Tag: digital underwriting

Insurers Must Reach Millennials and Gen Zers. Here’s How

Mary Pat Campbell

Link: https://www.thinkadvisor.com/2022/09/12/insurers-must-reach-millennials-and-gen-zers-heres-how/

Excerpt:

Based on the widely used Pew Research definitions, the millennials are turning 26 through 41 this year, and Gen Zers are turning 10 through 25.

More than half of Gen Zers ages 16 through 24 are already in the workforce.

It’s time for carriers to innovate rapidly to respond to the buying preferences of members of these generations.

…..

As an example, if the target customers are millennials and Gen Zers who need a simple term life insurance solution, you may want to focus on instant decision underwriting and lower face amounts to meet the most basic needs.

This approach could mean that many historical riders and features are actually not necessary.

It likely also means that the tools used in underwriting need to focus on information that is available instantly as opposed to traditional methods that could take weeks or even months.

Author(s): Jeremy Bill

Publication Date: 12 Sept 2022

Publication Site: Think Advisor

Life Insurance Has an Inclusivity Problem

Mary Pat Campbell

Link: https://www.thinkadvisor.com/2022/06/10/life-insurance-has-an-inclusivity-problem/

Excerpt:

Modern underwriting approaches and distribution methods, often spearheaded by insurtech companies, unlock unique, data-driven insights that enable the industry to understand who they’re serving well — and where they fall short.

The industry can use these insights to adopt a more personalized, progressive approach to product design, underwriting, and distribution to reach specific populations with coverage options and pricing that suits their unique needs.

For the LGBTQ+ community, historical rules and underwriting approaches around mental health could make coverage unattainable or unaffordable.

For example, while our survey didn’t ask respondents about treatment for mental health, the cost of health care in general was a primary concern for nearly 70% of respondents.

A study published in the National Library of Medicine found that LGBTQ+ people used mental health services at 2.5 times higher rates than heterosexual or cisgender individuals.

Additionally, studies have found that they are two and a half times more likely to experience depression, anxiety, and substance abuse — items that are all considered in the underwriting process for life insurance.

Since many in the LGBTQ+ community struggle with mental health concerns, we must find better ways to understand the situation and evaluate the risk holistically.

Author(s): Jeremy Bill

Publication Date: 10 Jun 2022

Publication Site: Think Advisor

Digital-first life insurance policies see increase in demand, Policygenius

Mary Pat Campbell

Link:https://www.dig-in.com/news/policygenius-life-insurance-policies-no-medical-exams

Excerpt:

The demand for digital-first life insurance products has grown in the last year, likely related to the COVID-19 pandemic. From October to December 2021, about 56% of applications submitted through Policygenius were for no-medical exam policies compared to January to March 2021, which was only 26%.

Author(s): Kaitlyn Mattson

Publication Date: 4 Feb 2022

Publication Site: Digital Insurance

Western & Southern acquires Fabric to accelerate digital expansion

Mary Pat Campbell

Link:https://insurance-forums.com/uncategorized/western-southern-acquires-fabric-to-accelerate-digital-expansion/

Graphic:

Excerpt:

Western & Southern Financial Group announced Jan. 12 it has acquired Fabric Technologies and its subsidiary, Fabric Insurance Agency LLC, which provide a digital life insurance platform and mobile app that the companies say is “serving over 60,000 families and has placed billions of dollars in life insurance coverage.”

Terms of the deal were not disclosed. In a statement, W&S said it and Fabric “share a vision of offering the mass market easy-to-use digital solutions to purchase insurance and other financial services.”

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Through its secure digital platform and mobile app, Fabric offers affordable term life insurance, a free last will and testament, tools to organize family finances, and—in partnership with other providers—additional solutions such as college savings plans. The life insurance application takes about 10 minutes to complete, with immediate approval for qualified applicants through Fabric’s digital underwriting process.

Accidental death policies and term life insurance policies are issued by Vantis Life Insurance Company, Windsor Conn. (all states except N.Y.). Fabric Insurance Agency LLC is an insurance agency licensed to sell life and accident insurance products.

Publication Date: 12 Jan 2022

Publication Site: Insurance Forums

Underwriting in China – A Digital Transformation

Mary Pat Campbell

Link: https://www.genre.com/knowledge/publications/ri21-2-en.html

Excerpt:

The Life insurance market in China has grown tremendously with premiums increasing nearly three-fold from RMB1.06 trillion in 2010 to RMB2.96 trillion in 2019. With a population now close to 1.4 billion, the insurance penetration – which has grown to 4.6% – is still far from that of developed countries. Together this represents a business development opportunity because we expect the trend of growth in the insurance market to continue.

In anticipation, insurers in China began to move their underwriting from a paper process to an online one approximately three years ago. Today the bulk of transactions are paperless, except for a small volume of bank channel applications. However, given the huge daily volume of new business, insurers still have an urgent need to improve their processes further. While we are not suggesting a major overhaul of underwriting is needed, there is room to incorporate innovative ideas that address various pain points, provide a smoother customer experience while still balancing risk management needs.

Author(s): Orchis Li, Life/Health General Manager, Hong Kong; Dr. Celia Zhang Ying, Life/Health Regional Chief Underwriter & Senior Medical Officer, Shanghai

Publication Date: February 2021

Publication Site: Gen Re