LexisNexis^® Life Insurance Consumer Experience Study Explores Pain Points and Potential Ways to Improve the Life Insurance Application Process

ATLANTA , May 7, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- LexisNexis^® Risk Solutions today announced findings from a new consumer research study examining attitudes and perceptions about the life insurance application process, as the industry looks for ways to deliver faster life insurance underwriting and reduce life insurance application dropout rates. The research asked life insurance applicants about the effort involved and the time it takes to complete an application, offering updated insight into where the process creates challenges that can leave applicants less satisfied and, in some cases lead them to abandon the process entirely. The study also explored applicants' attitudes toward sharing their medical information with life insurers – and found that patient portals were the preferred method, compared to medical record exchanges and manual processes. The findings imply that life insurance carriers may be missing out on some new ways to align to consumer behavior and preferences which can shorten timelines and improve the applicant experience.

Key Findings:  

• 79% of applicants cited the amount of required effort is the lead reason for abandoning the life insurance application process. Among life insurance applicants who abandoned the process, 63% pointed to the time required as one of the top reasons for dropping out.  
• Among those who completed or abandoned the life insurance application process and find the process time unacceptable, 91% say it negatively impacts their overall satisfaction.
• 60% said a reason for abandonment was having to fill in all their medical details, and 56% said it was too difficult to gather all the information about health care providers for the life insurance application.
• Online patient portals are applicants' preferred method of sharing medical information with a life insurance carrier, outranking medical record exchanges and manual processes. 
• Online patient portal adoption is already widespread – 82% of life insurance applicants report having access to a patient portal for their primary care physician (PCP), and 91% have used one within the past 12 months. 
• Preference for online patient portals is driven largely by ease of use (77%), completeness of information (74%) and speed of record retrieval (65%).

Below, LexisNexis Risk Solutions expands on these key findings, outlined in a newly published report highlighting the specific areas of the life insurance application process where applicants experience the greatest challenges.

Life insurance application pain point: Effort
In the report, 79% of applicants cited the amount of required effort as the lead reason for abandoning the life insurance application process. The research highlights the fact that effort, time and medical exams influence how life insurance applicants respond to the process. The greatest sources of effort stem from providing detailed medical information — 60% of applicants describe the hassle in filling out medical conditions and 56% mentioned it is too difficult to collect doctor information.

Life insurance application pain point: Time
Among life insurance applicants who abandoned the application process, 63% pointed to the time required as one of the top reasons for dropping out. Even applicants who complete the process experience meaningful friction: 36% of these respondents indicated time to complete an application is a pain point. Among those who completed the application process and find the process time unacceptable, 91% say it negatively impacts their satisfaction with the application process.

When application timelines extended beyond expectations, nearly one-third (33%) considered switching to a different carrier, and 26% considered abandoning their application altogether. The study identifies a clear threshold for acceptability. Nineteen percent of applicants view application timelines of five weeks or longer as highly unacceptable, compared with 1% for two-week timelines and 5% for timelines of three to four weeks.

Patient Portals Preferred for Medical Information Sharing
Online patient portals are applicants' preferred method for sharing their medical information, outranking medical record exchanges and manual processes. Applicants underscored their preference for online patient portals – 77% indicated preference is driven by ease of providing access to medical records, 74% cited completeness of medical information and 65% prefer online patient portals based on the speed of record retrieval. Adoption of online patient portals is already widespread – 82% of applicants have access to a patient portal through their PCP, and 91% have accessed it multiple times in the past 12 months.  

"We conducted this research to get updated insights on how life insurance applicants respond to the process, what impacts satisfaction and what ultimately drives abandonment," said Justin Baker, associate vice president, life insurance, LexisNexis Risk Solutions. "Life insurance applicants indicated that providing medical data continues to be a key driver of time and dissatisfaction and they are ready for a new, easier process for sharing medical information. We confirmed that despite conventional industry understanding of preference, there are many opportunities for the life insurance industry to positively influence the consumer experience, considering that when healthier consumers drop out, business opportunities are lost and costs increase." 

"Solving for multiple areas of friction at once allows life insurance carriers to align the application experience with consumer expectations, instead of simply relocating the problem," said Baker. "Life insurers that streamline medical record collection and align with how consumers already access their health data can improve customer satisfaction, reduce application dropout rates and drive stronger business outcomes."

For more information on the LexisNexis^® Life Insurance Consumer Experience Study and to download a copy of the research, visit "Reimagining Medical Data Sharing in Life Insurance Underwriting." To learn more about how LexisNexis Risk Solutions is helping life insurers get electronic medical records faster to shorten decision timelines, improve costs and benefit their customers, explore LexisNexis^® Health Intelligence and our approach to consumer mediated consent.

About the Research
LexisNexis Risk Solutions commissioned a third-party research firm to conduct an online survey and collect feedback from a representative sample of consumers considered to be "in the life insurance market." The firm completed 2,502 surveys among consumers aged 25 to 75, who had shopped for or applied for a personal life insurance policy within the past five years. Results were analyzed across application outcomes to understand how friction affects consumer behavior and attitudes toward sharing medical information.

About LexisNexis Risk Solutions
LexisNexis^® Risk Solutions leverages the power of data, advanced analytics platforms and integrated AI solutions to provide insights that help businesses across multiple industries and governmental entities reduce risk and improve decisions to benefit people around the globe. Headquartered in metro Atlanta, Georgia, we have offices throughout the world and are part of RELX (LSE: REL/NYSE: RELX), a global provider of information-based analytics and decision tools for professional and business customers. For more information, please visit LexisNexis Risk Solutions and RELX. 

Media Contacts:
Emma Valenti
Sr. Communications Specialist, Insurance
Emma.valenti@lexisnexisrisk.com
+1 470.550.7793 

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SOURCE LexisNexis Risk Solutions