $31 | $33 / $43 | $53 / $74 | $98 / $139 |
| Aflac | Final Expense Whole Life | $26 / $34 | $34 / $45 | $56 / $72 | $116 / $156 |
| Transamerica | Express Select | $33 / $39 | $41 / $51 | $65 / $86 | $134 / $172 |
| AIG (Corebridge) | SIWL Direct | $27 / $34 | $36 / $47 | $58 / $82 | $107 / $153 |
| Aetna (Accendo) | Final Expense Level | $27 / $35 | $41 / $51 | $58 / $73 | $101 / $140 |
Rates reflect current 2026 market pricing sourced from Asurgo carrier illustrations. $10,000 level benefit simplified-issue whole life, non-tobacco. Individual premiums vary by state, health underwriting, and coverage amount selected. Not all carriers available in all 50 states. Get your personalized quote at asurgo.com/quote.
See your actual rate in 5 minutes
Tell us your age, state, and a short health snapshot. We'll pull the lowest price from carriers where you're likely to qualify.
Why the Spread Is So Wide
Look at a 70-year-old non-smoking female in the table above. She can pay $53/month with Mutual of Omaha or $65/month with Transamerica for the same $10,000 simplified-issue policy. That is a 23 percent spread for identical coverage. Over 10 years of premium, that gap is more than $1,400.
Three things drive the spread. First, each carrier has a different underwriting appetite for specific medications and health conditions, so the rate you are offered reflects that carrier's confidence in placing your risk. Second, age breakpoints vary. Some carriers raise their rates at age 65, others at 70, which means a 69-year-old can sit on either side of a pricing tier depending on the carrier. Third, product tier matters. Level, graded, and modified-benefit products price differently even when the face amount is the same.
A single-carrier agent can't compete on price because they only sell one carrier's rates. At Asurgo we quote all 25+ carriers on a single call and present the lowest price the applicant qualifies for, every time.
Sample Rates by Coverage Amount
Benchmark: 65-year-old non-tobacco female, Mutual of Omaha Living Promise Level. Mutual of Omaha is the strictest simplified-issue carrier Asurgo places, which means these rates are the floor of the market for a healthy senior. Most applicants will land above these numbers if their health profile includes any moderate conditions.
| Coverage | Monthly premium |
|---|---|
| $5,000 | $22 |
| $10,000 | $41 |
| $15,000 | $59 |
| $20,000 | $78 |
| $25,000 | $97 |
Rates are for reference only. Your actual rate depends on state, health underwriting, and the carrier you qualify with. Get a personalized quote at asurgo.com/quote.
Carrier Appetite
Which Carrier Is Easiest to Qualify With?
There is no single "easiest" carrier. Simplified-issue carriers sit on a spectrum from strictest (lowest rates, tightest questions) to most lenient (broader appetite, higher premiums). The job of an independent broker is to read your health profile against that spectrum and place you with the carrier most likely to approve you at the best price.
The Three-Tier Spectrum
Strictest: Mutual of Omaha
Lowest rates on the board, but the tightest health questions. Best for applicants with well-managed conditions such as controlled diabetes, controlled hypertension, cholesterol managed on statins, or past cancer 5+ years in remission. If you qualify here, you pay less than anywhere else.
Middle: Aflac, AIG, Aetna
Moderate underwriting. These carriers accept most managed conditions and a wider range of medication histories than Mutual of Omaha. Premiums are higher than Mutual of Omaha, but approval is likelier when the health history gets complicated. A solid fallback for applicants who are close to qualifying with Mutual of Omaha but not quite.
Most lenient: Transamerica
The widest simplified-issue appetite in the market. Transamerica accepts applicants with more recent health events, more medications on board, and higher-risk profiles. Premiums reflect that broader appetite, but Transamerica often says yes where stricter carriers say no. For a senior who has been turned down elsewhere, Transamerica is often the next door to knock on before guaranteed issue.
An independent broker's job is to match the applicant to the right carrier on the first application, because every declined application leaves a mark on the MIB record. Single-carrier agents can only quote one product. Asurgo quotes all 25+ and tells the applicant where they are actually likely to be approved, before the application goes in.
Not sure which carrier fits you?
We'll match your health profile to the right carrier before any application is submitted. No guessing. No declined applications on your record.
