How much does one legally have to reveal to life insurance companies?

Failure to be honest about all your medical issues could lead to them cancelling your policy or refusing to pay out your policy once you die if they find out about it.

I guess I figured as much but was hoping otherwise

I, too, had a life insurance policy with my previous job but quit after many years and started my own company. I was in perfect health. (Or so I thought!) Before I could get life insurance I needed a complete physical. No problem. My GP had performed a complete physical on me a year earlier and gave me a clean bill of health. Great!
Met Life required another physical at their cost. They also required a PSA test, something my GP did not believe in for men with no history of prostate cancer or any problems in that area. My PSA results came back worse than horrible. Well above 15 ng/dl!
That was how I discovered I had prostate cancer and was lucky enough to quickly get it taken care of before it escaped from the capsule.
MetLife refused to insure me but they might have saved my life. I don’t know whether to love them or hate them.

You need to be honest. If they give you the insurance and then you cash in your chops they will deny the claim saying you lied and had a previous, undeclared condition. They will keep the premiums you paid but not pay out a cent to the beneficiaries.

Apply for the insurance and get the free physical. Let them deny you if they will. You have nothing to lose.

Right. Thanks for the positive spin. I needed that.

Oh and I think met life lost out on that one.