Glossary
Insurability
Whether, and on what terms, an insurer will cover a person, based on health, age, habits, occupation and other risks reviewed in underwriting.
Insurability describes a person's eligibility for life insurance and the price class they would qualify for. An insurer judges it during underwriting by reviewing age, medical history, current health measurements, prescriptions, family history, tobacco use, driving record, occupation, hobbies and travel. Someone may be insurable at preferred rates, insurable only at substandard rates, temporarily postponed, or declined.
When an insurer asks for evidence of insurability, it wants proof of current health, usually an application, health questions and sometimes an exam, before issuing or increasing coverage. Say, hypothetically, an employee enrolls in supplemental group life a year after their initial enrollment window: the insurer may require evidence of insurability for any amount above the guaranteed issue limit.
Insurability is the main reason timing matters. Health can change suddenly, and a policy you buy while healthy generally can't be cancelled or repriced by the insurer later because of new conditions. Features such as the guaranteed insurability option, term conversion privileges and guaranteed renewability exist to protect insurability you already have. See how life insurance underwriting works, the cost of waiting to buy life insurance and Declined for life insurance? What to do next.
Last reviewed October 4, 2026