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Impaired Risk Review: What You Don't Know WILL Hurt You

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Impaired Risk Review: What You Don't Know WILL Hurt You

Mon, 10/01/2018

One of the toughest situations for an underwriter is the case that seems to have literally fallen off the cliff. A condition that is significant, that is being followed, and that does have mortality consequences suddenly has no notes of any recency for six months or more. Follow-up that appeared to be favorable virtually disappears, and the underwriter is left with guessing that things have continued to go reasonably well. Or not...

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Milliman Risk Score 2.0 – Stratifying Mortality Risk Using Prescription Drug Information

Thu, 09/27/2018

Munich Re assessed the Milliman Rx Risk Score, a predictive modeling tool developed and owned by Milliman that assesses mortality risk using an individual’s prescription drug information. Insurers considering prescription- drug-based scores should begin with a retrospective validation study on their own experience data.

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Milliman Risk Score 2.0 – Stratifying Mortality Risk Using Prescription Drug In…

Alcohol Risk in Perspective

Thu, 09/27/2018

The publication by The Lancet recently of an article discussing the risk to health posed by alcohol seems to have put paid for all time to the notion that moderate drinking does no harm or is even ‘good for you’. It has thus caused a bit of a stir in some quarters.

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Alcohol Risk in Perspective

White Paper: Wearable Technology in Life Insurance

Thu, 09/27/2018

For insurers to effectively utilize wearable technology, it is important to understand the metrics captured by devices. Insurers must also be mindful of regulations, set reasonable expectations, and balance the risk and rewards of new developments.This white paper summarizes the considerations.

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White Paper: Wearable Technology in Life Insurance

The Association of Loneliness, Social Engagement, and Social Activity with All-Cause Mortality

Thu, 09/27/2018

Hilary Henly, Head of Underwriting, Ireland and Director, Divisional Underwriting Research, presents an innovative review of some non-traditional predictors of mortality and morbidity. She discusses the impact of loneliness, social engagement, and social activity. Given the aging population and newer approaches to older age underwriting, this topic will be of significant interest to the reader.

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The Association of Loneliness, Social Engagement, and Social Activity with All-…

Polygenic Risk Scores: Combining Thousands of Genetic Variants to Predict Disea…

older age underwriting

mortality

Polygenic Risk Scores: Combining Thousands of Genetic Variants to Predict Disease

Thu, 09/27/2018

Richard Russell, Ph.D., Lead Health Data Scientist, U.K., Division of Global Research and Data Analytics (GRDA), addresses polygenic risk scores (PRSs) and provides an update on the quickly advancing knowledge in this area of genetics research and risk assessment.

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Risk Management (General)

Genetics

Simplified Issue is Expanding the Limits of Underwriting

Wed, 09/26/2018

Previously reserved for the hard to insure, simplified issue products have evolved into fully underwritten simplified products. Backed by artificial intelligence, these products have become an alternative to traditional simplified issue products.

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Simplified Issue is Expanding the Limits of Underwriting

A Life Insurance Company Wants to Track your Fitness Data

simplified underwriting

A Life Insurance Company Wants to Track your Fitness Data

Wed, 09/26/2018

A company using what seems like a fun smartphone game to get you to walk more might be a slippery slope. With access to all that data, what will a big corporation ultimately do with it? This is still new, so the implications are murky.

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John Hancock Will Only Sell Interactive Life Insurance with Fitness Data Tracki…

continuous underwriting

John Hancock Will Only Sell Interactive Life Insurance with Fitness Data Tracking

Wed, 09/26/2018

John Hancock, one of the oldest and largest North American life insurers, will stop underwriting traditional life insurance and instead sell only interactive policies that track fitness and health data through wearable devices and smartphones, the company said on Wednesday.

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Articles

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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