What to do if you are uninsurable for life insurance?
Asked by: Shanelle Trantow Jr. | Last update: December 15, 2025Score: 4.7/5 (29 votes)
- Work with a financial professional. ...
- Apply with a different insurer. ...
- Look into a workplace life insurance plan. ...
- Try again later. ...
- Consider a different life insurance policy.
How do I get life insurance if I keep getting denied?
- Review why your application was denied.
- Consider an appeal.
- Try a different insurance provider.
- Look for alternative life insurance coverage.
- Wait and reapply later.
What conditions makes you uninsurable for life insurance?
Due to the added risk health problems create for insurers, some pre-existing conditions can raise your premium or even disqualify you entirely from certain types of life insurance. A few common examples of pre-existing conditions include high blood pressure, diabetes, cancer, and asthma.
What makes a person uninsurable for life insurance?
Pre-existing conditions – meaning any health issue or condition that existed before applying for coverage – are often considered high-risk by insurance companies and can lead to disqualification. Chronic conditions that require long-term medication or treatment can also impact eligibility.
What to do if you are uninsurable?
If you're denied insurance, the first step is to call another insurer—different companies have different parameters. However, if several insurers have denied you, you may need to consider these options: Join a state assigned risk pool – Auto insurers participate on a voluntary basis in state assigned risk pools.
How To Get Life Insurance If You Are Uninsurable
What to do if you can't get life insurance?
- Contact your financial professional and/or the insurer. They can make sure a mistake wasn't made on your application. ...
- Confirm the results. ...
- Consider appealing the decision.
Why would a person be uninsurable?
Key Takeaways. Uninsurable risk is a condition that poses an unknowable or unacceptable risk of loss for an insurance company to cover. An uninsurable risk could include a situation in which insurance is against the law, such as coverage for criminal penalties.
What are 2 examples of uninsurable risks?
A risk that an insurer will not take on. For example, this may be where an event is inevitable (such as a terminally-ill person's death), gradual (such as rust or corrosion) or against the law.
Why am I not eligible for life insurance?
Life insurance companies have stringent criteria for approval, and several factors can lead to denials. Common reasons include pre-existing health conditions, high-risk occupations, and lifestyle choices such as smoking or engaging in extreme sports.
Who Cannot be a life insurance beneficiary?
Ineligible Beneficiaries: Minors: Generally, minors (individuals under the age of 18 or 21, depending on the jurisdiction) cannot be named as direct beneficiaries of a life insurance policy. In such cases, a trust or custodian may be designated to manage the proceeds until the minor reaches the age of majority.
How common is it to be denied life insurance?
Almost 1 in 5, or 20%, of life insurance claims are denied by insurance companies, often due to material misrepresentation or incomplete medical history in the life insurance application.
What life insurance can I get with pre-existing conditions?
- Term life insurance: Term life insurance policies have more favorable premiums and large death benefits, but coverage only lasts 10 to 30 years. ...
- Guaranteed issue life insurance: A guaranteed issue life insurance policy never denies applicants.
What disqualifies life insurance payout?
Life insurance proceeds can be denied. Some denials are legitimate, like in case of policy lapses, material misrepresentations, or exclusions in the form of illegal activities or war. In other cases, bad-faith insurers use elaborate methods to reject claims so they do not have to pay the proceeds.
What will disqualify me from life insurance?
This is often due to health challenges like diabetes and obesity, as well as non-health related life insurance disqualifiers like a dangerous job or hobby, a history of speeding tickets or using tobacco products. Here's how to understand what might make you uninsurable for life insurance and what your options are.
Which life insurance company denies the most claims?
- Allstate. We know you have seen the ads. ...
- Unum. Unum is a leading disability insurance provider in the United States has a reputation for denied and delayed insurance claims – even when claims include their own employees. ...
- State Farm. ...
- AIG. ...
- Anthem. ...
- Farmers Insurance Group. ...
- UnitedHealth. ...
- USAA.
What not to say when applying for life insurance?
Tobacco use: Lying about smoking on a life insurance application likely constitutes a misrepresentation, even if you only smoke occasionally. Drug and alcohol use: Someone who engages in drug or alcohol misuse may omit this information.
What to do if there is no life insurance?
Loved ones might have to take out a loan or arrange a payment plan with the funeral home, or even launch a crowdfunding campaign. If no one steps forward to pay, it's possible the coroner's office will bury or cremate you without a family service.
What happens if you can't afford life insurance?
Cash out the policy.
This means that you can stop paying the premium and collect the available cash savings. You will no longer be covered by life insurance, but you will at least save some of the proceeds of the policy.
At what age can you not get life insurance?
Typically, the maximum age at which life insurance policies are issued depends on the individual life insurance company, so there really isn't a universal set limit. However, you may not find a lot of companies willing to issue you a policy if you're age 85 or older.
Who is uninsurable for life insurance?
“Factors such as pre-existing medical conditions, age, occupation and lifestyle choices can contribute to a person being considered 'uninsurable' according to standard underwriting guidelines,” says Tarek El Ali, Founder of Smart Insurance Agents.
Why would I be uninsurable?
Living in a high-risk location, having hazardous home features, home maintenance issues, your home's history of insurance claims, and more can be reasons an insurance company may determine a house to be uninsurable.
What would be considered a non insurable risk?
Certain risks are not insurable and can pose a serious threat to businesses. Some of the most common non-insurable risks include natural disasters, pandemics, and acts of terrorism.
Why do I keep getting denied for life insurance?
Their reasons could be anything from a serious medical condition (like heart disease) or poor results from your life insurance medical exam to nonmedical reasons like bankruptcy, a criminal record, a positive drug test or even a dangerous hobby—carriers are not fans of insuring base jumpers in squirrel suits.
Why am I not insurable?
It could be due to a HISTORY OF ACCIDENTS, maybe some TICKETS, or perhaps your CREDIT HISTORY isn't looking too hot. Whatever the reason, it's important to know that you're not out of luck. California Automobile Assigned Risk Plan (CAARP): This is like the safety net of car insurance.
What are the consequences of being uninsured?
Lack of insurance reduces timely and efficient use of high quality medical care. Lower medical care use reduces health. Poor health reduces ability to work and educational attainment. Lower productivity and education reduce earnings.