Glossary

Guaranteed renewable

A provision giving you the right to renew coverage at the end of each term without new medical underwriting, at a higher age-based premium.

Also called: renewable term, guaranteed renewability

Guaranteed renewable means the policy owner, not the insurer, decides whether coverage continues at the end of a term. As long as you renew on time, the insurer can't refuse, cancel or re-underwrite the policy because your health has changed. Most term life policies sold today are guaranteed renewable, typically up to a maximum age such as 90 or 95.

What's guaranteed is the right to renew, not the old price. Renewal premiums are based on your attained age and usually follow a schedule printed in the policy. On a level term insurance policy, coverage after the level period typically shifts to annually renewable rates that rise every year. Say, hypothetically, a healthy 35-year-old buys a 20-year, $500,000 policy at $30 a month. At 55, the guaranteed renewal premium might be several hundred dollars a month and keep climbing.

Renewal is valuable if you become uninsurable, since it keeps coverage available without an exam. For people still in good health, a new policy or the conversion privilege is usually cheaper than renewing. Check the renewal table and maximum renewal age before you buy. See renewing term life insurance after the level period ends and Annual renewable term (ART) life insurance.

Last reviewed October 4, 2026

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Related terms

Term life insurance Life coverage for a set number of years, such as 10, 20 or 30, that pays a death benefit only if the insured dies within that period. Level term insurance Term life coverage whose death benefit and premium both stay fixed for a set period, such as 10, 20 or 30 years. Evidence of insurability Health and other information an insurer requires to approve coverage, such as medical questions, records or an exam, often for amounts above guaranteed issue. Attained age The insured's current age on a given date, used to price renewals, conversions and the rising monthly charges inside universal life. Conversion privilege A term policy feature that lets the owner switch to permanent coverage with the same insurer without new medical underwriting, within set deadlines.

Related guides

10-year term life insurance: who it suits The shortest common level term. It fits needs that end within a decade, such as a loan or the years before retirement, and rarely suits young families. Annual renewable term (ART) life insurance ART covers you one year at a time, renewable without a medical exam, with a premium that rises every year. Where you'll meet it, what it costs and who it suits. How to compare life insurance quotes fairly Hold coverage, term, health class and riders constant, then compare price, guarantees, conversion rights and insurer strength. Includes a worked checklist. What to compare between term policies besides price Two term policies with the same premium can differ on conversion, renewal, riders and insurer strength. A checklist of what to read before you choose. How term life insurance works Term life pays your beneficiaries if you die within a set period, usually 10 to 30 years, for a fixed premium. The parts, pricing and what happens at the end. Renewing term life insurance after the level period ends Most term policies renew after the level period with no health check, but premiums climb every year. What to expect, what it costs, and what to do instead.

Related insurers

UnitedHealthcare life affiliates UnitedHealth Group's life-writing subsidiaries, which sell small term life policies with health coverage via USHEALTH Advisors agents and UnitedHealthOne.