Finding affordable life insurance should not feel like booking a doctor’s appointment. Yet for a lot of Canadians, that is still what happens: long forms, awkward delays, calls from advisors, and sometimes blood work or a nurse visit you were not expecting.
That is why no-medical life insurance gets so much attention. It can be a practical option if you want coverage quickly, have had health issues in the past, dislike medical testing, or simply do not want a long underwriting process. I have been writing about Canadian insurance products for a long time, and one thing I have noticed is that many people lump every “no-medical” policy together, even though the category is actually more nuanced than it sounds.
Some plans are truly guaranteed issue. Others are simplified issue. And then there is accelerated underwriting, which is often the best outcome for healthy applicants because it can let you skip the exam while still accessing more competitive pricing and much higher coverage. That distinction matters a lot, and it is one of the main reasons I put PolicyMe at the top of this list for many readers.
Quick Pick: PolicyMe — Best No-Medical Starting Point for Many Healthy Canadians
If you want a simple place to start, PolicyMe is one of the best benchmark quotes in Canada. Many eligible applicants can qualify through accelerated underwriting, which often means no medical exam, instant decisions for many cases, and coverage up to $5,000,000.
- Terms: 10–30 years
- Coverage: $100,000 to $5,000,000
- Often no nurse visit required for eligible applicants
- 10% couples discount in year one
Important: at PolicyMe, “no-medical” is generally through accelerated underwriting, not guaranteed issue. Some applicants may still be asked for more information.
Whether you have been denied coverage before, have a pre-existing condition, or just want a faster approval process, this guide breaks down the top no-medical life insurance options in Canada and explains who each one is really best for. I have also linked to a few of our other guides along the way, including our best term life insurance providers in Canada list and our full PolicyMe review, because in many cases it helps to compare no-medical options against the broader term life market before making a decision.
Comparison of Popular No-Medical Life Insurance Providers
| Company | Coverage Amount | Approval Speed | Age Range | Policy Type | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PolicyMe | $100,000 to $5,000,000 | Often instant to a few days | 18–75 | Term | Healthy applicants wanting high coverage without the usual hassle |
| Canada Protection Plan | Up to $1,000,000 depending on plan | Fast, often within days | Varies by plan | Term & Permanent | People with health issues or those needing simplified / guaranteed options |
| Manulife CoverMe Easy Issue | $50,000 or $75,000 | Fast | Varies by product | Term | People wanting a very simple, lower-coverage online option |
| Sun Life Go Simplified | Up to $100,000 | Fast | Varies by eligibility | Term | Smaller, easy-to-buy no-medical term coverage |
| RBC Simplified Term Life | Up to $1,000,000 | Fast | 18–70 | Term | People wanting bank-backed simplified term coverage |
| iA Access Life | Up to $500,000 depending on age/health | Fast | 6 months to 80 years | Term & Permanent | Applicants needing broad age eligibility and no-medical access |
| BMO Guaranteed Life Plus | Up to $50,000 basic coverage | Fast | 40–75 | Permanent | Older applicants wanting guaranteed acceptance-style coverage |
| Desjardins 50+ Life Insurance | $5,000 to $20,000 | Fast | 50+ | Permanent | Simple over-50 final-expense style coverage |
| Assumption Life Golden Protection Term | Up to $250,000 | Fast | 18–70 | Term | People wanting no-medical term coverage with conversion potential |
Before diving into the company-by-company breakdown, it helps to understand the three main buckets. Accelerated underwriting is usually the best-case scenario if you are in reasonably good health and just want to skip the exam. Simplified issue is often better for people with moderate health concerns who can answer a short health questionnaire. Guaranteed issue is usually the fallback option when approval certainty matters more than price or coverage amount.
I also think it is useful to compare this page with some of our provincial and category guides, because no-medical policies do not always show up the same way in every conversation. If you want a wider context, take a look at our best life insurance providers in British Columbia, top life insurance providers in Alberta, and top life insurance providers in Ontario. Those pages help show where no-medical options fit into the broader market rather than being treated like a separate universe.
1. PolicyMe – Best Overall Starting Point for Many No-Medical Shoppers
Coverage: $100,000 to $5,000,000
Approval Time: Often instant to a few days
Age Eligibility: 18–75
Policy Type: Term
Perks: first-year 10% couples discount and free $10k child coverage.
PolicyMe is not a guaranteed-issue product, and that is important to say clearly. What it offers is accelerated underwriting, which is often the best route for healthy or relatively healthy Canadians who want to avoid the old-school exam process without settling for tiny coverage limits.
