Most Common Questions and Answers about Paramed exams

Often times my clients have asked me what happens when you have a paramed exam and a related question when would I need a doctors exam or an ECG?

For most people time is money, so they want to know how long does a paramed exam take?

Answer: Usually 15-30 minutes.

What is the paramed going to do?

Answer: They will at a minimum take your blood pressure, height weight, urine sample and also draw a blood sample which may or may not require you to fast for 12 hours before the exam. They also will ask you a series of medical questions about your family history and your personal medical history. (Don't lie to the examiner the test will show any conflicts) If you are applying for a larger face amount you may have to also have an ECG done which the examiner will have a portable machine to do that for you.

When do you need a doctors exam?

Answer: Similar to the ECG requirement it is usually required for people who are older or for clients requesting large face amounts of insurance.

How much does this cost?

Answer: he exam cost nothing to have done and you will get all the results back which you can then share with your doctor.

Why do I need to get this done?

Answer: Bottom line the insurance company doesn't want to take on any unnecessary risk, and frankly you don't want them to either because if their funds run short, claims take longer, the company's customer service suffers, and they may go out of business all these things are not good. Underwriting and the exam will allow the insurance company to rate you and if you are in shape and healthy that will result in lower premiums.

Where can the exam be done?

Answer: The exam can be completed either at home or at work often times the examiner may be able to see you Monday through Friday between 7am and 8pm or even on Saturdays.

Hopefully that cleared up some things for you folks out there. Medini Financial strives to provide insurance and financial answers in Ephrata and Lancaster County. Check us out on facebook and become a fan just search Medini Financial.

What is the difference between the insurance policy with only a few questions and no exam versus the policy that requires an exam?

Recently, I have received an email from someone in Lancaster looking for insurance who asked what is the difference between companies who just ask few medical questions with no exams versus going through underwriting and possibly an exam.

You may have gotten in the mail or have heard commercials both on the TV and the Radio about life insurance with no exams just answer a few medical questions and mail back in your check and you get life insurance. Some of these companies even offer guaranteed policies. What they don't want you to know is that you may be guaranteed insurance but only if you have an accidental death and there may be several caveats where you are not covered under a guaranteed issue policy that may or may not have medical questions.

The next type of policy discussed earlier is the one that all you have to do is answer some questions and you may or may not be offered coverage while these are often times more appropriate for a client there is a price you for the convenience of not having a medical exam. Here the main difference when you forgo the medical exam and blood work the life insurance companies are taking a larger risk on an individual who may be in poor health and who is a higher risk. So in order to leverage against the risk what they do is charge often charge 4-6 times the normal rate you may have paid had you gone through underwriting. By charging more you receive a policy relatively quick and easy, however in the eyes of the insurance company a person they must assume that you are a bigger risk even if you are not. What these companies often do is offer lower amounts of insurance with no exam as not to expose themselves to a high risk. It is also beneficial because 25,000 dollars worth of insurance at 4 times the going rate may come out to 20 dollars a month versus listing 100,000 dollars worth of insurance at 4 times the going rates can easily cost over a $100 dollars a month with no exam.

Often times people will actually opt for the smaller amount of insurance to save them self the time with an exam. What you are really doing is similar to eating out versus cooking at home. You are paying more money each month in exchange for convenience however on a large scale. Depending on your situation it may be beneficial to just answer the questions and pay more to get that peace of mind right away. on the other hand you may want to go forward with a policy that requires an exam. Financial the policy with the exam cost several times less. You get a free exam that will let you know your cholesterol if you are pre-diabetic etc. The main thing here is that you can get a lot more insurance for your money going through underwriting. Similar to how car insurance companies charge people more for having bad driving records they also charge smokers and people in poor health more for their insurance. If you have a clean bill of health you pay less the same way you would for car insurance with a clean driving record. The main difference here is that when you answer the questions without the exam you are often paying for one size fits all underwriting which often the same as paying the same car insurance premium as someone with a bad record. In some cases having a blanket premium may be cost effective if your health is not the best it could be. However if you are young and healthy; underwriting and exams may be the way to go.

Next post will answer another popular question I have been asked which is "What does the exam entail?



Medini Financial recommends each person evaluate their individual circumstances and to speak with an insurance or financial professional before making any decisions for or against a policy. This information is for educational purposes. Medini Financial is licensed with the Pennsylvania Dept of insurance.

