Applying for Life Insurance – Do Medical Exams Scare You?

I wish I had a dollar for every prospective life insurance client I spoke with who was nervous about getting their blood drawn.  I have even had a few people decide against purchasing life insurance because they couldn’t confront “the needle.”  Medical exams, including blood tests, are part and parcel of the life insurance application.  It provides valuable data to the underwriter as to what type of risk you present to the life insurance company.  Along with a review of your application and medical records, the underwriter will determine your health class and premiums you pay for the policy.
For those of you who are a bit more than squeamish about getting poked in the arm with a needle, here are some tips for relaxing during your blood draw I found at labtestsonline.org:

• Breathe:  Take three slow breaths, counting to three for each one and breath through your nose.  Breathe out through your mouth, counting to six.  Breathe deeply to your abdomen and not to your chest – you will get deeper breaths.
   
• Relax your muscles:  Focus on individual muscles and “tell” them to relax.

• Focus:  Find an object or point (spot on the wall?) to focus on.

• Count slowly (and silently) to ten:  Breathing while you do this is highly recommended.

• Talk to someone in the room:  This will take your attention away from the “event.”  Sometimes, it helps just to acknowledge your anxiety about the blood draw.

You should also realize that the person giving the exam is trained and is more than used to dealing with our fears and anxieties.  They have “seen it all,” so you shouldn’t be embarrassed about your behavior.  They will usually do what they can to get you to relax.  When all else feels, just grit your teeth and go through what you need to go through because, by applying for life insurance, you are doing a selfless thing for your family.  The fact that you have to endure the needle makes it that much more selfless.   Pat yourself on the back – you deserve it.

If you have been putting off applying for life insurance, you can start by getting your life insurance quotes now.  Just follow the directions above and you should get through the process relatively unscathed.

Posted in: Life insurance