By OLPolicy | Licensed Insurance Specialists | (866) 757-5350
Getting a decline letter in the mail is a gut-punch.
You needed coverage. You applied. You waited. And then the answer came back: denied. Maybe it happened once. Maybe it happened twice. Either way, you’re sitting there wondering if life insurance is simply off the table for someone with your health history.
Here’s what we tell every single person in that situation: a decline from one company is not the final word. Not even close.
The insurance industry is not one company with one set of rules. It’s dozens of carriers – each with their own underwriting guidelines, their own risk tolerances, and their own definition of who they will and won’t cover. One carrier’s decline is often another carrier’s approval. And for the people even the most lenient carriers won’t cover, there’s still an option specifically designed so that nobody gets left behind.
This guide is your roadmap. We’re going to explain why you were declined, what your real options are, and exactly how to get covered – starting today.
| 💡 The Most Important Thing to Know
A life insurance decline from one company does NOT follow you to other companies. Each insurer makes their own independent decision based on their own underwriting guidelines. Most seniors who have been declined by one or even two companies can still find coverage – often at an affordable rate – by working with an independent agency that shops multiple carriers at once. |
Before we talk about solutions, it helps to understand why a decline happens in the first place. There’s no mystery to it – insurance companies are in the business of managing risk, and when they decline an application, they’re saying: “Based on what you’ve told us, we don’t feel comfortable taking on this risk at our standard rates.”
That’s not a moral judgment. It’s not a statement about your worth as a person. It’s a business calculation – and the key insight is that different carriers run that calculation differently.
Here are the most common reasons seniors are declined for final expense insurance – and what each one actually means for your options:
| Reason for Decline | What It Actually Means | What You Can Do |
| Active cancer treatment | Carrier views risk as too high for standard underwriting | Apply for guaranteed issue – no health questions, full coverage after 2 years |
| Recent hospitalization | Hospitalization within 6–24 months triggers automatic decline | Wait for the required time period, then re-apply for level/graded – or apply for GI now |
| Terminal diagnosis | Life expectancy under 12–24 months disqualifies most policies | Guaranteed issue may still be available depending on diagnosis |
| Multiple serious conditions | Combination of conditions exceeds carrier risk tolerance | Independent agents shop multiple carriers simultaneously – one may accept your profile |
| Applied to wrong carrier | Each carrier has different underwriting guidelines | A decline from one carrier means nothing at another – apply with different carriers |
| BMI / obesity | Some carriers decline based on height/weight ratio | Different carriers have different BMI thresholds – another carrier may accept you |
| Prescription drug history | Certain medications signal conditions carriers won’t cover | Some graded benefit carriers ask fewer drug-related questions – ask your agent |
| 🔑 The Single Biggest Reason Seniors Stay Uninsured After a Decline
They assume the first decline applies everywhere. It doesn’t. The most common mistake is applying to one company – often through a TV ad or mailer – getting declined, and giving up. An independent agent like OLPolicy compares 10, 15 or even 20 carriers simultaneously. What one turns away, another actively wants to cover. |
No matter why you were declined – no matter how serious your health history is – you have at least one of these three paths forward. In most cases, you have two or three.
