Quick answer · Updated August 2026
Only one UK product asks zero health questions: guaranteed-acceptance over-50s plans (ages ~50–85, from £4/month, payouts capped £10,000–£20,000, 12–24 month waiting periods). Everything marketed as "no medical" still asks questions — it just skips the physical exam, which standard underwriting rarely requires anyway below ~£500k. If you can answer questions honestly and cleanly, doing so buys 3–5× more cover per pound.
The Options, Mapped (August 2026)
| Product | Health questions? | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| Guaranteed over-50s plans | None (smoker status only) | Caps £10k–£20k; waiting period; premiums can exceed payout |
| "No medical exam" term cover | Yes — questionnaire, no physical | Standard pricing; the norm below ~£500k anyway |
| Simplified-issue policies | A few (5–10) questions | 30–60% pricier per pound than full underwriting |
| Fully underwritten cover | Full questionnaire; exam only for large sums | Best cover-per-pound by far |
Who Zero-Questions Cover Genuinely Suits
People whose health history would trigger decline or heavy loading — serious recent conditions, multiple comorbidities — and who want funeral-sized certainty without underwriting. For everyone else the questions are the discount: answering them is how a healthy 55-year-old gets £60,000+ of underwritten cover for the premium a guaranteed plan charges for £12,000. Worried a condition makes you "uninsurable"? Usually wrong — brokers pre-underwrite anonymously so a decline never hits your record: see pre-existing conditions options and the no-medical guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes — guaranteed-acceptance over-50s plans (roughly ages 50–85) ask nothing beyond smoker status. The trade: payouts capped £10,000–£20,000, 12–24 month waiting periods, and markedly less cover per pound than underwritten policies.
No — "no medical" marketing means no physical exam, which standard underwriting rarely requires below ~£500,000 anyway. The questionnaire remains, and answering it is what earns the better pricing.
Far less often than feared — most managed conditions get terms, and a broker's anonymous pre-underwriting finds the accepting insurer without a formal decline ever reaching your record.