The first two years of your life insurance policy are known as the contestability period. If you pass away during this time, your insurance company is legally allowed to investigate your death. Claims that occur during the contestability period are not automatically denied. However, your beneficiaries could receive a smaller payout based on the findings of the investigation.
The life insurance 2-year clause is not designed to limit claim payouts. Rather, it’s a way for insurance companies to identify potential cases of insurance fraud.
One example is an individual who lies on their application and intentionally takes out a life insurance policy soon before they pass away. If someone were diagnosed with terminal cancer yet subsequently opened a life insurance policy, their insurance provider would be allowed to investigate their sudden death. If the policyholder failed to disclose their cancer diagnosis on the application, the insurer could withhold the death benefit from their beneficiary.
Many claims that occur during the life insurance contestability period are not denied. If you pass away during the first two years of your policy, your beneficiary can still receive the full death benefit. Even if your insurance company decides to investigate the claim, if there is no evidence of fraud, the claim payout will not be affected.
Intentionally providing false or inaccurate information on your application is fraud. Examples of life insurance fraud are:
When you submit a life insurance application, it’s important to provide accurate information. Insurance fraud applies to serious lies about your health. For example, if you’re a lifelong smoker and you check the “non-smoker” box on your life insurance application, that is considered fraud. It could put your death benefit at risk if you were to pass away during the contestability period.
There are lots of reasons life insurance won’t pay out within the first two years of your policy, or even after the contestability period ends. Here are some of the common reasons why life insurance claims are denied:
The life insurance contestability clause only applies during the first two years that your policy is in force. But if you’re wondering, “Can a life insurance company refuse to pay after the contestability period?”, the answer is yes.
Life insurance claims can be denied at any time, whether you’ve had the policy for six months or 15 years. If your cause of death is not covered, your insurance company can withhold the death benefit or provide a smaller payout.
Fortunately, you can often prevent life insurance claims from being denied, both during the contestability period and after. When you apply, make sure to provide accurate information on your application. It’s also a good idea to review your policy details so you understand what is and is not covered. You can also give your beneficiary a copy of the policy details so they know what to expect.
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