State RegulationsNY specificDifficulty 2/5
An employee in Buffalo loses her group life insurance when her employment terminates, and she wants to convert to an individual policy. Under New York law, how long does she have to apply, and what evidence of insurability is required?
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Answer & full 3-part explanation (select an option above, or peek)
Why B is correct
Under N.Y. Ins. Law §3220(a)(6), (a)(8), an insured whose group life coverage terminates may convert to an individual policy by applying within 31 days of the qualifying event, without evidence of insurability. The insurer must notify the person of the conversion privilege within 15 days before or after the event, and missing the window generally forfeits the privilege unless late insurer notice triggers the extension rule. Practically, this lets departing employees keep coverage even when they could not pass new underwriting.
Why the other options are wrong
- A) The 60-day window is the group HEALTH conversion period under N.Y. Ins. Law §3221(e) — group life conversion gets 31 days, not 60.
- C) No evidence of insurability may be required for the converted individual policy — the coverage is continued, not re-underwritten.
- D) Both elements are wrong: it doubles the health-conversion figure and adds an underwriting requirement that New York does not impose.
Memory hook
Group LIFE converts in 31 days, group HEALTH in 60 — and a group conversion is never re-underwritten.