The Three-Tier Approval Pyramid
Who Qualifies for Day-One Coverage (No Waiting Period)
Every no-exam burial insurance applicant lands in one of three tiers. The tier determines whether coverage starts on day one, whether a partial benefit applies during the first 24 months, or whether a full 2-year waiting period applies. Here is how the tiers work in practice, framed strictly by carrier underwriting criteria.
Tier 1: Level (day-one full coverage)
Who carriers place here: well-managed type 2 diabetics with A1C under 8.0, controlled high blood pressure, controlled cholesterol, asthma, acid reflux, arthritis, past heart attack 2+ years ago, and past cancer 2+ years in remission (non-metastatic). Level coverage means the full death benefit is payable from day one, regardless of cause of death. This is the best outcome and the lowest rate tier.
For condition-specific pages see life insurance for diabetics, life insurance with pre-existing conditions, life insurance for smokers, burial insurance with COPD, and coverage for elderly adults 75 to 85+.
Tier 2: Graded Benefit (partial coverage for first 24 months)
Who carriers place here: applicants with a heart attack or stroke in the last 12 to 24 months, applicants managing multiple stacked conditions (for example COPD with congestive heart failure, or diabetes with neuropathy and kidney involvement), and applicants whose medication list signals an active or recently active health event. The carrier is willing to issue coverage but wants 24 months of premium history before paying the full face amount.
Graded benefit policies pay a partial death benefit if natural-cause death occurs during the first 24 months (often 25 to 50 percent in year one and 50 to 75 percent in year two), and the full face amount thereafter. Accidental death pays the full face amount from day one. If your health history puts you in this tier, see life insurance with pre-existing conditions for a more detailed walkthrough.
Tier 3: Guaranteed Issue (2-year waiting period, no health questions)
Who carriers place here: dialysis, active cancer treatment, ALS, end-stage renal disease, hospice care, or a terminal diagnosis within 12 months. Guaranteed-issue plans ask no health questions and accept every applicant. The tradeoff is the waiting period.
During the first 24 months, if the insured passes from natural causes, beneficiaries receive a refund of premiums paid plus interest (typically 5 to 10 percent), not the full face amount. Accidental death pays the full face amount from day one. After 24 months, the full death benefit is payable for any cause of death. For a full walk-through of this product category, see our guaranteed acceptance life insurance guide.
Timeline
How the Application Actually Works
Here is exactly what happens from first phone call to active coverage. Most applicants finish the entire process in a single business day.
Quote (5 minutes)
Online form or phone call. A specialist asks your age, state, tobacco status, and a short health snapshot. You get a ballpark premium from the carriers where you are most likely to qualify. No commitment, no application yet.
Application (15 to 20 minutes)
Phone interview with the licensed specialist. 8 to 12 health questions, age-specific. No exam, no blood work, no doctor visit. Some carriers run an instant prescription-history check (MIB / Rx) to verify medications listed on the application.
Instant decision (same day in most cases)
Most applications get an instant decision at the end of the call, with only a small share routed to manual underwriting for follow-up. 95%+ of applicants get covered the same day they apply. You are told the result before you owe any premium.
Policy in force (24 hours)
Your policy is active the day the first premium is paid, not when the paper policy arrives in the mail. The paper copy mails within 7 to 10 business days. For a deeper look at how the death benefit gets paid, see our article on how a final expense payout works.
For most simplified-issue applicants, Asurgo delivers active coverage within 24 hours of the first phone call.
Coverage Planning
Coverage Amounts: How Much Burial Insurance Do You Actually Need?
The right coverage amount is a function of what you are trying to pay for, not a round number that sounds good. The national median cost of a traditional funeral with viewing and burial is $7,848 according to the NFDA 2024 Funeral Price Survey. Work backward from your actual obligations to find your coverage number.
- $5,000. Covers cremation-only plus a small memorial service. This is the entry-level amount and works for applicants whose wishes are modest and whose other debts are small.
- $10,000. The most common coverage amount Asurgo places. Covers a traditional funeral at the national median ($7,848 per NFDA 2024) with margin left over for closing costs, headstone, and travel for out-of-town family.
- $15,000 to $20,000. Traditional funeral plus outstanding medical bills plus roughly one month of household costs for a surviving spouse. A common choice for applicants who want a small cushion beyond the funeral itself.
- $25,000. Funeral plus outstanding medical bills plus 2 to 3 months of income replacement for a surviving spouse. Appropriate when the applicant is the primary wage earner or when medical debt is significant.