| 🟢 Option 1: Apply to a Different Carrier for Level Benefit Coverage
Full protection from day one – for applicants in moderate health |
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| Who qualifies | Seniors with common managed conditions – diabetes, high blood pressure, past surgeries, high cholesterol. A decline from one carrier does not mean all carriers will decline you. |
| Benefit amount | $5,000 – $50,000 |
| Waiting period | None – coverage is active from day one |
| Best for | Seniors who were declined by a single carrier but have no extremely serious disqualifying conditions |
| Typical monthly cost | Typically $25–$90/month depending on age, gender, and coverage amount |
| 🟡 Option 2: Apply for a Graded Benefit Policy
Real coverage for seniors with moderate to serious health conditions |
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| Who qualifies | Seniors with more serious health conditions – recent hospitalizations, COPD, heart attack history, stroke history – who don’t qualify for level benefit but are not in the most critical category. |
| Benefit amount | $5,000 – $35,000 |
| Waiting period | 2 years for natural causes. Accidental death covered immediately from day one. |
| Best for | Seniors declined for level benefit who still want meaningful coverage at a predictable monthly cost |
| Typical monthly cost | Typically $40–$120/month depending on age and coverage amount |
| 🔵 Option 3: Guaranteed Issue Life Insurance
No health questions. No medical exam. No rejections – ever. |
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| Who qualifies | Anyone between the eligible ages (typically 45–85, varies by carrier). There are zero health requirements – if you are within the age range, you are accepted. Period. |
| Benefit amount | $2,000 – $25,000 |
| Waiting period | 2 years for natural causes (graded benefit period). Accidental death is paid in full from day one. |
| Best for | Seniors with serious or multiple health conditions, recent hospitalizations, active cancer treatment or anyone who simply cannot qualify for any other type of coverage |
| Typical monthly cost | Typically $50–$150/month – higher due to the guaranteed acceptance risk |
| ✅ Nobody Gets Left Behind
If you are between the qualifying ages and you are not currently hospitalized or in hospice care, guaranteed issue life insurance will cover you. Full stop. The insurer accepts you regardless of your diagnosis, your medications, your history of declines or how many times you’ve been turned down before. It exists for exactly this situation. |
Both graded benefit and guaranteed issue policies include what’s called a graded benefit period – typically two years. This is the feature that makes these policies possible for people with serious health conditions, so it’s worth understanding clearly.
Here’s exactly how it works:
| 💡 The Graded Period Is Not ‘No Coverage’
Some people hear ‘two-year waiting period’ and think they have no protection for two years. That’s not accurate. You have accidental death coverage from day one. And if you pass away naturally, your family receives your premiums back plus interest – not nothing. It is reduced coverage during that window, not zero coverage. |
This is the chart most insurance websites won’t give you. We’re not going to make you guess. Here is a direct, honest mapping of common conditions to the most likely available policy type – color-coded so you can find your situation at a glance.
| Health Condition | Likely Policy Type | Waiting Period? | Notes |
| Well-controlled Type 2 diabetes | Level Benefit | None | Most carriers accept – shop for best rate |
| High blood pressure (controlled) | Level Benefit | None | Very commonly approved |
| High cholesterol | Level Benefit | None | Rarely an issue with major carriers |
| COPD (using inhaler) | Graded Benefit | 2 years | Many graded carriers accept COPD |
| Heart attack (2+ years ago, stable) | Level or Graded | Varies | Depends on carrier and time elapsed |
| Heart attack (within 2 years) | Graded Benefit | 2 years | Some graded carriers accept – compare |
| Stroke (2+ years ago, recovered) | Graded Benefit | 2 years | Good recovery often qualifies |
| Stroke (within 2 years) | Guaranteed Issue | 2 years | Graded benefit period applies |
| Active cancer (in treatment) | Guaranteed Issue | 2 years | No level or graded coverage available |
| Cancer (in remission 2+ years) | Level or Graded | Varies | Many carriers re-accept after remission |
| Diabetes with kidney failure | Guaranteed Issue | 2 years | Severe complications limit options |
| HIV/AIDS | Guaranteed Issue | 2 years | Very limited – GI is primary option |
| Currently in hospice / nursing home | Not insurable | N/A | No carrier will issue a policy |
| Congestive heart failure (recent hosp) | Guaranteed Issue | 2 years | Hospitalization disqualifies most |
| Organ transplant | Guaranteed Issue | 2 years | Most carriers exclude transplant history |
| ⚠️ These Are Guidelines, Not Guarantees
Underwriting guidelines differ between carriers and change over time. A condition that disqualifies you at Carrier A may be perfectly acceptable at Carrier B. The only way to know your real options is to let an independent agent like OLPolicy check multiple carriers against your specific health profile. Never self-disqualify based on a single decline. |
If you’ve been declined and you’re ready to find coverage that actually works, here’s exactly what to do – in order.
