The Life Insurance Pro

Do life insurance companies have access to medical records?

Life Insurance companies don't have access to your medical records BUT they have the ability to request them from your doctor's office.
Every time someone applies for life insurance they sign a HIPAA authorization form on their application.
HIPAA stands for Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. When this form is signed on

the application you, the client, are giving authorization to the life insurance company to access your medical records. The life insurance company will use this form to request permission from your health care provider to release your personal medical records to them.
There is no way around this HIPAA form. If you, the client, decides not to give permission to the life insurance company to your medical records they will most likely not approve your policy.
Life insurance companies approve policies for coverage once they’ve done thier research on your mortality rate. They are not afraid of declining policies if the client is on a higher risk rate than their already set standards. When a client refuses to sign a HIPAA form the company can’t do their proper research and that is the reason why they will most likely not approve a policy for coverage.

If you are considered to be high risk by one life insurance company you can definitely get coverage with a different company. The key is knowing which company sees your specific health condition in the best light. Working with an independent agent/broker who works with multiple life insurance companies is your best bet to getting the most affordable coverage that fits your specific needs.