That distinction matters. In my experience, people sometimes assume “no-medical” automatically means small policies, high prices, or last-resort coverage. PolicyMe is one of the better examples of why that is not always true. If you qualify, you can access real term life coverage amounts with a much cleaner buying experience than most traditional providers still offer.
For many readers, this is where I would start. Get a real number, see what you qualify for, and then decide if it makes sense to keep comparing. Learn more in our full PolicyMe review.
2. Canada Protection Plan – Strong Choice for Simplified and Guaranteed Coverage
Coverage: Varies by plan, with some products reaching up to $1,000,000
Approval Time: Fast, often within days
Policy Type: Term & Permanent
Canada Protection Plan is one of the first names that comes up whenever no-medical life insurance is discussed in Canada, and that is for good reason. It has a much wider mix of simplified issue and guaranteed-issue options than many of the more modern digital-first brands.
If you have existing health concerns, a more complicated medical history, or you have already been turned down elsewhere, CPP is often more relevant than the flashier platforms. I would not automatically assume it will be the cheapest option, but it is often one of the most practical ones for applicants who care most about access and flexibility.
3. Manulife CoverMe Easy Issue – Best for a Simple Lower-Coverage Online Option
Coverage: $50,000 or $75,000 on Easy Issue
Approval Time: Fast
Policy Type: Term
Manulife CoverMe can be a bit confusing because people sometimes mix up its different life insurance products. The no-medical product that is easiest to talk about clearly is CoverMe Easy Issue, which offers smaller term coverage amounts and asks only a couple of health questions. That makes it a decent fit for people who do not need a huge policy and want something very simple.
I would not put it in the same bucket as PolicyMe in terms of coverage range or overall value for healthy applicants, but for people who just want a modest, fast, no-exam option, it is still relevant.
4. Sun Life Go Simplified – Good for Small, Fully Online No-Medical Term Coverage
Coverage: Up to $100,000
Approval Time: Fast
Policy Type: Term
Sun Life Go Simplified is more limited than some readers expect, but that does not make it bad. It is really just aimed at a different use case. If you are looking for a smaller online term policy without a medical exam, it can be a clean and recognizable option from a major national insurer.
Where I would be careful is assuming it is the best fit for large family protection needs. For bigger mortgage replacement or serious income replacement needs, the coverage ceiling may simply be too low.
5. RBC Simplified Term Life – Bank-Backed Simplified Term Coverage
Coverage: Up to $1,000,000
Approval Time: Fast
Age Eligibility: 18–70
Policy Type: Term
RBC Simplified Term Life is a reasonable option for people who want a major financial institution brand behind the policy and prefer something that still reaches fairly meaningful coverage amounts. It is not always the cheapest, but for some buyers the familiarity factor matters.
If you are already comparing large Canadian brands, it makes sense to put RBC alongside pages like our top life insurance providers in Quebec guide or our top life insurance providers in Nova Scotia article to see how often the same national players show up and where they are positioned.
Want to see if you qualify without the usual exam?
For many healthy Canadians, PolicyMe is still the easiest first quote to get. It is one of the few options in this category that can combine a cleaner no-exam path with high coverage amounts and competitive term pricing.
6. iA Financial Group Access Life – Good Age Range and No-Medical Access
Coverage: Up to $500,000 depending on age and health
Approval Time: Fast
Age Eligibility: 6 months to 80 years
Policy Type: Term & Permanent
iA’s Access Life stands out mostly because of its broad age eligibility and its usefulness for applicants who may not fit neatly into the ideal-risk category. If you need no-medical coverage and are outside the usual young, healthy applicant profile, it is worth a look.
7. BMO Guaranteed Life Plus – Best for Seniors Wanting Guaranteed Acceptance Basics
Coverage: Up to $50,000 basic coverage
Approval Time: Fast
Age Eligibility: 40–75
Policy Type: Permanent
BMO Guaranteed Life Plus is closer to a final-expense style solution than a broad family-protection policy. That does not make it weak. It just means it serves a narrower purpose. For older Canadians who want guaranteed acceptance and are not shopping for a large replacement-income policy, it can be useful.
8. Desjardins 50+ Life Insurance – Simple Over-50 Permanent Coverage
Coverage: $5,000 to $20,000
Approval Time: Fast
Age Eligibility: 50+
Policy Type: Permanent
Desjardins 50+ Life Insurance is another smaller permanent coverage option that is mainly relevant for older Canadians looking for final-expense or small inheritance-type coverage. It is not designed to replace a large term policy, but it may be enough for the people it is intended for.
