The Underwriting Process

PART I – UNDERWRITING BASICS
Underwriting is one of the most crucial stages in case management. Underwriting is the process an insurance company utilizes to determine how to categorize an applicant or proposed insured based on their mortality risk. In this video, you will learn the key underwriting risks and considerations, including a discussion on medical risk factors, paramedical exams, and attending physician statements (APS).

PART I – UNDERWRITING BASICS CONTINUED
This video continues our discussion on underwriting basics including the role of the MIB Group, lifestyle and financial underwriting factors, income replacement guidelines, and the various underwriting tools and databases used in the risk assessment process.

PART II – RISK / RATE CLASSES OVERVIEW
Insurance underwriters assign risk and rate classes based on how statistically likely it is that a proposed insured will live a long and healthy life. Rate classes determine if an applicant will be approved for life insurance and the premium that will be required to pay for that coverage. This video provides an overview of rate classes, smoker vs. non-smoker rates, substandard and table rated cases, and how to navigate and negotiate underwriting offers.

PART III – FIELD UNDERWRITING
Field underwriting is one of the most important processes used to help facilitate positive underwriting outcomes for clients. It is used by insurance advisors and case managers to collect data about a proposed insured’s known risks prior to formally submitting an application. As a case manager, your role is to help facilitate the field underwriting process to properly assess known risks upfront and steer cases to the right carriers. In this video, you will learn about the field underwriting tools available to better assess a proposed insured’s history and help determine an underwriting classification a client might qualify for.

PART III – FIELD UNDERWRITING CONTINUED
To support your role in the field underwriting process, this video provides an overview of major health risks and lab abnormalities to look for, major lifestyle risks, and major financial risks and considerations.

PART IV – NAVIGATING UNDERWRITING DECISIONS AND REINSURANCE
In this final video in the underwriting module, you will learn how to navigate underwriting decisions and potentially improve an underwriting rate class. This video will further discuss how to underwrite business cases and an overview of reinsurance and carrier retention limits.