- $50,000. The maximum simplified-issue amount at most carriers. Covers funeral, medical debt, and a mortgage balance or tax liability. Chosen by applicants with larger end-of-life obligations they want fully covered.
If you want to build your own number from the bottom up, try Asurgo's burial cost calculator. It asks about funeral type, medical debt, and ongoing household expenses and returns a recommended coverage range.
For Adult Children
Buying Burial Insurance for a Parent
A large share of no-exam burial insurance applications are opened by adult children who are organizing final expense planning for an aging parent. Here is how the process works when you are the buyer and your mother or father is the insured.
Can I Buy a Policy on My Mother or Father?
Yes, with their knowledge and signature. An adult child can be the policy owner and the premium payer, while the parent is the insured. The parent's signature is required on the application, and the parent does the phone health interview themselves. You cannot buy a policy on a parent without their participation and consent.
For a full walk-through of senior-specific products, see our final expense for seniors guide.
How to Bring It Up
Most adult children find this conversation awkward. A short, empathetic opener works well. Something like this: "Mom, I want to make sure we can give you the send-off you deserve without putting the bill on anyone's credit card. Can we spend 10 minutes looking at what a small policy would cost?"
The framing is about relieving the family's future burden, not about urgency. No sales pressure is needed. Once a parent sees that a $10,000 policy can cost $40 to $60 per month, the decision often becomes practical rather than emotional.
What Information You'll Need
Their date of birth, state of residence, tobacco status, current medications, and any major health events in the last 10 years. Most adult children can get a first quote from Asurgo in about 5 minutes over the phone, with the parent on the line to confirm health questions. The full application is a single call of 15 to 20 minutes when the parent is ready to move forward.
Myth vs Fact
Myths About No-Exam Burial Insurance
These are the five myths we hear most often on the phone. Each one costs real families real money when it goes uncorrected.
Myth
"No medical exam = no health questions."
Fact
Most no-exam plans are simplified issue: no exam, but yes to a short health questionnaire. Truly no-questions plans are guaranteed issue only, and those come with a 2-year waiting period on natural-cause death.
Myth
"The $9.95 plan covers a real funeral."
Fact
Colonial Penn's advertised $9.95 buys one "unit" of coverage, which is often under $2,000 in death benefit. That is well below the NFDA 2024 median funeral cost of $7,848 (NFDA source). Most families who buy the $9.95 plan are surprised by how little coverage it actually provides.
Myth
"I'm too sick to qualify."
Fact
Guaranteed-issue plans have no health questions at all. You qualify regardless of diagnosis. The tradeoff is the 2-year waiting period for natural-cause death. During that period, beneficiaries receive a refund of premiums plus interest, and accidental death pays the full face amount from day one.
Myth
"AARP is the best deal for seniors."
Fact
AARP-branded policies are underwritten by New York Life and include a membership requirement. Their rates for relatively healthy seniors are often higher than Mutual of Omaha or Aetna simplified issue, especially for women and non-smokers. Always compare the AARP quote against an independent broker quote before deciding.
Myth
"If I lie about smoking, I save money."
Fact
Material misrepresentation voids the policy during the 2-year contestability period. Family receives a refund of premiums, not the death benefit. Carriers verify nicotine use through MIB records and sometimes saliva tests at claim time. The "savings" disappears at the moment your family needs the money.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between "no exam" and "no health questions" burial insurance?
Who qualifies for no medical exam burial insurance?
Does no medical exam burial insurance cost more?
Is there a waiting period on no medical exam burial insurance?
What coverage amounts are available without a medical exam?
How long does approval take for no medical exam burial insurance?
Can you be denied burial insurance with no medical exam?
Is guaranteed acceptance life insurance the same as no medical exam?
Ready to Get a Quote?
Asurgo is an independent brokerage licensed in all 50 states. We place coverage with 25+ carriers including Mutual of Omaha, Aflac, Transamerica, AIG, Aetna, Gerber Life, Foresters, and Royal Neighbors. Most applicants have coverage in force within 24 hours of application.
Monday through Friday 8am to 8pm, Saturday 9am to 5pm ET.
Nicholas Norminton, Licensed Insurance Specialist
Specialties: final expense, whole life, term life, indexed universal life.
Nicholas is a nationally licensed insurance specialist with extensive experience across the industry. He has personally helped thousands of clients secure life insurance coverage and built Asurgo into a trusted, tech-forward brokerage serving clients in all 50 states.