2.75/5
Overall Score

Choice Mutual’s ratings are determined by a review formula that weights the following four factors to determine a score between 0 and 5:

FactorScore Value
Price of Coverage
40%
No-Waiting-Period CoverageNo Waiting Period
20%
Financial Strength
20%
NAIC Complaint Index
20%
Overall Maximum
100%

Our ratings are tested with scoring model 1.1, a review formula that ensures consistency and accuracy in our assessments.

Score Breakdown
Price of Coverage
Price of Coverage
40% of overall score

Using this quote calculator, we compare the price of the insurer’s coverage to competitors with equivalent products. The score they receive is based on how close their price is to those three least expensive providers:

  • 5
    0-5% more expensive
  • 4
    6-10% more expensive
  • 3
    11-20% more expensive
  • 2
    21-30% more expensive
  • 1
    ≥ 40% more expensive
3.0
No-Waiting-Period CoverageNo Waiting Period
No-Waiting-Period Coverage
20% of overall score

This scoring factor assesses whether an insurer offers coverage with no waiting period and, if so, how difficult it is to qualify for it. If an insurer does not provide coverage with no waiting period, it gets an automatic 1. A score from 2 to 5 indicates that immediate coverage is possible, and the higher the rating, the easier it is for the average applicant to qualify for it.

  • 5
    Most applicants qualify
  • 4
    Fairly easy qualification
  • 3
    Somewhat difficult qualification
  • 2
    Very difficult qualification
  • 1
    No-waiting-period coverage unavailableNo-waiting-period unavailable
1.0
Financial Strength
Financial Strength
20% of overall score

Our financial strength scores are based on A.M. Best’s Financial Strength Ratings (FSR), which measure an insurer’s financial strength and ability to meet its ongoing insurance policy and contract obligations. The scores they receive are based on the following scale:

  • 5
    Superior (A+ or A++)
  • 4
    Excellent (A- to A)
  • 3
    Fair/Good (B- to B++)
  • 2
    Weak/Marginal (C- to C++)
  • 1
    Poor (D or Not Rated)
4.0
NAIC Complaint IndexNAIC Complaints
NAIC Complaint Index
20% of overall score

The NAIC (National Association of Insurance Commissioners) complaint index measures how frequently an insurer obtains consumer complaints relative to a median score across all insurers. Our scoring model is based on an insurer’s NAIC complaint index for the most recently available year and for ‘Individual Life’ products:

  • 5
    0.0 - 1.0 (avg or below avg complaints)
  • 4
    1.01 - 1.5 (slightly above avg complaints)
  • 3
    1.51 - 2.0 (up to 2x avg complaints)
  • 2
    2.01 - 3.0 (up to 3x avg complaints)
  • 1
    ≥ 3.01 (more than 3x avg complaints)
5.0
Our Verdict

Physicians Mutual final expense life insurance is a modified whole life policy with no health questions (acceptance is guaranteed). If you do want or need a policy without health questions, Physicians Mutual is often the best company. Other guaranteed acceptance insurers rarely beat Physicians Mutual’s prices.

While the convenience of not having to answer health questions is nice, you must keep in mind that it comes at the cost of a two-year waiting period. In addition, plans with health questions are cheaper.

Ultimately, most seniors can qualify for a funeral policy with no waiting period with one or more companies. This is where Physicians Mutual falls short because they don’t offer final expense insurance with first-day coverage.

Pros

  • You cannot be denied for pre-existing conditions.
  • Often, they have the lowest price for guaranteed acceptance insurance.
  • You can see quotes and apply online without speaking with an agent.

Cons

  • There is a two-year waiting period for any nonaccidental death.
  • $20,000 is the maximum amount of final expense insurance you can buy.
  • If you want a policy that covers you immediately, you must seek another provider.

