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Life insurance companies using oral swab tests

01/03/12

Life insurance companies are employing a new method to determine how healthy policyholders and prospective customers are by using oral swab testing.

Underwriters are now using saliva samples as a method of obtaining health statuses, as opposed to blood and urine tests, Fox Business recently reported. The saliva samples are thought to be much easier to obtain, and life insurance companies have said the samples can tell a lot about investors, including smoking and drug habits.

Oral swabs have also been used recently to detect zinc deficiencies, HIV and hepatitis in patients. Insurance companies that do use the method of testing contend they don't use oral swab testing for all patients, but mostly younger insurance applicants who purchase policies with lower face amounts.

Swab testing has been around for more than two decades, according to Fox Business. Life insurance companies used to operate their own laboratory facilities in their home offices, but now hire labs to conduct testing.

Experts recommend not eating anything the night before taking the test and rinsing with water to ensure accuracy.

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