The people behind the headlines

"Middlesex County College student Vincent DeSario, who graduated May 20, was severely beaten in Wildwood earlier this month and has died; it was a tragic event. The family is facing extreme medical expenses and have created a charitable trust to help."


If you would like to contibute, please make checks payable to the Vincent DeSario Charitible Trust and mail to:

Vincent DeSario Charitable Trust
1115 Inman Ave.
P.O. Box 317
Edison, NJ 08820

This is what Middlesex County college's website has up for my friend Vinny Desario. As an experience life insurance agent Medini Financial has seen its fair share of what the insurance industry calls "Claims". Bottom line is these are real people, not just a claim. When tragedy happens to someone it affects so many others. It was tragic to lose "skinny vinny", or "Barbers" as some knew him. Having worked with my clients helping them with their loss I know how difficult this can be for families and friends. Sadly Vinny was the first person I knew who had died who was younger than me and it took a toll on me. When we lose someone we love it is always difficult in all aspects physically, emotionally and financially it often becomes an issue as well. So when dealing with an agent make sure you find someone who truly cares about your situation and has you set up so you at least don't have to worry about the financial aspect. Make sure you are working with someone who cares about your family and their needs, frankly people look at headlines and disengage, and dissociate from the fact that we are all interconnected whether we like it or not.


Medini Financial would ask that if you have any resources what so ever please forward them to the Vincent Desario Charitable trust Bottom line here Vinny Desario was a great kid and our loss is tragic, and something like this will take a big toll financially on my friends family. So please dont just read the headlines without thinking about who is behind them. In this case Vinny was not just some kid he was bright student, an avid golfer, and a stout optimist. Any support you have will be much appreciated

Rest In Peace Vinny

We senselessly lost Vinny Desario this week I ask that all PFA wrestlers please pray for his family. I'll have content up this weekend.

Medini Financial's first post... Hello World

Please note Medini financial is licensed in the state of PA and certain questions regarding state specific products must be directed to a rep licensed in that state.

As stated previously Medini Financial is up and running with its first blog posts, I invite all readers to either submit their comments or questions directly on this forum or they can submit their anonymous question to medinifinancial@gmail.com. Thank you to all for your support and look out later this week for a most requested discussion on the difference between term and permanent insurance and what it means to people of all ages and situations.


I wanted to introduce our services and our different approach to the world. Medini Financial wants to take away the stigma and negative stereotypes of your traditional insurance agency. Having been in the insurance industry for some time now, I often have ran into clients who were so relieved that someone was able to ask and find out what they wanted and needed. Someone who would not suggest a one size fits all solution that benefits the client to a small extent but the licensed agents wallet a lot more. Many people feel insurance agents are slimy and overpaid, and to some degree they are right. If someone is going to make money directly or indirectly off of me I want to make sure they are earning every penny I pay them.

What makes this agency so different is that Medini Financial puts the client first period. Medini Financial lays out all options across the board from multiple carriers. We uniquely position ourselves with the best carriers so we can offer client A what's right for them from one company and client B what is right for them from another company. When dealing with a captive agent or one who only promotes one company (often the one with the best commission plan) you will always be limited to that one person's company's policies the good and the bad. Medini Financial has seen too many times and even experience it myself back when I was representing one carrier that when push comes to shove no matter how big a company may be no one company has the best fit for each person.

Medini Financial is based on the following philosophy and we stick to it everyday, that is Knowledgeable answers, personalized advice, and no pressure. How many times has a rep tried to sell a policy that was too expensive for the client and then try to make the client feel like he doesn't love his family because he couldn't afford the policy which wasn't right for his family in the first place? The answer, it happens almost everyday. So when we mean no pressure we stick to it. If you feel the services we offer is right for you we are more than happy to serve you. If you want advice but have no need for more services, I will give you that advice, and tell you straight from the horses mouth that you don't need another policy. I don't think too many agents out there visiting clients who don't secretly hope they can "find a need" which really means push one policy. While I do believe insurance has a purpose in this world, Medini Financial feels strongly that the main reason why many do not seek answers is because they don't know where to turn for real answers without the sales pitches or because they feel they can't afford it.

So Medini Financial is here to go the extra mile with no strings attached; feeling confident that most people would like to deal with a straight shooter who they can know and trust versus a product pusher.

Thank you again and have a great week.