I My Insight Today
Search
Insurance / Mar 9, 2026 / 7 min read

Exploring Costco Life Insurance With No Medical Exam For Members: What Applicants Should Know

Many members search for "Costco life insurance with no medical exam" because they want a faster application process and hope to avoid direct medical testing like blood work or urine samples. That interest makes sense, but the phrase can also be misleading. In practice, “no medical exam” usually does not mean no health review at all. With life insurance available through Costco membership programs, applicants may still need to answer health questions, disclose medical history, and go through unde

Exploring Costco Life Insurance With No Medical Exam For Members: What Applicants Should Know

1. What “No Medical Exam” Really Means

The most important thing to understand is that skipping a medical exam is not the same as skipping health review altogether.

In the United States, applicants still need to answer questions about their health and medical history. Costco also notes that the phone interview may take 20 minutes or longer. In addition, Costco explains that its accelerated application path currently applies to applicants ages 18 to 45 for coverage amounts up to $1,000,000, and to applicants ages 46 to 60 for coverage amounts up to $500,000, as long as they meet Protective’s eligibility and risk requirements. If they do not, the application may move to full medical underwriting. (costco.com)

In Canada, Manulife provides more specific public guidance. For term life products available to Costco members, applicants age 50 or younger will normally not need medical tests. Applicants ages 51 to 55 will also normally not need medical tests if they are applying for up to CAD 250,000. Even so, this should not be understood as a complete waiver of health review, because underwriting conditions may still apply depending on the application. (manulife-insurance.ca)

2. The Main Types of Policies Available

In the United States, Costco’s current member program is Member Advantage Life®, issued by Protective Life Insurance Company. It is a term life insurance product with coverage amounts from $100,000 to $5 million. Costco highlights 10-year and 20-year term options and also notes that members may access competitive rates for terms of up to 30 years. (costco.com, protective.com, protective.com PDF)

In Canada, Manulife currently offers 5-Year Term Life, 10-Year Term Life, 20-Year Term Life, and FollowMe™ Life to Costco members. Among these, FollowMe™ Life stands out because applicants who apply within 60 days after their group life insurance ends may qualify for guaranteed acceptance and no medical questionnaire or exam at the time of application, as long as they meet the program’s conditions. Still, this is a specific product for a specific situation, not a general rule for all Costco life insurance options. (manulife-insurance.ca)

3. Member Benefits and Pricing Differences by Membership Tier

Member perks are one reason many shoppers look into Costco life insurance in the first place.

In the United States, Costco describes the program as offering member-only value, and Executive Members may receive additional savings. Costco also explains that Protective’s term life products have lower premiums during the first five years, with an increase in year six, after which premiums remain level for the rest of the selected term period. (costco.com, costco.com, costco.com, protective.com, protective.com PDF)

In Canada, the pricing advantages are stated more clearly. Manulife says that all Costco members can save 10% on coverage amounts of CAD 200,000 or more, and Executive Members can save up to an additional 5%. So when discussing pricing differences by membership tier, Costco Canada provides more specific public details. (manulife-insurance.ca)

4. Age Limits and Coverage Amount Limits

This is one area where readers need to be careful not to mix U.S. and Canada information.

In the United States, Costco outlines two main accelerated-processing thresholds: applicants ages 18 to 45 may qualify for up to $1,000,000, while applicants ages 46 to 60 may qualify for up to $500,000, as long as they meet Protective’s requirements. At the same time, the overall coverage range for Costco’s U.S. term life product runs from $100,000 to $5 million. (costco.com)

In Canada, the limits vary by product. For example, 10-Year Term Life offers coverage from CAD 50,000 to CAD 1 million. At the same time, the “no medical tests” rule generally applies to applicants age 50 or younger, or applicants ages 51 to 55 if they are applying for up to CAD 250,000. This is why readers should avoid assuming that one set of rules applies across all Costco life insurance offerings. (manulife-insurance.ca, manulife-insurance.ca)

5. What the Actual Application Process Looks Like

The real application process is not a “no checks at all” process. It may be simpler in some cases, but it still involves review.

In the United States, applicants begin by getting a quote, verifying their Costco membership number, and submitting an application online or by phone. A key part of the process is answering questions about health and medical history. Costco says the phone interview may take 20 minutes or more. If a medical exam is required, the applicant will be notified. The exam may include height, weight, and blood pressure measurements, along with blood and urine samples. After that, Protective reviews the application through underwriting. Costco also notes that the full process usually takes a few weeks, and that additional medical records or underwriting requirements may sometimes be needed. (costco.com)

In Canada, the overall process follows a similar logic. Some applicants may qualify for a simpler path based on age and coverage amount, but that does not mean the application is completely free from review. In other words, “no medical exam” should be understood as the possible removal of certain direct testing steps, not as a guarantee that health-related review disappears entirely. (manulife-insurance.ca)

6. Limitations Applicants Should Keep in Mind

There are a few important limits applicants should understand before assuming this is a simple path for everyone.

First, not everyone qualifies for a no-exam path. In the U.S., Costco clearly states that applicants who do not meet the accelerated eligibility criteria may need to move to full medical underwriting. In Canada, even when a product says that “no medical tests are normally required,” that still does not mean every application is automatically approved. (costco.com, manulife-insurance.ca)

Second, the initial quote is not the final price. Costco states that approval and final premiums still depend on underwriting and eligibility criteria. That matters for applicants who expect the process to be both quick and fully predictable from the start. (costco.com, protective.com)

Third, Costco U.S. and Costco Canada are not the same program. The U.S. program is tied to Protective Life and member term life coverage, while Canada is tied to Manulife and offers 5-year, 10-year, and 20-year term products along with FollowMe™ Life. If those two markets are not clearly separated, readers can easily misunderstand the age requirements, coverage limits, and member savings involved. (costco.com, protective.com, manulife-insurance.ca)

Conclusion

For Costco members, the phrase “no medical exam” sounds appealing. But the more accurate way to understand it is this: in some cases, applicants may not need a direct medical exam, while still needing to answer health questions, disclose medical history, and go through underwriting before the insurer makes a final decision.

In the United States, that depends on Protective’s accelerated eligibility rules. In Canada, Manulife provides clearer public guidance on the age ranges and coverage amounts for which applicants will normally not need medical tests. Either way, “no medical exam” should not be treated as a blanket promise for every applicant. It is better understood as a possible path for certain qualifying applicants. (costco.com, protective.com, manulife-insurance.ca)

References