Does Life Insurance Cover Suicide?

Suicide was one of the top nine causes of death for people aged 10 to 64 in 2020. Though life insurance can cover suicide, many policies have special provisions that limit the payment of benefits.

How Suicide Clauses Work

Insurance companies want to keep people from having a financial incentive to commit suicide. As a result, a suicide clause, also known as a suicide provision, is included in many life insurance policies.

Insurance companies will typically not pay a death benefit if the covered person dies by suicide within the first two years of coverage, as defined in their suicide clause—commonly referred to as the exclusion period. When the exclusion period expires, the beneficiaries of the policy can receive a death benefit if the covered person commits suicide after that date.

Any policy changes, such as adding coverage or converting a term policy to a whole life policy, can reset the clock and restart the exclusion period.

Suicide provisions can also differ depending on the type of insurance you have:

Group Life Insurance

Unlike most individual life insurance policies, many group life policies—the type of life insurance that people frequently obtain through their employers—do not include a suicide clause. If a covered person commits suicide, their beneficiaries will usually receive the death benefit.

Term Life Insurance

Beneficiaries of individual term life insurance can claim the death benefit as long as the exclusion period has expired. If the person dies after one to two years of coverage, the beneficiaries are entitled to the full benefit. However, if the person dies during the exclusion period, the beneficiaries may only receive the total amount of premiums paid to date.

Whole Life Insurance

Beneficiaries of whole life policies may receive the plan's cash value even if the covered person dies during the exclusion period. When the exclusion period expires, the beneficiaries are entitled to the entire death benefit and cash value.

How Does an Insurance Company Know If Someone Died by Suicide?

The insurance company will request a death certificate if a policyholder dies and their beneficiaries file a claim. The death certificate would state the cause of death and whether or not the death was self-inflicted.

If the death certificate is inconclusive or contains an ambiguous cause of death, the insurance company may request additional documentation, such as an autopsy report, a medical examiner report, an EMS report, or the person's medical records.

Because suicide deaths can take longer to investigate, beneficiaries may face a delay in receiving the life insurance policy's benefit.

Although the claims process can be more complicated and time-consuming, beneficiaries should not be discouraged from filing a claim. They may be entitled to financial assistance as they try to recover from the tragedy.

Help for Anyone Contemplating Suicide 

Get help now if you or someone you know is suffering from depression or mental health issues. You are not by yourself. If you or a loved one is thinking about suicide, call 1-800-273-8255 or use live chat to reach the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. It is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and offers free and confidential assistance.