cancer (general)

These are slides from Hank’s lectures on Avoiding Early Cancer Claims (October, 2016). One set will be added every few weeks. This is presentation #3.

Presentation #1 can be found here: http://insureintell.com/avoiding-early-cancer-claims-part-1
Presentation #2 can be found here: http://insureintell.com/avoiding-early-cancer-claims-part-2-slides

Presentation #4 can be found here: http://insureintell.com/avoiding-early-cancer-claims-part-4-slides

It is said that those who do not know history are doomed to repeat it. In the spirit of this truism, a specter looming in underwriting is in dire need of sobering historical perspective.

Once upon a time, a cancer marker that showed initial promise was embraced for use in insurance screening by a prominent carrier.

Not for long.

Why is this subject important?

“A high serum ferritin level may serve as a surrogate marker for poor health.”

Raymond Gambino, MD
LAB REPORT
17(1995):91

We can say the same for an abnormally low serum ferritin, especially in males over 50 and post-menopausal females, doubly so if they are known to have microcytic/Fe-deficiency anemia or GI symptoms.

Critical illness insurance — sometimes referred to as dread disease insurance — is exactly what its name implies: a form of coverage which pays a living benefit when the policyholder contracts one of the impairments named in the contract. These conditions typically include heart attack, stroke, invasive (thus, potentially life-threatening) cancer, and so on.

Think about it…which hospital would you choose with your life on the line? The operative word, of course, is “choose.” To “choose” in this context means having the bucks to make the call…and avoid being involuntarily sent (triaged? sentenced? damned?) to hospital B.

For most of us, the necessary dollars to make an informed choice will only be available if we have critical illness insurance.

In February, this underwriter addressed the core concept behind the odd equation Rx = Dx (pharmaceutical information and twenty-first century underwriting) and, in so doing, posited that pharmaceutical information could be effectively employed to facilitate the underwriting process.

Facilitate is a broad term.

How might knowing the exact medication a proposed insured is taking (whether prescribed or purchased over the counter) allow an underwriter to realize his twenty-first century mandate (to speed up the risk selection process) while, at the same time, not forsaking his accountability for mortality results?