BBB
---
No reviews
2.0/5
22 reviews
2.8/5
53 reviews
1.4/5
42 reviews
Ratings and scores valid as of 03/09/2026.
Policy Type
Whole Life
New Applicant Age Range
45-85 (varies by state)
Coverage Limits
$3,000-$20,000
States Where Available
All except MA, MN, MT, NY, VT & WA
Builds Cash Value
Yes
Has Health Questions
No
2-Year Waiting Period
Yes
Medical Exam Required
No
Age When Policy Expires
Never
Prices Increase
Never
Policy Type
Whole Life
New Applicant Age Range
≤1-12
Coverage Limits
$5,000 or $10,000
States Where Available
All except MA, MN, MT, NY, VT & WA
Builds Cash Value
Yes
Has Health Questions
Yes
2-Year Waiting Period
No
Medical Exam Required
No
Age When Policy Expires
Never
Prices Increase
Never

How Does Physicians Mutual Life Insurance Work?

Physicians Mutual offers final expense, children’s, and term life insurance.

  • Final expense insurance: A modified whole-life policy with no medical questions or physical exam. Because acceptance is guaranteed, a 24-month waiting period applies. If you die during the waiting period, your beneficiaries will only receive a refund of premiums plus 10% interest. Because it’s a whole life policy, the premium will never change, and the policy lasts forever.
  • Children’s life insurance: It’s whole life insurance for minors. The coverage lasts forever, and the rate will not increase. When the child turns 21, the death benefit will double (the price stays the same). To qualify, you must answer two health questions about the child.

Physicians Mutual used to offer term life insurance, but no longer.

All policies can be purchased online without having to speak with an agent.

Regardless of which policy you purchase, the net result upon the insured’s death is a tax-free cash payment to the beneficiaries. There are no restrictions on how the death benefit payout is spent.

 

How Much Does Physicians Mutual Guaranteed Issue Whole Life Insurance Cost?

The table below has some sample Physicians Mutual burial insurance quotes.

Age & Gender$5,000$10,000$20,000
Female age 45$18$34$67
Male age 45$21$40$79
Female age 50$18$35$68
Male age 50$21$41$81
Female age 55$18$35$69
Male age 55$22$42$83
Female age 60$22$43$85
Male age 60$26$52$102
Female age 65$25$48$95
Male age 65$31$62$123
Female age 70$32$64$126
Male age 70$40$78$156
Female age 75$42$84$166
Male age 75$54$107$213
Female age 80$63$124$248
Male age 80$74$147$293
Female age 85$89$176$352
Male age 85$100$199$397
Source for monthly prices: Choice Mutual quote calculator. Rates are rounded to the nearest dollar, and are valid as of 03/09/2026.

 

Should You Buy Life Insurance From Physicians Mutual?

First, if you need or want a guaranteed acceptance policy, Physicians Mutual is probably your best option. They consistently have the lowest prices relative to other guaranteed acceptance companies. Below is a cost comparison between Physicians Mutual, AAA, and Mutual of Omaha.

Sample applicantPhysicians MutualMutual of OmahaAAA
$10,000 55-year-old female$35$38$46
$10,000 81-year-old female$135$136$118
$15,000 63-year-old male$88$96$90
$15,000 70-year-old male$117$130$142
Source for monthly prices: Choice Mutual quote calculator. Rates are rounded to the nearest dollar, and are valid as of 03/09/2026.

However, it’s best to get a policy that includes health questions because if approved, there would be no waiting period, and the cost would likely be lower. For that, Physicians Mutual cannot assist you, so you would need to explore other companies, such as Mutual of Omaha life insurance, Transamerica, or Aflac, to name a few.

Truthfully, most pre-existing conditions are eligible for immediate coverage. Especially if you have prior health issues, it’s recommended that you consult with an independent insurance agency that represents multiple final expense insurance companies. They can compare each company to find a policy that fully insures you from day one.

The children’s life insurance is priced on par with Mutual of Omaha’s, making it highly competitive. However, they only allow you to buy $10,000 for a child, which is significantly lower than what other companies offer.

 

How To Apply For Physicians Mutual Life Insurance

To apply for Physicians Mutual’s life insurance, you have the following three options:

  • Apply online.
  • Call them at 1-844-285-1868.
  • Request a paper application, complete it, and return it to them.

Once your application is approved, they will mail a paper policy.

 

How To File A Death Claim With Physicians Mutual

To file a death claim with Physicians Mutual, they require you to call them at 1-800-228-9100. They state on their website that you should allow 7 to 10 business days for processing time once they receive the required documents.