| 1 | Don’t Panic – and Don’t Give Up
A decline is not a permanent verdict. Take a breath and remind yourself that the insurance market has multiple tiers specifically designed for different health profiles. Your situation, however serious, has a solution – the key is finding the right carrier and policy type. |
| 2 | Find Out Exactly Why You Were Declined
If you haven’t already, contact the company that declined you and request a written explanation. Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) and various state insurance laws, you have the right to know the specific reason for your decline. Understanding the exact reason helps an independent agent identify which carriers and policy types are the right fit. |
| 3 | Work With an Independent Agency – Not a Captive Agent
This step makes the biggest difference of all. A captive agent only sells one company’s products. If that company declines you, the conversation is over. An independent agent like OLPolicy works with multiple carriers and can immediately pivot to carriers whose underwriting guidelines are more favorable to your health profile. One call, multiple options. |
| 4 | Be Completely Honest About Your Health History
When you speak with an OLPolicy specialist, tell us everything. Every condition. Every medication. Every hospitalization. We’re not here to judge – we’re here to find you the best policy that your real health history actually qualifies for. Honesty at this stage means your family never faces a denied claim later. |
| 5 | Let Us Compare Your Options Across Multiple Carriers
OLPolicy will present you with the best available options for your specific situation – whether that’s a level benefit policy with a different carrier, a graded benefit policy or a guaranteed issue policy. You choose the coverage amount and the monthly payment that fits your budget. We handle the rest. |
| 6 | Apply and Get Covered – Today
Final expense applications are simple and fast. No medical exams. No blood draws. Many applications are approved the same day they’re submitted. Your family’s protection can be in place before the end of the week. |
| Been Declined? Let’s Find Your Coverage Right Now.
OLPolicy compares rates from multiple top-rated carriers – including specialists in covering seniors other companies turn away. One call changes everything. 📞 Call OLPolicy: (866) 757-5350 |
Most seniors who get declined apply directly to an insurer – through a TV commercial, a piece of mail or an online form. That’s understandable. But it’s also the reason so many people think they’re out of options when they’re not.
Here’s the reality of how insurance underwriting actually works:
The same person. Three completely different outcomes. The difference is knowing which carrier to approach.
An independent agency like OLPolicy knows the underwriting appetites of every major carrier in our network. We know which ones are more lenient on cardiac history. Which ones accept recent stroke survivors. Which ones have the lowest rates for diabetics. Which ones have the best guaranteed issue products for the most complicated health situations.
You don’t have to guess. You don’t have to apply one by one and collect rejection letters. One conversation with OLPolicy gets you to the right carrier the first time.
| 💬 What Clients Tell Us After Their First Call
“I had been declined twice and thought I just couldn’t get insurance. The OLPolicy agent found me a graded benefit policy the same day I called. I had coverage within a week. I wish I’d called six months earlier.” |
James had been declined by two companies. The first time, he was told it was because of his history of congestive heart failure. The second time, no clear reason was given. He assumed he was simply uninsurable.
When he called OLPolicy, we identified that his CHF had been stable and unmedicated for three years – a detail that mattered enormously to certain carriers. We found him a graded benefit policy for $15,000 at $84/month. His wife is the named beneficiary. After two years, his family will have full coverage. James told us: “I thought my health had closed that door permanently. Turns out I just needed someone to show me a different door.”
Dorothy had stage 3 kidney disease from long-term diabetes and had been declined for a standard final expense policy. She was devastated – she’d promised herself she would never leave her daughter with funeral costs to worry about.
OLPolicy placed Dorothy with a guaranteed issue carrier that accepted her immediately with no health questions. Her $10,000 policy costs $71/month. There’s a two-year graded benefit period – but Dorothy’s daughter now knows that after those two years, she’s fully covered. Dorothy said it was the first time in years she felt genuinely at peace about her family’s future.
Barbara was actively going through chemotherapy for breast cancer when she called OLPolicy. She’d already been declined twice and felt embarrassed asking again. She had two adult children and wanted something – anything – in place for them.
We found Barbara a guaranteed issue policy with a reputable carrier for $15,000 at $89/month. No health questions. No exam. Approved the same day she applied. Barbara told us: “I didn’t think anyone would take me while I was in treatment. You have no idea what it means to finally have something to leave my kids.”
| ❌ MYTH: Once you’ve been declined, it goes on your permanent record and affects all future applications.
✅ TRUTH: Life insurance declines are not reported to a public database that all carriers can see. Each company makes its own independent decision. A decline from one carrier does not travel with you to others. |
| ❌ MYTH: Guaranteed issue policies are a scam because of the two-year waiting period.
