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Cheap Insurance Quotes UK Insurance Online Ill health and hazardous occupations were soon recognised as factors which increased the risk of an earlier than average death. Therefore when the equitable was set up in 1762 they charged extra premiums for men in hazardous lines of work.

In the very early days of life insurance the life insurance offices had fewer insureds, and where able to physically see each proposer before accepting the risk. The proposed life to be insured would visit the Life Insurance Offices and be interviewed by the board directors who would ask various questions and decide whether or not to accept the risk and at what premium.

As business grew this method of assessing the risk became impractical and so the system developed for medical information and a medical report to be obtained from the proposer’s doctor.   Later as the Life Offices grew further in size and volume of business increased they started to employ their own medical referees and by the middle of the 19 th century medical examinations became the norm.

In the 20 th century some life offices began to start the practice of letting some proposer’s take out life insurance cover without the necessity of having a medical examination.   This began with those requesting lower sums insured and being of a younger age. Basically those less at risk and likely to present good risks. As experience was gained in not having a medical report, so confidence grew and the number of cases where cover could be accepted without a medical increased.

Most life insurance offices now have non-medical limits with the result that much of the business done today does not require medical examination. This does not mean that Life Insurance offices do not reserve the right to request a medical when they think that is may be necessary.

Up until the mid 19 th century climatic and geographical factors where also considered as effecting life expectancy. World developments have started to reduce these factors.
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