Description: This presentation from Session 20PD of the SOA 1996 Orlando Annual Meeting examines the major trends in insurance laboratory testing from 1980 to 1985, with an emphasis on why blood testing thresholds were lowered dramatically in the mid-1980s and why those thresholds will persist into the next century. The value of liver function testing is examined as a case study in protective value. Issues addressed include: 1. What is the real impact of human immunodeficiency virus [HIV]-1 testing [sentinel effect]? 2. The unique pay-offs from liver function tests, 3. Clinical medicine mortality versus underwritten mortality: overcoming problems caused by different perspectives, and 4. Cotinine pays the freight? From the Record of the Society of Actuaries, Vol. 22, No. 3.

Description: Panelelists at this session at the SOA 1998 Maui I Spring Meeting present their thoughts on how life and disability risk assessment and underwriting might be performed in the 21st century. Focus is on how technology can change and speed up the process.

Description: Panelists at this session of the SOA 1997 Palm Desert Spring Meeting identify various issues that would affect a company's decision to enter the market for insurance for the terminally ill.

Description: This session at the SOA 1990 San Francisco Spring Meeting presents an overview of risk classification, what principles define a sound system, changes in underwriting due to expert system technology, and determining the value of laboratory tests.

Description: This panel discussion is from the 1991 Meeting of the Society of Actuaries, held May 16-17 in New York. The panelists review mortality experience studies and research and underwriting practices, discussing topics including smoker vs. non-smoker mortality, differences by sex, and medical impairments. Discussion from participants is included. From the Record of Society of Actuaries, Volume 17, No. 2.

Description: Presented at May 1996 Spring Meeting. Results of the recently completed survey on preferred risk criteria for individual ordinary life insurance are presented, with a discussion of limitations of results and implications for pricing actuaries, underwriters and reinsurers.

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: 2004 SOA Spring Meeting, Anaheim, CA. In this session panelists presented an overview of underwriting processes for a variety of product lines. They also discuss related topics such as identifying keys to underwriting decisions, the cost of underwriting and protective value, and ensuring consistency with pricing assumptions. Some of the underwriting tools discussed were use of RX history, credit checks, DMV history, and fraud data bases.

Description: Presented at May 2005 Spring Meeting. Panelists discuss the insuring of the aging population in respect to assessment of the health of the insured and resulting mortality costs.

Description: 1999 SOA Annual Meeting, San Francisco. The panel examined challenges posed by the onset of the 21st century to the underwriter and the actuary. Questions addressed included: 1. How can the underwriting process be expedited without surrendering required mortality margins? 2. What different information is needed? 3. Where will this information come from? 4. Who will obtain it and how will it be delivered? 5. How will the actuary assess the real value of these new sources?