# Simplified Issue Health Questions Explained | Prime Mutual > What to expect on a simplified issue application: typical yes/no categories, knockout conditions, why honest answers protect your claim. URL: https://finalexpenseinsurance.com/guide/simplified-issue-health-questions/ Last-Modified: 2026-04-22 No Exam Coverage # What Health Questions Are on a Simplified Issue Application? What to expect on a simplified issue application: typical yes/no categories, knockout conditions, why honest answers protect your claim. Updated April 22, 2026 · 4 min read ![Senior filling out a short questionnaire at home, relaxed](/images/featured/senior-filling-out-short-health-questionnaire-at-h.webp) ## What the Questionnaire Actually Looks Like A typical simplified-issue final expense application asks 10 to 15 yes/no questions. Most are about specific medical conditions, current medications, and recent hospitalizations. There’s no medical exam, no blood draw, no needles — just the questions. Carriers structure questionnaires in two tiers: - **Knockout questions** — a “yes” answer disqualifies you from that carrier’s simplified-issue product entirely. - **Rate-class questions** — answers affect your rate class (preferred vs standard vs graded) but don’t automatically decline. ![Sample question categories list for simplified-issue application](/images/content/sample-question-categories-list-for-simplified-iss.webp) ## Typical Question Categories Most simplified-issue applications cover these areas: **Major active conditions:** - Are you currently in treatment for cancer (excluding basal-cell skin cancer)? - Have you been diagnosed with HIV/AIDS, ALS, or another terminal illness? - Have you been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, dementia, or cognitive impairment? **Recent serious events:** - Have you had a heart attack, stroke, or coronary bypass in the past 12–24 months? - Have you had an organ or bone marrow transplant? - Are you currently on dialysis or awaiting a transplant? **Substance and lifestyle:** - Are you a tobacco user, and within the past 12 months? - Have you been treated for drug or alcohol abuse in the past 5 years? **Functional health:** - Do you require assistance with activities of daily living (bathing, dressing, eating, etc.)? - Are you confined to a bed, wheelchair, or nursing facility? - Do you use oxygen continuously? **Specific conditions:** - Do you have insulin-dependent diabetes? (Often a rate-class question, not a knockout) - Do you have COPD or emphysema? - Are you on multiple cardiac medications? ## Knockout vs Rate-Class Questions Different carriers have very different knockout lists. For example: - Carrier A might knock out insulin-dependent diabetics from simplified issue; Carrier B might rate them up but still approve. - Carrier A might knock out anyone on continuous oxygen; Carrier B might graded-rate them. This is why shopping multiple carriers [/no-medical-exam-life-insurance/ →](/no-medical-exam-life-insurance/) matters more than which carrier you apply with first. Same person, same answers, different outcomes. ## Why Honest Answers Protect You Carriers cross-reference your answers against: - The Medical Information Bureau (MIB) — a shared insurance industry database - Prescription history databases (Milliman, ExamOne, etc.) - In some cases, motor vehicle records or public records An undisclosed condition that shows up in MIB or prescription history can trigger: 1. Immediate decline (better than approval-then-claim-denial) 2. Approval at the wrong rate class (less protection than you paid for) 3. Claim contestation within the 2-year contestability period — meaning your family could be denied the death benefit they were counting on Honest answers protect the policy. A carrier that approves you knowing your conditions is obligated to pay the claim. A carrier that approves you based on incomplete information has a basis to contest. ## What Happens After You Answer For most simplified-issue applications: 1. You submit the questionnaire (online, by phone, or paper). 2. The carrier reviews it against MIB and prescription databases (often within hours). 3. If clean, approval is automatic — typically within 1–3 days. 4. If a question flags review, the carrier may follow up for clarification. 5. Approval triggers a policy issuance — coverage starts as soon as the first premium clears. The application process is genuinely fast for clean profiles. The work of qualifying [/guide/how-to-qualify-for-simplified-issue/ →](/guide/how-to-qualify-for-simplified-issue/) is mostly about matching the right carrier to your specific health profile — which is where independent shopping wins. ## Frequently Asked Questions How many health questions are there? Usually 10 to 15 yes/no questions, with no medical exam. Some carriers have shorter applications (5–7 questions); a few longer (up to 20). The questionnaire takes about 5 minutes. What if I answer a knockout question 'yes'? That specific carrier may decline, but another carrier may accept it, or guaranteed issue is still available. Different carriers define knockouts differently — one's automatic decline is another's standard approval. Will they check my answers? Yes. Carriers check the Medical Information Bureau (MIB) and prescription history databases. Honest answers protect you — undisclosed conditions are the leading reason claims get contested or denied. Tell the truth. ## Related Guides ### Day-One Full Coverage: How Simplified Issue Differs From Guaranteed Issue Why simplified issue's day-one full coverage beats a graded wait: the no-wait advantage, the cost difference, who qualifies, and why to try simplified first. [Day-One Full Coverage: How Simplified Issue Differs From Guaranteed Issue →](/guide/day-one-coverage-vs-guaranteed-issue/) ### Simplified Issue vs Guaranteed Issue: How to Qualify for the Cheaper Option Maximize your chance at the lower-cost tier: conditions that still pass simplified underwriting, carrier-shopping for lenient placements. [Simplified Issue vs Guaranteed Issue: How to Qualify for the Cheaper Option →](/guide/how-to-qualify-for-simplified-issue/) ## Learn more about Simplified Issue (No Exam) Life Insurance Ready to see what your real options are? Get matched with a licensed agent who can shop multiple A-rated carriers — free, no obligation. View No Exam Coverage [/no-medical-exam-life-insurance/ →](/no-medical-exam-life-insurance/) Get My Free Quote [/contact/ →](/contact/)