There are many reasons that come to my mind when I think of the reasons why people usually avoid paying large checks in exchange for coverage. Few of the most common reasons are: Family budgets are very tight and they can only afford to pay monthly installments. Premiums are paid in old insurance policies that bind the hand and make it difficult for the person to pay large checks at a time. Lots of ads and article s are in the market that attracts customers by showing that they don't have to pay large cash down payments. But the point that will be generated in everybody's mind is that are these offers real? You must remember that policy is just like an agreement and it requires offer and exchange. The insurer covers you in exchange for payment; it is just like an ordinary business.
Most of the people can find a policy without large down payments; it's next to impossible to find a policy in which you don't even have to pay for the first month's premium. This will be similar like rest of the monthly installments that you pay in advance.
If you have paid in advance for the policy that you are about to cancel, then you should be able to get prompt refund. There is hardly any issue with the top insurance companies. They are highly disciplined, and don't want to cheat their customers and keep their money with them without any reason. I myself had experienced this when I switched companies recently; I received refund check within a week. If it's possible for you to hold out for a while, then you should not hesitate because you are concerned for your refund check.