Overview

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  Your life insurance policy will protect your family in the event that you die. Your life insurance policy pays a death benefit to your heirs and can provide you with a cash reserve that you can borrow against during your lifetime. However, before any of this can happen, you must be approved for a policy. This isn't always guaranteed. Your application can be denied for several reasons.
  
  

Health

• If your health is poor, your application could be denied. This includes past health problems. For example, if you have cancer or had cancer in the past, you will likely be denied coverage. If you've had a heart transplant or have a pacemaker, you may be denied for coverage. Certain diseases, including diabetes, may also be uninsurable by a life insurance company.
  
  

Material Ommission Or Misrepresentation

• If you lie or misrepresent material facts, like seriously misrepresenting your age, you may be denied for coverage. Life insurance companies rely on your honesty to issue a policy. If they discover that you are concealing a health condition or some other fact that would disqualify you from coverage, your application can be denied.
  
  

Lifestyle Or Hobbies

• Smoking is not necessarily a reason to disqualify an applicant for life insurance. However, if you take hallucinogenic drugs, drink alcohol excessively and engage in dangerous activities that include sky diving, then your application may be denied. Sometimes, just one lifestyle choice or one hobby is enough to disqualify you from receiving insurance.
  
  

Age

• You may be too old to receive insurance. Generally, insurance companies will not issue policies to individuals older than 85. Some companies issue up to age 90, but beyond this maximum age, you are generally uninsurable.
  
  

Failure to Meet Underwriting Guidelines

• If you refuse a medical exam then your application will be turned down. While this may seem obvious, some individuals do not like getting their blood drawn and this is a regular practice when buying life insurance. Some individuals are not aware that blood tests are required for many policies.