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, and sometimes blood work or a nurse visit you were not expecting. That is why no-medical life insurance gets so much attention.
The catch is that “no-medical” is not one thing. Some plans are truly guaranteed issue. Others are simplified issue. And then there is accelerated underwriting, which often lets healthy applicants skip the exam while keeping competitive pricing and much higher coverage. Which bucket you land in changes everything about price and coverage, and it is the main reason PolicyMe sits at the top of this list: it now covers the full spectrum through a single application.
Quick Pick: PolicyMe – Best No-Medical Starting Point for Most Canadians
One application checks every underwriting path and matches you to the best offer you qualify for, from term life up to $5,000,000 to the new Guaranteed Issue permanent plan with no health questions or exams.
- Term: 10–30 years, $100,000 to $5,000,000, ages 18–75
- Guaranteed Issue: $5,000 to $100,000, permanent, no health questions
- Instant decisions for many applicants
Note: Guaranteed Issue is priced higher per dollar of coverage. Term life remains the most affordable choice for most applicants, and the application offers it first if you qualify.
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, 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 | Term: $100,000 to $5,000,000 Guaranteed Issue: $5,000 to $100,000 |
Often instant to a few days | 18–75 (term); Guaranteed Issue available at older ages | Term & Permanent | Most applicants: one unified application matches you to the best product you qualify for |
| Blue Cross Life | Term: $25,000 to $5,000,000 (no exam up to $1M for qualified applicants under 45) Express Life: up to $20,000 |
Fast, often same-day decisions | Under 45 for no-exam term; under 55 for Express Life | Term & Permanent | Buyers who want no-medical or guaranteed-issue coverage from an established brand |
| Canada Protection Plan | Up to $1,000,000 depending on plan | Fast, often within days | Varies by plan | Term & Permanent | People with health issues needing higher simplified-issue coverage amounts |
| 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 |
Which No-Medical Path Actually Fits You?
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, since it costs more per dollar of coverage and is not the right choice for everyone.
Here is the problem with those buckets: most people have no reliable way to know which one they belong in. Industry data suggests roughly one in four applicants over 50 with a pre-existing condition still qualifies for fully underwritten coverage. People who assume the worst and default straight to guaranteed issue can pay up to five times more for the same dollar of coverage. That self-selection trap is exactly what PolicyMe’s new unified application removes. You answer one set of questions, the engine evaluates you against every underwriting path at once, and you get the best-priced product you actually qualify for. If that is fully underwritten term, you get term pricing. If it is Guaranteed Issue, you get an offer instead of a rejection letter.
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 for Almost Every No-Medical Shopper
Coverage: $100,000 to $5,000,000 (term); $5,000 to $100,000 (Guaranteed Issue, up to $50,000 for applicants 71+)
Approval Time: Often instant to a few days
Age Eligibility: 18–75 for term; Guaranteed Issue available at older ages
Policy Type: Term & Permanent
Perks: first-year 10% couples discount and free $10k child coverage on term policies.
PolicyMe used to be the answer for one type of no-medical shopper: the reasonably healthy applicant who wanted real term coverage through accelerated underwriting without the old-school exam process. That is still true, and it is still one of the cleanest ways for a healthy Canadian to get up to $5,000,000 in term coverage with an instant decision in many cases.
What changed is the other half of the market. PolicyMe now offers Guaranteed Issue Life Insurance, a permanent product with no medical exams and no health questions at all. Coverage runs from $5,000 to $100,000 depending on your age, premiums are level and stop at age 100 while coverage continues for life, and the policy includes built-in accidental death and terminal illness benefits. It is backed by Securian Canada, which holds an A+ rating from A.M. Best. Like most guaranteed issue products, it carries an industry-standard two-year waiting period on non-accidental death, and it is priced higher per dollar of coverage than underwritten policies. It is built for seniors planning final expenses, applicants who have been declined before, and anyone who simply will not buy insurance if a medical exam is involved.
The most useful part, in my view, is the unified application. You no longer have to guess which product to apply for. One application evaluates you across every underwriting path, from fully underwritten term to simplified issue to Guaranteed Issue, and serves up the best-fit offer you qualify for. That solves the most expensive mistake in this category: defaulting to guaranteed issue coverage you did not actually need. Term life remains the most affordable option for the majority of people, and PolicyMe’s system will offer it first if you qualify.
For most readers, this is where I would start, whether you are 32 and healthy or 68 with a health history. 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. Blue Cross Life – Best Established-Brand No-Medical Alternative
Coverage: $25,000 to $5,000,000 on term, with no exam for qualified applicants under 45 up to $1,000,000; Express Life guaranteed issue up to $20,000
Approval Time: Fast, often same-day decisions
Age Eligibility: Under 45 for no-exam term; under 55 for Express Life
Policy Type: Term & Permanent
Blue Cross Life is the option I point to for readers who want no-medical coverage but feel more comfortable with an 80-year-old institution behind the policy. Its term product runs from $25,000 up to $5,000,000 with level premiums, and qualified applicants under 45 can skip the exam entirely on coverage up to $1,000,000. That is a genuinely competitive no-exam ceiling, and terms can typically be converted to permanent coverage later.
