How to Get Disability Insurance Coverage Without a Medical Exam

The first thing you should know about disability insurance is that there’s a good chance you’ll end up using it in your lifetime. As we've written previously on the subject, “The reason disability insurance is expensive is that it actually gets used,” with more than one in four people experiencing disability at some point in their lifetimes. 

We know that one out of seven doctors end up having to use their disability insurance. Your most valuable asset is your ability to work, making disability insurance a safeguard in case you can’t work because of some physical setback you experience. 

Generally, you need to get a medical exam before securing any kind of disability insurance, but there’s a route toward getting disability insurance that doesn’t involve seeing a doctor. While it might not be the best plan for you, it could satisfy your requirements for disability insurance without the time and logistics required to get a medical exam. 

What Is No-Exam Disability Insurance?

It’s exactly as described: Disability insurance that doesn’t require you to undergo a medical exam before starting the policy. 

While it’s possible to get disability payments in the US through the Social Security system, disability insurance allows you to get money when you’re unable to work, and it gives you the peace of mind of knowing how much you’ll receive. You don’t have to go through the process of applying and seeing if you qualify, with all the requisite waiting that’s required. 

A standard disability policy may require you to get a medical exam before the insurance company signs off on the policy. You might not be rejected for disability insurance, but if should something concerning come up in that exam, it might affect the policy offered or the rate you have to pay to maintain it. It also provides a baseline to check against should you make a disability claim—upon which you should expect to get a medical exam to assess the nature and severity of your disability. 

More information here:

How Much Disability Insurance Should You Buy?

Types of No-Exam Disability Insurance

There are a few types of no-exam disability insurance options in the market, one of White Coat Investors vetted insurance professionals can find good fit for you. 

There’s a traditional no-exam disability insurance variant available in some markets, which can give you quick access to disability insurance but might be more expensive and provide less coverage than regular disability insurance. Depending on your situation, this might provide you with the amount of coverage you need. These plans are rare and sometimes can be found in professional associations.

There’s also what’s called simplified issue disability insurance, which may not cover on-the-job injuries resulting in disability and may not consider occupations. This means that physicians are grouped with workers who might be at much higher risk of disability resulting from what they do. 

There’s also Guaranteed Standard Issue (GSI) disability insurance, which distributes risk among a group of employees but is different from a group disability insurance plan. While you have to get it through an employer initially, it is portable and can move with you from post to post once you have it. These policies are generally not customizable so you do not necessarily have a say in the coverage amounts available to you.

More information here:

Guaranteed Standard Issue (GSI) vs. Traditional Disability Insurance

What Is the Best No-Exam Disability Insurance?

This is really up to you, of course. In making this determination, you have to weigh how much you’re willing to pay, how much you need to secure in coverage, and even whether it’s best for you to have a policy not requiring an exam. 

It may turn out, in the end, that after researching various no-exam disability policies you’d be much better off with a regular disability policy requiring an exam. 

Pros and Cons of No Medical Exam Disability Insurance

The biggest pro of no-exam disability insurance is convenience. If you find yourself too busy to schedule an exam and you want to make sure you have disability coverage in some format, no-exam disability insurance can do that for you. If you are concerned about something coming up in your medical exam that might be disqualifying, this also may be a good option if you are willing to pay a higher premium. 

The biggest cons are that, depending on the provider, you may get less coverage and pay more for your disability insurance than you would if you just went the traditional route. It might be well worth your time in premium costs and the level of coverage to go through the process and apply for disability insurance requiring an exam. 

There are a lot of factors to weigh when considering which type of disability insurance is best for you but the main thing to keep in mind is that having it is a whole lot better than not having it. Whatever kind of income protection you opt for, you have invested too much time and money into your career, and the future’s too unpredictable not to protect that. Given how many people generally end up needing disability insurance, skipping this step is too risky. 

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The White Coat Investor may receive compensation from White Coat Insurance Services, LLC; licensed in all states including MA and DC; CA license #6009217; NY license #1758759 (exp. 6/2025); Registered address: 10610 S. Jordan Gateway, #200 South Jordan, UT 84095. This does not affect the cost or coverage of insurance.