Description: This article is part of the Digest of Informal Discussion, which took place at the 1956 Society of Actuaries Eastern Spring Meeting, held April 19-20 in Hartford, CT. It identifies the participants and summarizes each person’s comments. The participants discuss various issues around guaranteed issue insurance, including companies writing it, restrictions deemed necessary such as preunderwrting as to eligibility, maximum/minimum insurance limits, and minimum number of lives use of special rate bases, dividend classifications, and commission scales expected experience and tendency of better risks to terminate and impaired lives to remain. From Transactions of Society of Actuaries 1956 Volume 8, Number 21.

Description: This discussion examined underwriting and if the present method of classifying substandard risks as a percentage of standard can be improved and if the basis of dividing standard from substandard risks can be changed. From Transactions of Society of Actuaries 1950, Vol. 2, No. 2.

Description: From the 1960 Transactions Vol. 12 No. 32, this ‘Digest of Smaller Company Forum’ presentation addresses the extent to which smaller insurance companies have felt the need to develop new benefits such as guaranteed issue or modified underwriting, guaranteed insurability riders, multiple accidental death benefits, and preauthorized check plans.

Description: Discussion of the following underwriting topics: A. In view of the low rates of mortality currently experienced on standard lives, is the standard classification too narrow? B. Do substandard extra premiums at the lower ratings make fair provision for the additional expenses incurred on substandard policies? C. What problems are encountered in issuing life insurance on persons residing outside the continental United States and Canada? D. What changes have been made recently in non-medical selection and why? E. How could greater use be made of mortality or morbidity studies conducted by hospitals, clinics, government agencies, universities and others outside of the life insurance business?

Description: This discussion looks at the main trends in substandard insurance, including: changes in medical impairments subject to substandard ratings or declination, increased availability of substandard insurance and reinsurance, changes in occupational and special hazard ratings, and progress with offerings of substandard individual health and accident coverages.

Description: This session 36TS of the Toronto Spring Meeting discusses selected concepts that relate to risk appraisal in new business issuance and underwriting. Specific attention is focused on the relative values of underwriting tools, namely fluid collection: blood, urine, and oral fluid. From the Record of the Society of Actuaries, Volume 27, No. 2, Session 36TS

Description: This is a panel discussion on individual life insurance underwriting principles and practices that occurred in 1976. It discussed a paper by Alton Morton entitled Individual Life Insurance Underwriting Principles and Practices: A 1976 Review.

Description: Discusses: [1] using blood tests effectively to improve mortality results, [2] using expert underwriting systems, and [3] what the future may hold for genetic underwriting. From the 1988 Record of Society of Actuaries, Vol. 14, No. 4A.

Description: This discussion focuses on underwriting for war risk including antiselection issues, the advantages and disadvantages of a permanent war clause in policies, and insuring combat and non-combat related aviation hazards.

Description: This 1978 SOA session presented some provisional findings of the new Build and Blood Pressure Study. Some of the findings: 1. The average weights of men in the new study exceed the corresponding weights in the previous 1959 study by 2 to 8 pounds in the thirties, and by up to 5 pounds in the fifties. 2. The mortality ratios of overweight men are not significantly different in the new study from those in the 1959 study. 3. Markedly overweight men experienced lower mortality in the current study than in the 1959 study. 4. Men weighing 20 percent below average recorded 10 to 15 percent higher mortality in the new study than in the 1959 study. 5. Mortality of overweight women is relatively lower than that of overweight men. 6. Mortality of men with elevated systolic and diastolic pressures was appreciably lower than in the 1959 study. 7. Mortality of women with moderately elevated systolic and diastolic pressures was not significantly different from that in the 1959 study. 8. The presence of minor impairments alongside of blood pressures in excess of 150/90 usually produced significant increases in mortality.