An insurance policy’s section on exclusions lets the policyholder know exactly what areas are specifically not covered by his or her insurance contract. Exclusions do not take anything away from the policyholder because the insurance company certainly does not charge a premium for coverage that it does not provide. In fact, exclusions eliminate exposures that the insurance company could not insure without charging prohibitive amounts of money. By taking careful notice of exclusions, policyholders can use the information to their advantage by avoiding gaps in coverage and purchasing additional protection. For instance, homeowners who astutely recognize the earthquake exclusion in their homeowner’s coverage can then obtain earthquake coverage through an earthquake endorsement.
NOTE: Common life insurance policy exclusions include acts of war, suicide, and engaging in certain dangerous activities.