9. Assumption Life Golden Protection Term – Flexible No-Medical Term Alternative
Coverage: Up to $250,000
Approval Time: Fast
Age Eligibility: 18–70
Policy Type: Term, convertible to whole life
Assumption Life’s Golden Protection Term is one of those products that tends to fly under the radar, but it can be a sensible option if you want no-medical term coverage and still like the idea of conversion later. It is not the broadest policy on this list, but it has a clean enough value proposition to deserve inclusion.
My Bottom Line
No-medical life insurance can be a great solution, but the best provider depends heavily on which kind of no-medical path you are actually looking for. If you are relatively healthy and want the best mix of speed, price, and meaningful coverage, I think PolicyMe is still the strongest first stop. If you have more complicated health concerns or want stronger guaranteed or simplified issue options, Canada Protection Plan, iA, and some of the smaller specialized offerings become more relevant.
I have seen a lot of readers get stuck because they try to solve the whole problem in theory before getting any quote at all. My advice is simpler: start with one realistic benchmark quote, then compare. That will usually teach you more in ten minutes than hours of generic research.
For more context around where these products sit in the broader market, you may also want to compare them with our best no-medical life insurance companies in Canada page and our broader provider comparison guides.
For general background, I also think it is worth reviewing consumer guidance from the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada and protection information from Assuris. Those are two of the better places to ground your thinking before signing anything.
No-Medical Life Insurance in Canada: FAQ
What is no-medical life insurance?
It is life insurance that does not require a medical exam. In Canada, this usually falls into three buckets: accelerated underwriting, simplified issue, and guaranteed issue. They are not interchangeable, and cost and coverage can vary a lot depending on which type you are actually applying for.
Is PolicyMe truly no-medical?
PolicyMe generally uses accelerated underwriting. That means many eligible applicants can skip the medical exam, but some may still be asked for additional information. It is different from guaranteed-issue insurance, which asks no health questions at all.
What is the difference between accelerated, simplified, and guaranteed issue?
Accelerated underwriting is usually best for healthier applicants and can offer high coverage with competitive pricing. Simplified issue usually asks a short set of health questions and may work better for people with moderate health concerns. Guaranteed issue asks no health questions but usually costs more and offers lower coverage.
How much no-medical life insurance can I get in Canada?
It depends on the product. Some accelerated-underwriting options can go as high as several million dollars. Simplified and guaranteed options often cap much lower, sometimes in the $20,000 to $500,000 range, though some providers go higher depending on age and health.
Is no-medical life insurance more expensive?
Usually, yes, especially for simplified and guaranteed issue plans. Accelerated underwriting can still be competitively priced for healthy applicants, which is one reason it is often the best no-medical route if you qualify.
Can seniors get no-medical life insurance in Canada?
Yes. In fact, many no-medical and guaranteed-issue products are built with older applicants in mind. The tradeoff is usually lower coverage and higher pricing compared with what younger, healthier applicants may qualify for.
Do no-medical policies have waiting periods?
Some guaranteed-issue policies may have a graded benefit period for non-accidental death, often around two years. Accelerated and many simplified issue policies may not. You always need to read the policy details carefully.
Can smokers or people with diabetes qualify?
Yes, though pricing and eligibility can vary widely. This is one of the biggest reasons simplified issue and guaranteed-issue plans exist. They can sometimes be more realistic options for people whose health profile makes standard underwriting harder.
What is the best no-medical life insurance company in Canada?
There is no universal best option for every applicant, but PolicyMe is one of the strongest starting points for many healthy Canadians because it can combine speed, no-exam convenience, high coverage, and competitive pricing. For more complex health situations, Canada Protection Plan and similar providers may be more suitable.
Should I use a broker or apply online directly?
It depends on how straightforward your situation is. If you are healthy and just want term coverage quickly, applying online directly can be easier. If you have health issues, a more complicated background, or are unsure which type of no-medical product fits you, a broker can still be useful.
Saqib has a Masters Degree from Wilfrid Laurier University in Ottawa. He has a robust background in accounting and finance. Mohammed started his career three years ago working as an investment analyst at a sell-side firm. He has extensively covered publicly-listed companies using fundamental analysis as the cornerstone of his approach. Mohammed has been published on SeekingAlpha, InvesorPlace, Yahoo! Finance and others.
