Each insurance company sets its own rules for who can buy a policy and when benefits begin. Before you apply, review these terms closely:
✔Health questions. Most individual policies ask about your health history, and your answers can affect approval.
✔Waiting periods. Many policies do not pay for a cancer diagnosed during the first weeks of coverage, often about 30 days.
✔Look-back periods. A prior cancer diagnosis or treatment within a set number of years may make you ineligible or be excluded.
✔Exclusions and reduced benefits. Some policies exclude certain skin cancers or pay less for early-stage diagnoses.
✔Renewability. Many policies are guaranteed renewable, but premiums can change for everyone in a rating class.
The policy and its outline of coverage are the final word on eligibility and benefits.