On the guaranteed-acceptance side, Express Life asks no health questions and no exam at all, with coverage up to $20,000 for applicants under 55. Two caveats: payouts are reduced in the first six months, and the $20,000 cap is modest next to PolicyMe’s Guaranteed Issue ceiling of $100,000. So for pure guaranteed issue, I would still run a PolicyMe quote first. The other thing to check is availability, since Blue Cross is sold through regional plans and is not offered directly in every province or territory.
Overall, it is a strong second stop, especially for healthy applicants under 45 who want a big no-exam term policy from a household name. You can read the full breakdown in our Blue Cross life insurance review or get a quote directly.
3. Canada Protection Plan – Strong Choice for Higher-Coverage Simplified Issue
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, and some of its simplified products reach coverage amounts most guaranteed issue plans cannot touch.
If you have existing health concerns and need more than $100,000 of no-medical coverage, CPP is often more relevant than the digital-first platforms. I would not automatically assume it will be the best value, and I would still get a PolicyMe quote first since the unified application will tell you in minutes whether you qualify for cheaper underwritten coverage. But for applicants who need high simplified-issue amounts specifically, CPP remains one of the most practical options.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. 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.
Not sure which product you would even qualify for?
That is exactly what PolicyMe’s unified application solves. One application checks you against every underwriting path, from fully underwritten term to the new Guaranteed Issue plan, and matches you to the best offer you qualify for. No guessing, no applying twice, and every eligible Canadian gets an offer.
7. 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.
8. BMO Guaranteed Life Plus – Guaranteed Acceptance Basics for Seniors
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.
Worth noting for comparison shoppers: PolicyMe’s new Guaranteed Issue plan now competes directly in this space with coverage up to $100,000, double BMO’s ceiling, plus built-in accidental death and terminal illness benefits. If guaranteed acceptance is what you are after, it makes sense to compare both before deciding.
9. 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. If you want a higher ceiling on guaranteed-acceptance coverage, PolicyMe’s Guaranteed Issue plan goes up to $100,000 and is worth a comparison quote.
10. 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. The difference in 2026 is that you no longer have to figure that out on your own before applying. PolicyMe’s unified application now evaluates you across every path in one session, which makes it the strongest first stop for almost everyone: healthy applicants who want the best mix of speed, price, and meaningful term coverage, and applicants with health concerns who previously had to shop guaranteed-acceptance products blind. If you need simplified-issue coverage above $100,000 specifically, Canada Protection Plan and iA remain the most relevant alternatives.
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.
Get your benchmark quote in minutes
One application, every underwriting path, and an offer for every eligible Canadian. Whether you end up with high-coverage term or the new Guaranteed Issue plan, you will at least know your real number.
For more context around where these products sit in the broader market, you may also want to compare them with our best term life insurance providers 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?
It depends on the product. PolicyMe’s term life uses accelerated underwriting, so many eligible applicants skip the exam but some may be asked for more information. Its new Guaranteed Issue plan is truly no-medical: no health questions and no exams for any applicant. The unified application checks you against both paths automatically and offers the best product you qualify for.
What is PolicyMe’s Guaranteed Issue Life Insurance?
It is a permanent life insurance product launched in 2026 with no medical exams or health questions. Coverage runs from $5,000 to $100,000 depending on age, premiums are level and stop at age 100 while coverage continues for life, and it includes built-in accidental death and terminal illness benefits. Like most guaranteed issue plans, it has a two-year waiting period on non-accidental death and costs more per dollar of coverage than underwritten policies. It is designed for seniors, final-expense planning, and applicants who have been declined elsewhere.
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. Guaranteed issue coverage can cost several times more than a fully underwritten policy with the same face value, which is why you should never default to it if you might qualify for underwritten coverage. 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, including PolicyMe’s Guaranteed Issue plan, BMO Guaranteed Life Plus, and Desjardins 50+. 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. This applies to PolicyMe’s Guaranteed Issue plan as well. 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. And do not assume a condition disqualifies you from cheaper underwritten coverage: roughly a quarter of applicants over 50 with a pre-existing condition still qualify for fully underwritten policies. This is exactly why a unified application that checks every path is worth running before settling for a guaranteed issue price.
What is the best no-medical life insurance company in Canada?
There is no universal best option for every applicant, but PolicyMe is now the strongest starting point for most Canadians because its unified application covers the full spectrum: accelerated-underwriting term coverage up to $5,000,000 for healthy applicants, and Guaranteed Issue permanent coverage up to $100,000 for those who cannot qualify for traditional underwriting. For simplified-issue coverage above $100,000, Canada Protection Plan and iA 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, though unified applications like PolicyMe’s now handle much of that sorting automatically.
Mohammed Saqib has a Masters Degree from Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo. 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.
