Accelerated Underwriting

Last Updated: 6/19/2024

Issue: Underwriting in insurance is the process an insurer uses to examine risks and determine the appropriate rate for coverage provided. Life underwriters examine all the data gathered in the application process to classify and group the risk to charge accurate premiums. Historically, this application data included a physical exam with doctor’s notes, blood work, and urine analysis. As consumers increasingly expect on-demand digital services, some insurers are using accelerated underwriting (AU) techniques to forgo a physical exam and supplement the application process with data from external sources along with new analytics and modeling techniques. The result is a reduction in the application process from several weeks to just hours.

Background: Traditional life insurance underwriting requires the collection of extensive medical information including a physical exam and fluids (blood, urine, and saliva). From the beginning of the application process to issuance of a policy can take up to a few months. Some insurers also use simplified underwriting techniques which allow an applicant to forgo the medical exam and collection of fluids in exchange for generally higher premiums.

Insurers have found the traditional underwriting process to be an obstacle to purchase for consumers shopping for life insurance, in large part due to the physical exam and long application time. In response, the industry is implementing AU techniques that forgo the physical exam and incorporate data, like prescription drug history and motor vehicle records, from external sources to process applications in a matter of hours. In addition to reducing the application time, the use of these techniques offer benefits to both insurers and consumers including increasing sales, reducing administrative costs, and reducing fraud.

Besides the information provided on the application, the data for AU techniques come from many sources including credit reports, motor vehicle records, and the Medical Information Bureau. Then predictive analytics tools are used to segment and price the applicant’s risk. However, AU alone does not always lead to issuance of a policy. For some applicants, the available data will be insufficient to adequately evaluate their risk profile, so they will still need to complete the traditional underwriting process including a physical exam.

Status: According to LIMRA, nearly 90% of life insurers are currently using or are planning to use automated underwriting techniques. As analytics tools and techniques continue to mature and quality consumer data becomes increasingly available, AU use is expected to grow and improve but likely will not replace traditional underwriting in the foreseeable future.

The Accelerated Underwriting (A) Working Group is charged with considering the use of external data and data analytics in accelerated life underwriting and, if appropriate, draft guidance for the states . The group completed its Accelerated Underwriting in Life Insurance Educational Report in early 2022 and the report was adopted at the Spring 2022 National Meeting. In 2024 the Working Group is drafting recommendations for the Market Conduct Examination Guidelines (D) Working Group to consider adding to the Market Regulation Handbook concerning AU.

The Big Data and Artificial Intelligence(H) Working Group is charged with researching the use of big data and AI in the business of insurance and evaluating the existing regulatory frameworks for overseeing and monitoring their use.