Unless you're buying a guaranteed-issue policy or purchasing life insurance through your employer, you'll probably have to endure a medical evaluation. The problem is that over the duration of your policy, your health could change for better or worse.
"If you don't get the highest (health) classification when you apply for the policy, you need to ask if there is the ability to improve on that rating if your health increases," says Behrendt.
Behrendt says people who have had health risks such as a heart attack, DUI or smoking habit in the past can have between 10 percent and 20 percent knocked off of their life insurance premium if they undergo new medical underwriting after a certain period of time. Policyholders, especially those with term insurance, will also want to know what happens if their health decreases or if they become uninsurable.