While it does not clarify which documents they require, it’s safe to assume they’ll need a death certificate and a signed beneficiary statement. Those are standard documents life insurance companies require to process a death claim.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

Physicians Life Insurance Company is a part of the Physicians Mutual family of companies. There is also Physicians Select Insurance Company, which is under the same umbrella.

Physicians Mutual is a genuine insurance company authorized by the NAIC to sell life insurance in all 50 states. They have been in business since 1909 and have an A rating with A.M Best.

Physicians Mutual final expense insurance has no health questions and a two-year waiting period. Their term life and children’s whole life insurance have no waiting period (if you’re approved).

Our Insurance Review Methodology

Every company we review has an overall score that illustrates how well it stands out in the market relative to its competitors. These scores are not subjective. Instead, we utilize a defined 5-star scoring system that applies a weighted average of particular factors, all of which are outlined below and on our review methodology page.

Factor #1
Price of Coverage
40%
Price of Coverage
20%
No-Waiting-Period
Coverage
20%
Financial
Strength
20%
NAIC
Complaint Index

We measure the price of a company’s most popular they promote relative to its competitors. The closeness of their cost to other companies determines the final score. Read a full breakdown of the price of coverage factor on our review methodology page.

Factor #2
No-Waiting-Period
Coverage
40%
Price of Coverage
20%
No-Waiting-Period
Coverage
20%
Financial
Strength
20%
NAIC
Complaint Index

This factor assesses whether a company offers immediate coverage and, if so, how difficult it is to qualify for it. Read a full breakdown of the no waiting period coverage factor on our review methodology page.

Factor #3
Financial
Strength
40%
Price of Coverage
20%
No-Waiting-Period
Coverage
20%
Financial
Strength
20%
NAIC
Complaint Index

A company’s financial strength is based on its rating with A.M. Best. Read a full breakdown of the financial strength factor on our review methodology page.

Factor #4
NAIC
Complaint Index
40%
Price of Coverage
20%
No-Waiting-Period
Coverage
20%
Financial
Strength
20%
NAIC
Complaint Index

The National Association of Insurance Commissioners’ complaint index measures an insurer’s frequency of consumer complaints compared to the rest of the market. The score the insurer receives is based on how it stacks up to the median score of other insurers. Read a full breakdown of the NAIC complaint index factor on our review methodology page.

Why trust Choice Mutual?

When we review products, our findings are unbiased and free of any influence from partnerships or methods of compensation. All findings, good or bad, are solely the derivative of our objective analysis of any given product or company.

As noted on our review methodology page, our researchers evaluate the financial stability of the insurer, policy costs, product limitations, state availability, customer satisfaction, waiting periods (if applicable), and other relevant factors. We aggregate all this cumulative data to develop objective overall scores based on pre-defined weighted factors.

In addition, a qualified expert who is well-qualified to speak on the matter will provide opinion-based feedback about the company or product being reviewed.

For over a decade, Choice Mutual has been an insurance agency specializing in final expense life insurance. Our expertise in this type of insurance is well-documented in numerous authoritative publications, some of which are listed below:

Choice Mutual’s mission is to provide consumers with unbiased expert commentary and explanations of the topics being discussed. We want our readers to be armed with information and tools that cannot be found anywhere else on the internet, so they can truly make an informed decision.

All content on this website is written by Anthony Martin, who is a licensed life insurance agent with over a decade of expertise in this industry and has been quoted as an expert source hundreds of times by many reputable news outlets.

Per our editorial guidelines, we have never, and will never, use artificial intelligence to create our content. Every word printed on this website is produced and curated 100% by human beings who have firsthand experience with the subject matter.

Anthony Martin
Anthony Martin
Choice Mutual CEO & Writer
Author
  • Nationally licensed life insurance agent with over 16 years of experience.
  • Personal annual production that puts him in the top .001% out of all life insurance agents in the nation.

