What is the result of a policy lapse?

When a life insurance policy lapses, it typically means that the policyholder has failed to pay the necessary premiums required to keep the policy active. As a consequence of this failure to pay, the insurance coverage is terminated. This means that the policyholder no longer has the insurance protection that the policy provided.

In the context of life insurance, a lapse is a critical event for the policyholder because it nullifies the benefits that would have been paid in the event of the insured individual's death. Therefore, understanding the implications of a policy lapse is important for maintaining coverage and ensuring protection for beneficiaries.

In contrast, other options such as receiving cash value or reducing premiums imply that some benefits are still preserved, which is not the case with a lapse. Similarly, the idea of extending the policy for a year does not align with the definition of a lapse; rather, that would suggest a continuation of the policy under different terms, which is not typically a result of non-payment of premiums.