Luis Pazos 
Health I.Q. was created in 2013 after its founder faced a health scare post-race. With a poor family health history and neglecting his own health, his hospital visit was a wake-up call. He made lifestyle changes, lost 40 pounds, and completed three marathons, inspiring the idea behind Health I.Q. The aim was to reward people for their healthy habits and lifestyles by creating Health I.Q., a company in the new ‘insureTech’ space. Initially, they raised $34.6 million from investors who saw the potential to disrupt the life insurance market.
Health I.Q. helps people by using a simple algorithm to categorize clients into two groups: the health-conscious and the non-health-conscious. After gathering data from millions of healthy individuals, they showed insurance companies that health-conscious people tend to live longer. Although many insurers were initially skeptical, the compelling data convinced dozens to offer lower premiums to Health I.Q. clients. These insurance partners now provide better rates, even exceeding the typical Preferred Plus rating.
Health I.Q. stands out because it goes beyond just looking at BMI and weight. They delve into the details of your lifestyle. For example, they understand that muscle can skew BMI, so bodybuilders or weight lifters aren’t penalized. Instead, Health I.Q. offers lower rates because of their regular workouts, reflecting a true understanding of a healthy lifestyle.
Those who engage in specific activities such as long-distance running, cycling, weight lifting, HIIT, swimming, triathlons, yoga, or hiking can get better rates. Health I.Q. also has special rates for certain diets like veganism, which often correlates with lower risks of hypertension, diabetes, and certain cancers.
Health I.Q. has partnerships with over 30 top-rated insurance carriers including Mutual of Omaha, Prudential, Principal, Brighthouse, Securian, John Hancock, and Transamerica. They also have special relationships with Assurity, SBLI, and Ameritas, which can lead to even lower rates for Health I.Q. customers.
Another unique feature is that you don’t need a medical exam for policies under $500,000. Health I.Q. justifies this by verifying your activity levels and requiring you to take a health quiz, which has been shown to help categorize applicants accurately. According to their data, 70% of health-conscious clients qualify for the top rating class, enjoying savings of 4% to 33%.
To use Health I.Q., you start by going to their website and filling out a basic form with your personal information. You then provide more specific details about your health and lifestyle, followed by taking a health quiz. This quiz is tailored to your declared activity, whether it’s swimming, weightlifting, or something else. For every correct answer, you move closer to the ‘elite’ status, which can help you qualify for the best rates. After finishing the quiz, you’ll need to verify your workouts by sending screenshots of your activity tracking apps. An agent from Health I.Q. will then contact you within 24 hours to discuss the special rates for which you qualify.
Overall, if you live a healthy lifestyle, Health I.Q. can offer significant savings on life insurance. The process is straightforward and worth the effort for the potential benefits. While it may involve a few additional steps, the possible savings make it worthwhile.
Health I.Q. prides itself on rewarding genuine health efforts with tailored premiums, considering a variety of fitness disciplines and specific diets. With relationships with over 30 A+ insurance carriers, they provide many options and bring a fresh, holistic approach to evaluating health for insurance purposes. On the flip side, the extra steps like quizzes and verification might be a hassle for some, and their model mainly benefits those who are already health-conscious.
