When I Apply for Life Insurance Coverage, What Factors Can the Provider Legitimately Use to Determine if I am Eligible for Coverage?A life insurance company uses a series of factors to determine what the risk of death of the applicant is, so as to see if the applicant is eligible for a life insurance policy. Since the measurement is mortality, some factors that would not be acceptable for use in other kinds of policies, such as property interests, are used quite readily for life insurance policies: - Age
- Sex ¿ Note: this is not used in a minority of states that require ¿unisex¿ rates
- Height and weight
- Individual and family health history
- Identity of the beneficiary
- Marital status and number of children
- How much insurance the applicant already has, and how much insurance the applicant is planning on buying in the future ¿ the greater the amount, the less likely the applicant is eligible
- Job ¿ the more hazardous, the greater chance of death
- Income
- Tobacco use of any kind
- Alcohol
- Certain hazardous hobbies (e.g., sky diving, etc.)
- Foreign travel ¿ certain places can be considered risky
What Should I Do if I Think a Life Insurance Provider Has Unfairly Denied Me Life Insurance Coverage?While providers obviously have a broad range of categories they can delve into when determining if an applicant is eligible for a life insurance policy, there are still some factors a provider cannot consider when determining eligibility. One example is that a provider cannot make a person¿s race a determining factor for coverage. If you feel you have been unfairly denied a life insurance policy, you may want to file a complaint with your state¿s Department of Insurance. In addition, you may want to contact an attorney with experience in insurance matters to see if you are entitled to any damages for being unfairly discriminated against. Your lawyer can advise you of your rights, and advise you of what course of action you should take. |
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