Liberal Tobacco Underwriting

[Newby]

AHL does the same in GA. Maybe this is common practice among the Aetna carriers. Apparently it is a secret, just like their ht & wt tables.

They have always been pretty clear about it to us. Nothing hidden.

 

[somarco]

By hidden, I mean it doesn't appear in the underwriting guideline. Maybe it is covered at those company rah-rah meetings I never attend.

 

[Newby]

By hidden, I mean it doesn't appear in the underwriting guideline. Maybe it is covered at those company rah-rah meetings I never attend.

I did go to their office for one of those. That was before Aetna bought them. But that probably is where I learned that.

I remember they bought us a very nice steak too. That meeting was worth it.

 

[goillini52]

By hidden, I mean it doesn't appear in the underwriting guideline. Maybe it is covered at those company rah-rah meetings I never attend.

It's covered in the Aetna Field Guide that comes with the Med Supp kit.

On page 6 * Open Enrollment policies are issued with preferred (non-smoker) rates.

On page 7 * Guaranteed Issue policies are issued with preferred (non-smoker) rates.

I've always marked smoker if they smoke and in those situations and never had a problem. Even though the app asks for height and weight, I've never seen it used to UW.

 

[somarco]

My underwriting guide was hand written on parchment.

 

[goillini52]

My underwriting guide was hand written on parchment.

Hahaha, after I posted that I remembered that you don't order kits. I'm sure you can download it.

Some states like Illinois require every company to give the non-smoker rate during OE.

 

[somarco]

I don't order kits but carriers send them upon appointment. They immediately go in the trash.

I did download the underwriting guide. Breezed through it. Must have missed the tobacco thing.

Still haven't found a ht wt chart

 

[goillini52]

I don't order kits but carriers send them upon appointment. They immediately go in the trash.

I did download the underwriting guide. Breezed through it. Must have missed the tobacco thing.

Still haven't found a ht wt chart

You'll be looking a long time for a height/weight chart, they don't use one. Aetna likes the chubbies.

 

[somarco]

Aetna doesn't use ht/wt or they just don't publish it?

New Era does not publish ht/wt either, and don't ask it on the app. But they will ask during an underwriting interview. Had a lady approved last year that would be an automatic turn down with any other carrier. BMI was over 40 as I recall. On BP and cholesterol med's but nothing excessive.

Told her it was a gamble with New Era but she trusted me and applied. They approved her in a couple of days.

I have no way of knowing if they would have denied her at some point due to BMI but I would much rather have an idea going in vs shooting in the dark.

OK, will black lives matter come after me for that last remark?

 

[goillini52]

Aetna doesn't use ht/wt or they just don't publish it?

New Era does not publish ht/wt either, and don't ask it on the app. But they will ask during an underwriting interview. Had a lady approved last year that would be an automatic turn down with any other carrier. BMI was over 40 as I recall. On BP and cholesterol med's but nothing excessive.

Told her it was a gamble with New Era but she trusted me and applied. They approved her in a couple of days.

I have no way of knowing if they would have denied her at some point due to BMI but I would much rather have an idea going in vs shooting in the dark.

OK, will black lives matter come after me for that last remark?

Aetna doesn't use height/weight.

The one I think is frustrating is Oxford. They use height/weight...but don't publish it and can't tell you what it is. They say you can kind of use the chart they use for FE as a rough guideline. They take everything into consideration when looking at the height/weight.