Buying life insurance is easy, especially with online life insurance quotes providers making the job more convenient, quicker, and a lot less expensive! The part that most people dread, however, is undergoing a medical exam. A medical exam and the ensuing underwriting process will determine the rate of premium you pay for your policy. If you haven’t undergone any kind of medical tests for years, then you may be in for a surprise. Many people discover for the first time that they are not in such a great shape as they thought. It is advisable to get your own health check up done, address the health issues and then apply for life insurance. Remember, underwriters look at the results of a medical exam very seriously but they may overlook certain health conditions if they see that you are faithful in taking care of your health and taking medication regularly for your condition. Underwriters will use the results of a medical exam, lifestyle habits, family health history along with longevity charts to determine the risk of your death. Longevity charts are based on statistics of deaths, the cause of death, age, gender, etc. For example, longevity charts show that a 30-year old woman will live longer than a 30-year old man and therefore life insurance rates are higher for men, than women.