Our top life insurance lawyers just resolved a Brighthouse Financial denied life insurance claim.
When an applicant applies for life insurance, they are required to disclose their immigration status because it can affect their eligibility for coverage. Non-citizens may have different legal rights and restrictions compared to citizens, which can affect their ability to obtain life insurance. For example, some insurance companies may require non-citizens to have a valid visa or green card before issuing a policy.
If an applicant misrepresents their immigration status on their application and the insurance company discovers this after a claim is made, the insurer may deny the claim or reduce the payout amount. This is because the misrepresentation represents additional financial risk that the insurer was not aware of when underwriting the policy.
Misrepresentation of immigration status could also be considered fraud, which could result in the insurer voiding the policy and refusing to pay any claims. This underscores the importance of providing accurate and complete information when applying for life insurance to avoid any issues down the line.
When an applicant applies for life insurance, they are required to disclose any material health conditions they have, including any medical treatments or procedures they have undergone. Material health conditions are those that could potentially affect the risk of mortality or morbidity of the insured person and, therefore, the risk to the insurance company.
If an applicant fails to disclose a material health condition or treatment for such a condition on their application, and the insurance company discovers this after a claim is made, the insurer may deny the claim or reduce the payout amount. This is because the undisclosed health condition or treatment represents additional financial risk that the insurer was not aware of when underwriting the policy.
While treatments for minor ailments may not be material health conditions in and of themselves, they could be an indication of a larger health issue that should have been disclosed in the application. For example, treatment for frequent headaches could be an indication of a neurological condition that could affect the risk of mortality or morbidity of the insured person.
Therefore, it is important for applicants to disclose all material health conditions and treatments in their life insurance application to avoid any issues down the line.