The effective date of your policy is the day your policy takes effect, usually after you've paid your first premium and signed your policy. The effective date of life insurance is the most important. This is the actual date your policy takes effect. This is when the life insurance company will provide coverage.
In other words, the life insurance company is contractually responsible on the effective date. The challenge period is different from the two-year waiting period for guaranteed issuance and simplified issuance life insurance policies. It doesn't matter if you're buying a policy from one of the top 10 life insurance companies or from a smaller company. Secured issuance life insurance is sometimes referred to as final expense insurance because the coverage amounts are so low that they basically only cover funeral and burial expenses.
If you don't have a previous life insurance policy in place, some insurance companies offer conditional or temporary life insurance until the underwriting process is complete. The underwriting process is how the insurance company determines your insurability, decides how much risk you are at and what amount of death benefit you qualify for. Almost every life insurance claim will indicate that your coverage won't take effect until you pay your first payment and the policy is delivered. If the policyholder is found to have lied in the application or failed to disclose important data, the insurance company may invalidate the policy.
According to AARP, if you die within the first two years of coverage, the insurance company may request your medical history in connection with your death. The insurance company collects information about your health, work, income, finances and other personal information to determine how much it will insure you and what your premium will be. Life insurance is a contract between you and the life insurance company, in which you pay premiums (monthly or annual) for a payment that your living family members will receive after your death, known as a death benefit. If you have a guaranteed issue or a simplified issuance life insurance policy, there is usually a two-year waiting period.
If you're taking out a traditional life insurance policy and your provider offers temporary coverage in the meantime, you might want to consider it to know that you're covered while you wait. If you're denied life insurance because you're not insured, your conditional receipt will be void and you won't have coverage.
