It's Hard to Know What Can Happen Tomorrow, So Always Be Ready!
It's natural that the subject of life insurance is a sensitive one. However, it must be discussed, and a plan must be drawn up ahead of time in order to prevent unneeded difficulties in the event of the death of someone close to us or our own passing.
The grief of losing a parent or spouse is difficult enough without having to worry about whether or not you'll be able to pay the bills. If a claim is turned down, our families may be financially disadvantaged. The good news is that this can be avoided; there are several methods to ensure that your family's financial future is secure.
Having a basic understanding of how life insurance works is essential to avoid any misunderstandings.
What is life insurance and how does it work?
The two most important aspects of life insurance are death benefits and premiums.
The insurer promises to pay a pre-determined sum of money to the named beneficiaries in the event of the policyholder's death. The death benefit is a one-time payment made upon the passing of the insured party.
You pay a premium to the insurance company when you acquire a policy. The premiums are calculated depending on the insured's anticipated lifespan. If you're a high-risk individual, such as the elderly or someone with a long-term disease, you'll be charged a higher premium.
As you read on, you'll learn about a few situations in which life insurance claims may be denied, as well as ways to avoid them and clear up certain myths.
Mistakes in your application and late payments
We've all had to deal with late fees and missing payments at some point and be at risk of losing the service. It's the same with insurance companies, unfortunately. In the event of an emergency (such as an illness or a job loss), they will extend a grace period to allow you to make up any missed payments.
If you're applying for new insurance coverage, be sure to include all of the pertinent information. If you leave anything out or make a mistake, your family's insurance benefits claim may be rejected outright due to misinformation.
What about the case of a suicide?
Suicide is a terrible tragedy that no family wants to experience, but determining whether or not the life insurance policy will be voided requires some know-how.
There is a two-year "contestability" term; it is standard for most insurance plans; however, this varies from provider to provider. For the length of this period, the insurance provider will thoroughly review your application and benefits qualifications to verify that everything is in order.
It's possible that if a policyholder dies as a result of their actions during this period, their premiums will be remitted to their designated beneficiaries instead of their death benefits.
(To be extra sure of this, verify the regulations and guidelines outlined by your policy and home state.)
What if drugs and alcohol were involved?
Insurance claims may be denied if drugs or alcohol were involved in the policyholder's death, depending on where you live in the US and the circumstances of the death.
The rationale for this is that a thorough examination can reveal whether or not either of these substances contributed to the insured's passing. For instance:
In most cases, an insurance claim will be accepted if the insured had some alcohol in their system, but it was not determined to have been a contributing factor in their passing.
The same applies to allergic reactions to medications that have occurred while under the care of a medical expert.
(Just like before, make sure you have the guidelines and regulations made clear)
In Conclusion…
Keep in mind that you may have to go to court when challenging a claim. You might consider hiring a lawyer to represent you and assist you to present your case effectively because most of us are not specialists in these insurance companies' techniques and rules. Even though it's hard to talk about, life insurance is the best method to ensure that our families will be financially secure in the event of your passing.