✅ TRUTH: Guaranteed issue policies are legitimate, regulated life insurance products offered by major, highly-rated carriers. The graded benefit period exists to make the product financially viable – without it, the insurer couldn’t offer guaranteed acceptance. After two years, you have full, permanent protection. |
| ❌ MYTH: If you have cancer, there is absolutely no coverage available.
✅ TRUTH: Guaranteed issue life insurance accepts applicants regardless of active cancer diagnosis in most cases – as long as you are not currently hospitalized or in hospice care. The two-year graded period applies, but coverage is real and available. |
| ❌ MYTH: Guaranteed issue coverage is too expensive to be worth it.
✅ TRUTH: Yes, guaranteed issue premiums are higher than standard policies for the same benefit amount – but compared to leaving your family with $10,000 in funeral bills, the math still works. Many seniors find meaningful coverage for $50–$100/month, even with the most serious health conditions. |
| ❌ MYTH: You should wait until your health improves before applying again.
✅ TRUTH: Waiting only makes coverage more expensive – premiums are based on your age at the time you apply. If your health is unlikely to improve significantly, waiting simply means you’ll pay higher premiums later for the same coverage. Apply now for the best available rate. |
To find your best option as quickly as possible, have this information available when you call (866) 757-5350:
| 📋 Information to Have Ready
The reason(s) you were previously declined, if known | Your current diagnoses and how long ago each was diagnosed | List of current prescription medications | Date and reason for any hospitalizations in the past 2–3 years | Whether any condition is currently being actively treated | Your date of birth and state of residence | Your desired coverage amount and monthly budget | The name and relationship of your intended beneficiary |
The more complete your picture, the faster we can match you to the right carrier – and the sooner your family has the protection they deserve.
Yes – in almost every case. A decline from one carrier does not close the door on coverage. Graded benefit and guaranteed issue policies exist specifically for people who cannot qualify for standard coverage.
It is a type of final expense policy that accepts all applicants within the eligible age range – no health questions, no medical exam, no possibility of rejection. A two-year graded benefit period applies for natural causes of death.
Graded benefit policies typically offer $5,000–$35,000, while guaranteed issue policies usually cap at $15,000–$25,000 depending on the carrier. Coverage amounts are smaller than standard policies to reflect the higher risk.
No – the graded benefit period is a standard feature of all guaranteed issue policies and cannot be waived. However, accidental death is typically covered in full from day one, even during the graded period.
Your premium is based on your age, gender, and the coverage amount – not your prior decline history. A decline from another carrier does not raise your premium with a new carrier.
Standard and graded benefit policies are not typically available during active cancer treatment. Guaranteed issue policies are available regardless of treatment status, as long as you are not currently hospitalized or in hospice care.
Guaranteed issue and graded benefit applications are fast – often approved the same day. Your coverage can be active within days of applying. There is no reason to wait.
Multiple declines from standard carriers simply reinforce the case for a guaranteed issue policy, which cannot decline any eligible applicant. Call OLPolicy at (866) 757-5350 and we will find your best available option immediately.
We’ve helped seniors with active cancer, recent heart attacks, kidney failure, multiple sclerosis, and dozens of other serious conditions find real, meaningful final expense coverage. Not placeholders. Not empty promises. Real policies from real, reputable carriers that will pay your family when the time comes.
The insurance industry built multiple tiers of coverage specifically so that nobody – regardless of health history – has to leave their family unprotected. Our job at OLPolicy is to make sure you find the right tier for your situation.
A decline letter is a detour, not a dead end. Call us. We’ll find the path forward together.
| Your Coverage Is Out There. Let Us Find It.
One call to OLPolicy connects you with licensed specialists who know exactly which carriers cover your health profile – and get you covered as fast as possible. 📞 Call OLPolicy: (866) 757-5350 |
OLPolicy | Licensed Insurance Agency | (866) 757-5350 | www.olpolicy.com
This article is for educational purposes only. Coverage availability, underwriting guidelines, and premium rates vary by carrier and state. A prior insurance decline does not guarantee acceptance or denial at any other carrier. Speak with a licensed agent for advice specific to your health and coverage needs.
