You’re applying for life insurance and they just sucked your blood and made you pee in a cup. You deserve to know what they know and there is no better way to do that than to request a copy of your labs.

I have long like the proactive approach that West Coast Life takes. As soon as they receive your lab results they send a copy out to you along with an explanation of what each lab test means. There is no requirement that you get approved or accept the policy in order to get the lab results. It is something of a freebie and a pretty valuable one at that.

I queried my local doctor’s office to see what the insurance company labs would cost if you were inclined to just go get a checkup, which most of us aren’t. These labs are a standard set of life insurance lab results and just a ballpark estimate would put the testing at somewhere around $300.

While I’m certainly not advocating applying for life insurance to get free lab work, I absolutely recommend that you pass on the results to your doctor so they can take advantage of the free labs to better monitor your health, or if it’s the first labs you’ve provided your doctor, to set a baseline. Knowing things like cholesterol levels, liver functions, and glucose level is valuable knowledge.

Those companies that don’t proactively send lab results without asking, will send you labs at no cost with a written request. In our office we include a written request with every application. If you have applied through someone that doesn’t offer that service make sure you request it.

Bottom line. That checkup you always find a reason not to get. That curiosity about your cholesterol. It’s all contained in your life insurance lab results. Always ask for a copy.