File a Life Insurance Claim with American General
Here we explain how to file a life insurance claim with American General, with a link to Claim forms (below). Many life insurance claims are unduly delayed during the claim process and sometimes are denied.
We know the business of winning life insurance claims. The Center for Life Insurance Disputes represents the beneficiaries of life insurance claims – we file new claims, fight denied claims, force insurers to process delayed claims, and resolve many other life insurance claim disputes.
Need help filing a claim? We’ll prepare & file your American General Life claim.
Step by Step Guide to File a Life Insurance Claim with American General
Step #1. Contact American General Life and Inform Them of the Death
They’ll confirm the policy was active and send you their Claim Form. This will also stop AG Life from billing for premiums. If they determine the policy was not active on the day the insured died they’ll refuse to provide you with their Claim forms. Just because they say the policy wasn’t active doesn’t mean they’re correct.
Step #2. Get an Original Final Death Certificate and Mail it to American General
They’ll want an original death certificate, not a copy. These can be purchased from the funeral home. If there is an open investigation about the death by Law Enforcement, or if the County Medical Examiner hasn’t finished determining the Cause of Death, the Final Death Certificate won’t be available. Life insurers won’t pay claims without Final Death Certificates.
Step #3. Submit the Claimant’s Statement
This form asks for information about the beneficiary such as name, address, social security number and the form of payment requested. The beneficiary must provide a social security or tax payor number. While most death claims are not taxable, an insurer is still responsible for notifying the IRS a claim has been paid.
Step #4. Choose the Form of Payment You Want
Depending on the insurance company and the size of the claim, several different payment options are available:
- Check made out to the beneficiary.
- A checkbook issued to the beneficiary.
- Periodic installment payments.
Step #5. Confirm All Documents are Received in the Claims Department
Because communication from an insurer is quite slow, take the proactive step of confirming that all documents have been received by American General.
What to Expect After You File the American General Death Claim
If your claim is approved you’ll receive your payment 7 to 10 days after the final approval. If your claim is denied you’ll be given a written explanation why it was denied. Usually, the insurer will refund all the premiums that were paid.
Denied life insurance claims are usually from policies that were less than 2 years old when the insured died. For a full explanation of Contestable Life Insurance Investigations please read: Life Insurance Claim Investigation.
You can appeal denied death claims, for this we strongly urge you to contact us to be your appeal representative.
File a Group Life Claim to American General
Death claims for policies offered through employers are managed by the Group Life Claims Department.
Submitting a claim to American General Life for a group life insurance policy is a little different than individual life claims. For a group life claim you’ll need to contact the employer who sponsored the plan and inform them of the death. Ask that they contact the insurer. They’ll have to contact AG Life and confirm the person was employed and the coverage was in effect on the date of death.
You’ll still need a Claim Form, Death Certificate and Claimants Statement, but all information must go thru the employer and American General Life’s Group Life Claims Department.
AMERICAN GENERAL CLAIM FORMS (click here)
American General Life Claims Department phone number 1-800-888-2452
Still Need Help?
Contact us. We’re the most successful life insurance claim experts in the US. Getting life insurance claims paid is all we do. Over $250 Million paid out to our clients, so far. No retainer. No legal fees. Fast results. Every client account on this website is real. We’ve been getting denied claims overturned and paid for 30+ years.
More Helpful Tips to File a Life Insurance Claim
- American General Life will ask you to return the Policy. We strongly suggest you maintain a copy in the event there’s a dispute over the claim or who is the correct beneficiary. Read: Wrong Beneficiary.
- There are many reasons why the policy may have been active and AG Life doesn’t recognize it initially. Read: Six Reason Your Contestable Life Insurance Policy May Not be Contestable.
- The most common form of claim payment is a check made out to the beneficiary. Once deposited, most banks will hold funds for 10 days before making them available. Another option is to be paid with a checking account. The beneficiary is mailed a check book tied to an account immediately funded with the full death claim. There are two benefits to this form of payment: the money is immediately available, and funds in the account earn a much higher interest rate than banks offer.
