Featured Article

Webinar Recording: Fair vs Unfair Discrimination in Underwriting

Tue, 06/25/2019
Here is the recording and powerpoint file of Hank's webinar on Fair vs Unfair Underwriting presented on June 18, 2019.

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Life
life insurance
Underwriting
big data
automated underwriting
regulatory

News

White Paper: Underwriters Ask — To Fast or Not to Fast?

Tue, 06/22/2021

One of the most difficult calls facing an underwriter is the discussion with a producer who insists that his client has been unfairly rated due to an improper fasting time prior to blood drawing

Link
White Paper: Underwriters Ask — To Fast or Not to Fast?
Life
Underwriting
blood test
Hemoglobin A1C

The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Underwriter – Harnessing Remote Risk Assessment Technology

Tue, 06/22/2021

During the pandemic, we’ve had fewer in‑person interactions and done more things remotely. A positive is that we are becoming better at using technologies that fit this new normal. The question is whether or not technology can be adapted to allow for socially distanced, fast and effective medical risk assessment and if successful, can it help invigorate underwriting?
 

Link
The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Underwriter – Harnessing Remote Risk Assess…
Life
Underwriting
telecommuting
remote

The Human Factor: Underwriting with Precision Calculation

Tue, 06/22/2021

“Precision” has become a popular buzzword in financial services – yet when it comes to life and health insurance, underwriting processes have been challenged to keep pace with medical advances. Is it time for a new approach to calculating risk?

Link
The Human Factor: Underwriting with Precision Calculation
Life
Underwriting
Risk Management (General)

U.S. Individual Life COVID-19 Mortality Claims Analysis

Tue, 06/22/2021

LIMRA, the Reinsurance Group of America (RGA), the Society of Actuaries (SOA) and TAI have collaborated on an ongoing effort to analyze the impact of COVID-19 on the individual life insurance industry’s mortality experience and share the emerging results with the insurance industry and the public.

Link
U.S. Individual Life COVID-19 Mortality Claims Analysis
Life
mortality
COVID-19
Claims

Insurers Begin Lifting COVID-19 Underwriting Guidelines

Tue, 06/22/2021

As many Americans return to post-pandemic normalcy, life insurers are as well, with many companies curtailing or eliminating underwriting restrictions that have been in place since March 2020.
 

Link
Insurers Begin Lifting COVID-19 Underwriting Guidelines
Life
Underwriting
COVID-19
guidelines

A New Age of Genetic Screening is Coming — And We Don’t Have Any Rules For It

Tue, 06/22/2021

New ‘polygenic’ screening techniques open a Pandora’s Box of ethical issues.
 

Link
A New Age of Genetic Screening is Coming
Life
Underwriting
Genetics
polygenic risk scores

registration

Life Insurance Fraud in the Time of COVID-19

Tue, 06/22/2021

In 2020, RGA produced a five-part series of articles exploring life insurance fraud in the time of COVID-19 as a lead-up to the RGA Fraud Conference. One year later, with the ninth annual RGA Fraud Conference set for August 16-20, we checked back in with the authors of those articles to learn how the climate for fraud may have changed as the pandemic has evolved and how the industry can prepare for what lies ahead.
 

Link
Life Insurance Fraud in the Time of COVID-19
Life
Underwriting
COVID-19
fraud

COVID-19 and Diseases of Despair

Tue, 06/22/2021

Will the COVID-19 pandemic cause ‘diseases of despair’ to rise and will this affect long term trends in mortality and morbidity?
 

Link
COVID-19 and Diseases of Despair
Life
Underwriting
COVID-19
mortality

Life and Health Trend Spotlights: Mind Matters

Tue, 06/22/2021

When it comes to risk selection, insurers typically assess whether an applicant has a clinically diagnosed mental illness like schizophrenia or bi-polar disorder. 

Link
Life and Health Trend Spotlights: Mind Matters
Life
Underwriting
Risk Management (General)
psychiatric disorders
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canadalife

 

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Articles

Red Flags in Opioid Use Underwriting (Slides)

Wed, 04/24/2019

Hank's second of two lectures on opioid underwriting.

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Life
life insurance
Underwriting
opioid abuse

Underwriting Opioid Use and Abuse (Slides)

Tue, 01/08/2019

Hank's first of two lectures on opioid underwriting.

 

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Life
life insurance
Underwriting
opioid abuse

Melanoma Underwriting

Fri, 05/18/2018

Slides from Hank's lecture on state-of-the-art melanoma underwriting at the 2018 AHOU conference.

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Life
life insurance
Underwriting
melanoma

The “Invasive” Hoax

Sun, 04/01/2018

Have you noticed that the word invasive is being bandied about more and more often in underwriting-related articles and commentaries published online and in various industry publications? This is mainly being done by those advocating radical changes in underwriting practices.

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Underwriting
Life
life insurance
accelerated underwriting

Low ALT: RED FLAG in Elderly Applicants

Thu, 03/15/2018

The purpose of this paper is to discuss the insurability implications of low normal/ below normal ALT in the elderly… in the hope that insurers will consider adding appropriate guidelines for this finding at older ages.

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Life
life insurance
Underwriting
ALT
X