Has anyone been denied life insurance? I recently made an attempt to apply for life insurance through my university's alumni association. They had a low rate for a company and was interested in it. I applied for 200k and I did a phyiscal exam last month at a lab near my house. I got the lab results back a week later and my labs were good aside from an elevated blood pressure reading(one reading of 136, 135, 141 on the top numbers but that wasn't super high). This past Wednesday 12/5 I had a phone interview after work from the lab's affiliate. They asked me health questions over the phone. I have no "major medical" issues per se such as cancer, AIDS, stroke, hypertension, etc. Nor do I have any missing organs nor am I blind. I did research for this but I was upfront about my mental health issues from the past 5 years. I didn't want to lie because that is illlegal and I am aware they would just check my Rxs since 2013. I was asked if I drank....but the woman that interviewed me I felt like she was wording it as though it was the present. I said a few times in the past I would drink X amount a week, or in a month. But did say in passing I haven't drank in almost 2 years. I was asked about illegal drug use which I did say I did smoke weed but not since 2015 and one time of Hash. I denied all other illegal drugs such as crack, heroin, meth, coke, or any psychedelic drugs or mushrooms. I was asked about family health history and I mentioned my dad's PTSD and hypertension. I was asked his age and if he took meds for it....I said yes. I was asked my criminal history which I was upfront about...I said I have no felonies on my record and plead no contest and paid fines. A day later on the 6th...I got a call back from the underwriter from the insurance company. He got the recording from the interview the night prior and based on all that in less than one hour, he denied my application for 200k life insurance. I mean you got to be fucking kidding me. My dad's VA claim for PTSD from the Vietnam War he applied in 2009 barely took till 2011 to get approved and some underwriter guy that even talked to me before December 6, 2018 denies my application without any access to my medical records. I did my homework on this and I thought about mentioning I have been in treatment in any capacity would have looked good in the eyes of the insurance company. The lady doing the phone interviewed asked for addresses and I assumed they were going to be requesting the records themselves, I had no clue that some random ass underwriter guy from the insurance pulled a decision out of his ass without taking the time to gather evidence. If there is appeal I can make to the insurance company about the denial I would be glad to do it. I think it's bulllshit and I feel its discriminatory to me as a person of color plus a person with mental illness and a person in recovery from alcohol and drug abuse that wants to improve their life that I am denied benefits like this.
I haven’t been refused, but then I never bothered with life insurance as I have nobody depending on me. The insurance industry is made up of leeches who try and trick you to give out information. Then they use it against you. And in your case, you now have to declare to any future insurer whether you have been refused in the past. You have to tick the “yes” box which is a big red flag and could prejudice any further applications. So I think if you have records of what was said you could fight to have the refusal overturned- read the small print in their terms and conditions. Or go to a consumer organisation or an ombudsman if they do not play ball.
Based on what you wrote, pretty sure you got denied for high suicide risk. Young person suddenly applying for life insurance out of nowhere + mental health problems + drug and alcohol issues + family PTSD history = high chance the person is trying to set up a profitable way to kill themselves but make it look like an accident to get their family paid in the near future. Life insurance companies deal with suicidal people trying that all the time so aren't very likely to risk it if they can help it, since it's throwing their money away if they can't prove it was a suicide.
