Same promise — no medical exam. Different questions, different trade-offs. Here's the honest difference, before you compare rates.
Compare My RatesCall (410) 500-2733Both kinds of coverage exist for people who want life insurance without a medical exam. The difference is what you are asked, what you pay, and when the full benefit applies. Most websites blur the two. Here is the honest version.
Guaranteed Issue plans ask very limited or no health questions, and they never require a medical exam. That is why they fit people who have been told no elsewhere because of health history — including people living with serious conditions. The trade-off is real and must be stated plainly: for natural-cause death, benefits can be limited during the first years of the policy, and the length of that limited period varies by plan. Accidental death is typically treated differently — check the terms of the plan you are looking at. That is exactly why you compare plans, not headlines.
Simplified Issue plans ask a few health questions and require no medical exam. If you answer those questions in the carrier's favor and are approved, the benefit is typically payable in full from day one, and the premium is typically lower than a Guaranteed Issue plan for the same coverage. The trade-off is the questions themselves: some health histories will not pass them. If they do not, Guaranteed Issue is still on the table.
| Guaranteed Issue | Simplified Issue | |
|---|---|---|
| Health questions | Very limited or none | A few |
| Medical exam | Never | Never |
| Who it fits | People told no elsewhere, or with health histories that rule out other coverage | People in reasonably good health who want no exam and a lower premium |
| When the full benefit applies | Benefits can be limited during the first years for natural-cause death; the period varies by plan | Typically in full from day one, if approved |
| Premium, generally | Higher, because the carrier asks almost nothing | Typically lower, because the carrier asks a few questions |
| Your need | What fits |
|---|---|
| You were told no because of your health | Guaranteed Issue — compare plans and their limited-benefit periods |
| You want the lowest premium and can answer a few questions | Simplified Issue — if approved, full benefit from day one on many plans |
| You want funeral costs covered and nothing more | Either type, in a smaller whole life amount — compare both |
| You are not sure which you qualify for | Compare both side by side; the quoter labels every plan GI or SI |
Too many ads in Maryland feeds promise "no health questions" without ever mentioning a waiting period, and some dress themselves up as a government program. They are not. This page is the opposite approach: real plan types, real trade-offs, real rates on the quoter — from a named, licensed local broker in Baltimore. If you were told you could not get life insurance, compare anyway. You may still qualify — and if Guaranteed Issue is the answer, you will see its terms before you talk to anyone, not after.
Compare your rates in about a minute, with no name or phone number required — or call Landis directly.
Compare My RatesCall (410) 500-2733