Anthony Martin is a nationally licensed insurance expert with over 16 years of experience and has personally served over 10,000 clients with their life insurance needs. He frequently authors entrepreneurial and life insurance content for Forbes, Inc.com, Newsweek, Kiplinger, and Entreprenuer.com. Anthony has been consulted as an expert life insurance source for dozens of high-profile websites such as Forbes, Bankrate, Reuters, Fox Business, CNBC, Investopedia, Insurance.com, Yahoo Finance, and many more.

Jeff Root
Jeff Root
Life Insurance Expert, Choice Mutual Fact Checker
Editor
  • Nationally licensed life insurance agent with over 20 years of experience
  • Best selling Amazon author.

Jeff Root is a nationally licensed life insurance expert with over 20 years of experience. He has personally helped over 3000 clients with their life insurance needs. Jeff is a best-selling Amazon author and the managing partner of a highly successful insurance brokerage that manages over 2,500 licensed insurance agents across the USA. He has been a featured life insurance source for prestigious websites such as Forbes, Bloomberg, MarketWatch, Nerdwallet, and many more.

David Duford
David Duford
Life Insurance Expert, Choice Mutual Fact Checker
Editor
  • Nationally licensed life insurance agent with over 15 years of experience
  • Best selling Amazon author of five insurance sales books.

David Duford is a nationally licensed insurance expert with over 15 years of experience. He has personally helped more than 15,000 clients buy life insurance. David has been featured as an expert source for highly authoritative publications such as A.M. Best and Insurancenewsnet. He also runs one of the largest Youtube channels to help aspiring insurance agents serve their clients better.

Jeff Root
Jeff Root
Life Insurance Expert, Choice Mutual Fact Checker
Editor
  • Nationally licensed life insurance agent with over 20 years of experience
  • Best selling Amazon author.

Jeff Root is a nationally licensed life insurance expert with over 20 years of experience. He has personally helped over 3000 clients with their life insurance needs. Jeff is a best-selling Amazon author and the managing partner of a highly successful insurance brokerage that manages over 2,500 licensed insurance agents across the USA. He has been a featured life insurance source for prestigious websites such as Forbes, Bloomberg, MarketWatch, Nerdwallet, and many more.

David Duford
David Duford
Life Insurance Expert, Choice Mutual Fact Checker
Editor
  • Nationally licensed life insurance agent with over 15 years of experience
  • Best selling Amazon author of five insurance sales books.

David Duford is a nationally licensed insurance expert with over 15 years of experience. He has personally helped more than 15,000 clients buy life insurance. David has been featured as an expert source for highly authoritative publications such as A.M. Best and Insurancenewsnet. He also runs one of the largest Youtube channels to help aspiring insurance agents serve their clients better.

Choice Mutual often cites third-party websites to provide context and verification for specific claims made in our work. We only link to authoritative websites that provide accurate information. You can learn more about our editorial standards, which guide our mission of delivering factual and impartial content.

  1. A.M. Best. https://ratings.ambest.com/DisclosurePDF.aspx?AMBNum=7372
  2. BBB. https://www.bbb.org/us/ne/omaha/profile/insurance-companies/physicians-mutual-insurance-company-0714-104000372
  3. Trustpilot. https://www.trustpilot.com/review/physiciansmutual.com
  4. Yelp. https://www.yelp.com/biz/physicians-mutual-insurance-omaha-3
  5. BBB Score & Accreditation. https://www.bbb.org/us/ne/omaha/profile/insurance-companies/physicians-mutual-insurance-company-0714-104000372
  6. final expense. https://www.physiciansmutual.com/web/life/final-expense
  7. children’s. https://www.physiciansmutual.com/web/life/juvenile
  8. term life insurance. https://www.physiciansmutual.com/web/life/term
  9. online. https://www.physiciansmutual.com/web/life
  10. on their website. https://www.physiciansmutual.com/web/life/faqs
  11. Google. https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-1-d&q=physicans+mutual+omaha+ne#lrd=0x87938e4eb4117a1d:0xa0eb54024f5bbf4e,1,,,,
  12. NAIC Complaint Index. https://content.naic.org/cis_refined_results.htm?TABLEAU=CIS_COMPLAINTS&COCODE=80578&REALM=PROD&COCODE=80578&REALM=PROD
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