Does Life Insurance Cover Drug Overdose? [Surprising Answer]

This Question Relates To Too Many Families

In 2019, U.S. deaths from drug overdoses reached an all-time high of almost 72,000.  Opioid overdoses (primarily from the illegal use of heroin and fentanyl) make up the overwhelming majority of these overdose deaths.

That’s 200 new, heartbroken, and irrevocably changed families every day.

These deaths are part of a more significant trend, which has seen overdose death rise nationwide in 19 of the past 20 years.

Overdose Deaths By Year; 1999-2019

COVID-19 Has Led To An Increase In Overdose Deaths

In 2020, COVID-19 made this already difficult situation worse. Deaths rose by an estimated 13% nationwide, with some regions seeing an increase of ~30%.

The isolation bought on by the pandemic exacerbated mental health issues, which often co-occur with addiction.

And more tangibly, the economic effects of the pandemic resulted in the closing of many addiction treatment centers and/or reduced access to recovery support services, which can be life-saving for many.

If You Need Help, Reach Out

I’ve seen addiction up close. It’s a progressive illness that only gets worse.

Just as you would be foolish to try to give yourself a liver transplant, the same holds for treating your addiction.

If you’re struggling (or a loved one is), know that there is more help out there than you know.

And much of it won’t cost you a thing.

Just start looking for it.

Life Insurance Claim Denial (In General)

Having glimpsed the scope of the crisis, let’s return to the main question:

Can life insurance policy claims be denied if the insured died from a drug overdose?

Its turns out that the answer depends on two additional questions:

• Was the death within or after the first two years of the life insurance policy?
• Was the drug overdose accidental or intentional?

It Depends On When The Death Occurs…

Why does it matter when death occurs?

It’s because the initial years of your life insurance policy (usually the first two years) are the period when your life insurance company can challenge the validity of your claim and potentially deny the claim.

This period is therefore called the “contestability period.”

After the contestability period, life insurance companies can deny claims for only two reasons:

1. A gross misrepresentation on the life insurance application (i.e., fraud).
2. An explicit exclusion within the policy.

The purpose of the life insurance “contestability period” is easy to guess: to prevent fraud.

Insurance companies do not want to incentivize people to buy a policy and end their lives for their loved ones’ financial gain.

The ONE Reason For Life Insurance Claim Denial

There is one situation where you may face life insurance claim denial.

The one scenario where your life insurance claim would be denied is if the company learns you lied on your initial application.

For example, if you stated on your application that you had never attended inpatient drug treatment when, in truth, you had. In this case, a life insurance company could successfully deny your beneficiary’s claim.

And life insurance companies nearly always conduct investigations after drug overdose deaths, so lies and misrepresentations are inevitably discovered.

So... Does Life Insurance Cover Drug Overdose?

Let’s take a look at the two scenarios.

Scenario 1: The Death Occurs 2+ Years After The Policy Was Purchased

The easy case is when the death occurs multiple years after the life insurance policy was purchased.

If the insured dies 2+ years after policy purchase, then yes, the life insurance company will pay out the death benefit.

RBC Term Policy — Death Benefit Exclusion

After these two years, life insurance claims for drug overdose will receive a death benefit payout like those for any other cause of death (e.g., a medical condition).

Here’s the part that surprises most people, though.

After the first two years, most life insurance policies cover illegal drug overdose, even if it is intentional (i.e., even if you commit suicide).

There are no exclusions (e.g., a suicide clause) in most policy contracts that prohibit this. As striking as it may seem, life insurance policies pay out for suicide, as long as it does not occur soon after the policy purchase (i.e., within two years).

Scenario 2: The Death Occurs During The First 2 Years

Now for the trickier situation. What happens if the insured dies within the “contestability period” (the period during which the insurance company can challenge your claim)?

Fraud is the most common reason for life insurance claim denial. An accidental death is not intentional, so cannot be fraud, meaning the insurance company will pay the full death benefit.

So to have your life insurance claim approved and to receive the death benefits you paid for, you have to be able to prove that the death was accidental.

This could be more difficult if the death involved illegal drugs, like heroin, cocaine, or meth. In these cases, the insurance company can argue that the insured should have known that these substances were hazardous and that taking them would have a high chance of death. In other words, it’s easier for them to argue that the insured committed suicide.

If a doctor prescribed the drug, it’s much easier to argue for an accidental drug overdose death. You can then say that the insured took more of something they were supposed to take anyway, by accident.

Drug Overdose With Accidental Death Insurance

What about an accidental death and dismemberment (AD&D) insurance policy or accidental death life insurance rider? Does this type of life insurance cover illegal drug overdose deaths?

Accidental death benefits are paid when the insured dies in an accident or has a severe injury:

• Accidental deaths (e.g., from a motor vehicle accident), the beneficiary receives the full death benefit
• For significant injuries (e.g., loss of sight, loss of a limb, coma), the insured gets a specified portion of the death benefit
  what does accidental death insurance cover

However, there are generally exclusions for death or injury that:

• Is self-inflicted
• Occurs during the commission of a felony
• Occurs while the insured is intoxicated or is under the influence of illicit drugs

Death or injury from illegal drug use is typically NOT covered by accidental death insurance policies​.

Frequently Asked Questions

Conclusion

Just because mental health is less tangible does not make it less real. Addicts deserve adequate treatment, and both they and their loved ones deserve our love and compassion.

Death from drug or alcohol abuse is no less costly to a family, so it’s nice to see that our laws and life insurance companies are serving their function: to protect families from the financial hardship of death.

If you have any remaining questions, please don’t hesitate to leave a comment or email us at [email protected] We’ll be sure to get back to you within 24 hours.

Warm Regards,
The GetSure Team