What’s an incontestability clause?

Print anything with Printful



An incontestability clause limits the reasons for which an insurance provider may cancel coverage due to an omission or misstatement by the insured party. It sets a time limit of two to three years after the establishment of coverage, and does not protect against attempts to defraud the insurance provider. Invoking the clause may lead to an investigation to determine whether the omission was intentional or not.

An incontestability clause is a type of provision that is often included in various types of life and health insurance policies. The clause limits the scope of reasons for which the insurance provider may choose to cancel coverage, usually in connection with some type of omission or misstatement by the covered party. In general, an incontestability clause sets limits on how much time can pass after the start of the contract and the discovery of the omission. When the misrepresentation is discovered after the stated time period has elapsed, the issue cannot be used as a reason to cancel coverage.

The idea of ​​the incontestability clause is to minimize the opportunity for insurance providers to cancel policies as a means of avoiding claim payments based on omissions that were likely innocent and not an attempt by the insured to defraud the provider. . . With most insurance plans, including this provision, a time limit of two to three years after the establishment of coverage is considered sufficient. If no problem has arisen during that time that reveals any omission on the part of the covered party, then the scope of coverage will remain in effect and will be subject to any claim made by the insured party or their legal representatives.

An incontestability clause does not protect the insured from cases where an attempt is made to defraud the insurance provider. This would include knowingly providing false information that is intended to establish a basis for future claims that do not comply with the terms and provisions of the policy. For example, if the insured party was aware of a pre-existing health condition at the time the health insurance plan was established and chose to deny that the condition existed in order to claim benefits at a later date, this could be considered an attempt to defraud In these circumstances, the insurance company may cancel the policy and may also have grounds to take legal action against the former customer.

Invoking the incontestability clause can sometimes lead to an investigation to investigate whether the omission was in fact done without malice, or whether the action was intended to create a situation that would allow the insured party to receive benefits that he or she would receive. otherwise you will not have the right to collect. The complexity and length of the investigation will depend on the circumstances surrounding the issue, as well as the amount of the claim that led to the question of the accuracy of the data supplied to the insurance provider. During this time, the policy is generally considered still in effect, but any claims made about the plan are generally held in check pending the outcome of the investigation.

Smart Asset.




Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN


Skip to content