Description: This discussion at the SOA 1967 Annual Meeting covers mortality issues including trends in longevity, factors affecting future mortality rates, and projection methods.

Description: This is a discussion of the paper, The Mortality of Industrial Policyholders 1950 to 1955 by Edward A. Lew and Mortimer Spiegelman. From Transactions of Society of Actauries 1957, Vol. 9, No. 24.

Description: This session is about recent population experience, likely causes, probable future prospects, Industry mortality differentials and trends by product line,market and type of underwriting, What statistically credible evidence do we have for the efficacy of life insurance underwriting practices, What does the new Intercompany Standard Issues study show and Are there sound biological laws of mortality. From Record of Society of Actuaries Vol. 5, No. 4.

Description: This discussion covers an update on mortality research. Specifically, it highlights the long term conditional survival of cancer patients, recent trends in the mortality of the aged, parametric models for life insurance mortality data, and shares an exposure draft of the derivation of the 1983 table A for individual annuity valuation. From Record of the Society of Actuaries 1981, Volume 7, No. 4.

Description: This is a discussion about substandard mortality vs. standard mortality and the effects it will have on substandard premiums. Topics included: A. Statistical evidence on the trend of substandard mortality. Does it generally follow the trend of standard mortality? B. Effect this should have on substandard extra premiums. C. Does a lowering of substandard extras require any changes in underwriting rules, either as to the range of substandard classes or as to the ratings applied to some of the major impairments?

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 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.

Description: This is the digest from the informal discussion reviewing the 1951 Impairment study. It is the latest in a series of studies covering mortality of impaired risks. It covers the experience under Ordinary insurance issued from 1935 to 1949 traced to the anniversaries in 1950. Standard and substandard policies were studied separately.