My Life Insurance Claim's been Denied....What to do?

You've spent the time filling out your life insurance application only to have it denied. What to do?

Don't despair if you're looking to get life insurance and you have been told no by an insurer.

If your claim is denied, there are steps you can take to try and right the ship.

First, make sure you have all the proper documentation so that you can back up your case.

Be sure to write down the name of each and every individual you've spoken with in reference to your life policy. The documentation can be invaluable should your claim be denied.

Be sure you understand the reason your life insurance request was turned down. All companies have different rules and regulations, so be sure you're up to date on their official policy.

When you do appeal your denied life insurance policy application, be sure to do it in the necessary amount of time, thereby not excluding yourself from possibly getting the coverage due to date issues.

Call and check on your appeal on a regular basis so that it is not forgotten, either by you or the insurer. You can also if necessary request that the appeal be sent to the corporate office for additional review.

Should the insurer dispute your claim, keep some other things in mind.

First, a large number of life insurers are bound by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA).

A major aspect of ERISA is that the majority of insurance policy claims permit only one appeal of the denial of a claim. That specific appeal is required to be handled by the claimant or that individual's attorney as if it were the individual's one and only chance at winning the appeal.

In the event the appeal is processed and turned down, the individual then must turn to federal court with the lawsuit based entirely on the administrative record of the appeal.

In the majority of cases, the individual is not allowed to introduce any new evidence or contact any witnesses following the denial of the initial appeal.

What happens is the case turns on the record of the previous appeal alone.

So why do denials happen in the first place?

In many cases they are dictated by several excuses from insurers, including that there was some misrepresentation or non-disclosure in the application, a pre-existing condition, or, when it comes to accidental death, the injury was in fact self-inflicted due to some action by the claimant.

The bottom line is that when you think the insurer has incorrectly denied your appeal, fight back.