PolicyChat Life · Pre-approval
Life Insurance Pre-Approval: Get Pre-Qualified in Two Minutes (2026)
Know whether you would likely qualify, and for roughly what, before you give anyone your phone number.
Last updated 2026-09-19 · Tables dated 2026-09-18 · PolicyChat Life, a licensed agency
PolicyChat Life runs a pre-qualification, not an approval. Sage asks three plain health questions, matches you to the health class you would likely be rated, and shows the monthly range for that class from the same dated pricing tables our estimate engine uses (the methodology is below). Only a carrier can approve a policy, and only after underwriting.
How it works
Three steps, about two minutes.
-
Tell Sage the basics
Your age, whether you use tobacco or nicotine, your build, and any of eight common conditions. Plain words, no forms, no exam booked.
-
See your likely class and range
Sage matches you to the health class you would likely be rated and shows the monthly range for that class. That is the pre-qualification: a range, not a promise.
-
Apply only if it looks right
If the number works, a licensed PolicyChat Life agent picks up exactly where Sage left off and submits the application to the carrier that treats your profile best. The carrier approves, or does not, after underwriting.
On this page
Check your pre-qualification now
Four answers. The class you would likely be rated and the monthly range for it, from the same engine Sage uses. No contact details.
What Sage asks
Plain questions, and why each one matters.
- How old are you?
- Age is the biggest factor in term pricing; rates step up at every birthday.
- Tobacco or nicotine, now or in the last year?
- Current use, or quitting under a year ago, roughly doubles the premium: at 40, $34–$55 a month becomes $83–$131 for the same $500,000 policy (PolicyChat, September 2026).
- Weight for height, roughly?
- Every carrier has a build chart. "About right," "somewhat over," and "well over" are enough for Sage to place you in a class.
- Any of these eight conditions?
- Blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes, heart, cancer, lung, anxiety or depression, or something more serious. Controlled conditions usually still qualify; serious ones route to a guaranteed-acceptance policy instead of a decline.
What you get
What you walk away with.
A pre-qualification, in writing
The class you would likely be rated, the monthly range for it, and the policy type that fits. "Pre-qualified" means the estimate matches your answers. It does not mean approved.
A carrier match, not a carrier ad
The same 45-year-old with controlled blood pressure can be Preferred at one carrier and Standard at another. Sage points the application at the one that treats your profile best.
The no-exam check
If you are under about 60 and healthy, Sage flags accelerated underwriting: a decision in days from records checks instead of an exam, at the same price.
A straight no, when it is one
If term underwriting would decline you, Sage says so and shows the guaranteed-acceptance alternative and its price, instead of a form that goes nowhere.
What this is, and is not
The plain limits, up front.
- Pre-qualified is not approved. The carrier makes the decision after underwriting, which may include a prescription-history check, a records check, and sometimes an exam.
- PolicyChat Life is a licensed life insurance agency. Estimates come from dated industry rate tables; they are not quotes, and the carrier sets the final price when it underwrites.
- Every policy comes with a free-look period, usually 10 to 30 days depending on your state, with a full refund if you change your mind.
- Nothing you enter on this page is stored, and you can see your number without a phone number or email.
The numbers
What each class costs, by age.
| Age | Preferred Plus | Standard | Standard, tobacco |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 | $14–$24 | $20–$34 | $48–$83 |
| 35 | $18–$28 | $26–$40 | $62–$97 |
| 40 | $24–$38 | $34–$55 | $83–$131 |
| 45 | $36–$56 | $52–$80 | $124–$193 |
| 50 | $56–$88 | $80–$126 | $193–$304 |
| 55 | $88–$144 | $126–$207 | $304–$497 |
| 60 | $160–$240 | $230–$345 | $552–$828 |
20-year level term, non-tobacco. Preferred Plus = best health class; Standard = typical with a controlled condition. Industry estimates from published carrier rate tables, monthly premium, not a quote. The carrier confirms the price when it underwrites. Source: the full rate tables by age and amount (PolicyChat, September 2026).
Methodology
How these estimates are made.
PolicyChat life pricing tables (same estimates Sage uses), calibrated to public term-life and final-expense quoting tools, 2026. Industry estimates from published carrier rate tables, monthly premium, not a quote. The carrier confirms the price when it underwrites.
The on-page check and Sage call the same deterministic engine (POST /api/life/estimate) with your age, tobacco status, build, and conditions. It maps those answers to a likely health class, reads the monthly range for that class from the tables dated 2026-09-18, and returns the range with the improvement paths that apply. No contact details are sent, and nothing is stored. Every figure on this page is drawn from the same tables and carries the attribution (PolicyChat, September 2026). The two-minute version with coverage sizing is at /life-insurance/estimate/.
Questions
The things people ask first.
What does life insurance pre-approval actually mean?
In life insurance there is no binding pre-approval the way there is for a mortgage. What an agency can do is pre-qualify you: match your age, tobacco use, build, and health history to the class a carrier would likely assign, and show the price for that class. The carrier approves or declines only after underwriting.
How accurate is a pre-qualification?
It is as accurate as your answers. If your readings, medications, and build are what you told Sage, the class usually holds. What changes it most often is something the records check finds that was not mentioned, which is why Sage asks you to disclose everything, including a GLP-1. The range itself comes from dated industry tables: a healthy 40-year-old is $24–$38 a month for $500,000 of 20-year term in the best class (PolicyChat, September 2026).
Will a pre-qualification hurt my credit or trigger calls?
No. Sage does not pull credit, does not ask for a phone number to show the estimate, and PolicyChat Life places the policy itself; your information is not sold to a lead network.
Can I be pre-qualified without a medical exam?
Often. Healthy applicants under about 60 usually qualify for accelerated underwriting, which decides from prescription and records databases in minutes to days at the same price as an exam policy. Over 60 or with a condition, the route is usually full underwriting or a no-exam final expense policy, and Sage tells you which.
What if I was declined before?
Tell Sage what the decline was for. Many declines are carrier-specific, and a different carrier or a different product, simplified-issue or guaranteed-acceptance, will often say yes. Sage will not promise an approval, but it will show you the realistic path and its price.
What happens after I am pre-qualified?
Nothing, unless you want it to. If you do, a licensed PolicyChat Life agent picks up where Sage left off, with nothing to repeat, and submits the application. Every policy has a free-look period, usually 10 to 30 days depending on your state, with a full refund.
Keep reading
Straight answers, with the numbers.
Get your number.
Two minutes with Sage. A real range, and a licensed agent ready when you are.
Start the conversation