Wrote an online app today. 23 Male wanted catastrophic coverage only (Saver 80). I explained coverages to him and his Dad. About $34 bucks per month.
Clean as could be. Should be a quick issue. Not so fast.
On the online app, he answered "no" to the question asking if he drives motorcycles. The next three questions were only to be answered if he answered "yes" to the motorcycle question.
Any idea yet where this is going? Oh yea? OK...then tell me. Not a bad guess.
Well...he answers the questions anyway, when he clearly should not have. One of the questions asks if he had any DUIs? Sure enough, he did and answered the question "yes."
So now, Golden Rule, who ordinarily would not have known that he had a DUI (they don't do MVRs), now has that information. I assume they will decline coverage. I feel bad for him, but it is out of my hands. It is in Golden Rule's hands. I wonder what they will do?
Under age 35 with a motorcycle license is an auto decline. Can't say about the DUI & time frame or age.
My guess is a decline, especially if he had to go to drunk school.
I have had folks before who had DUI's and were under 21. In GA if you get caught you have to go to drunk school & pay a big fine. Also have to wait a year before you get your license back.
The DUI school is a deal killer with every carrier. Falls under D&A counseling. Can't tell you how many college students (and former students) who cannot get insurance because they did something stupid in college.
Of course I was the perfect child. Never gave my parents any grief. Never got caught doing anything.
And just where did you find that old picture of me? Reminds me of the Waylon & Madame joke.
"Ward, you were a little rough on the Beaver last night"
DUI:
A)single episode
Within 1 yr...........PP
Over 1 yr.............IC/DEC
B)Two or more episodes
Last within 3 years.........RNA
Over 3 years.................IC
I have placed 2 DUI (1 episode each, over a year) with them. No rate up.
I am waiting for a guy to apply now - DUI 3 1/2 years ago and another one 6 years ago. The 6 yr old one does not show up on his MVR (I know 'cause my friend is his P&C agent). I called World pre screen and they do not see it as a problem - no other health issues and currently insured (not sure I believe pre screen, I didn't mention the MVR report though). Makes you wonder if the 6 yr old one would be counted since there is no MVR record of it.
"On the online app, he answered "no" to the question asking if he drives motorcycles. "
I don't jump in and correct spelling or grammer very often (cause I'm the worst)...but it hits a major nerve in my pea-brain when people say "drive motorcycles."
You "ride" motorcycles. Not drive them.
Do you ride your car?
If the app really asks that...then the answer is no for everyone.
The exact wording that Golden Rule uses on the app is "In the last 24 months, has any applicant participated in driving any type of motorcycle?"
Newby...I understand your point, but grammatically, the term "driving a motorcycle is not inaccurate. And yes...that is a double-negative.
One rides a motorcycle and "drives" it as well....just as you drive a car. Theoretically, the act of "riding" connotates sitting as opposed to directing.
In Ohio, GR requires the client to answer all medical questions themselves
Many carriers do likewise.
Of course that does not preclude the agent from assisting.
With all online apps I start by having the client fill in a paper app & fax to me. I tell them this is for a "dry run" to see if there is missing information or if there are any areas not previously revealed that will cause delays in underwriting.
This also gives me a hard copy record in their writing of conditions they have admitted to.
Most of the online apps (including GR) allow the agent to start the process and then turn it over to the client for final review & submission. With GR I stop right before the payment info and email them the app. I tell them to review everything completely before entering payment data & submitting.
Of course this is not foolproof. I recently had to get a policy reissued (with Time) because the birth control Rx was made out in the wife's name and in this case the wife was listed as a male. The error was discovered when the pharmacy was not allowed to enter the Rx for repricing. Seems the PBM does not allow males to receive birth control pills.
Sure enough when I checked the online application I discovered that I had inadvertently performed a gender reassignment. A call to Time got the policy reissued but did not take the red out of my face.
My client was happy to know she could resume life as a female . . . at least as far as Time was concerned.
Admittedly, I do not have clients do a paper app before they do the online app. With this guy, I completed all of the basic stuff for him (name, address etc...) and then turned it over to him for the medical questions.
Here's another twist. Some companies (not GR) ask a question in the Agent's section regarding if we (the agent) know anything about the applicant that was not stated on the app. On life insurance applications, this is more common.
I do all the online apps myself right from my agent website then the client gets the link to verify the info. We do that while on the phone, go over everything yet again, then they verify the app.
I have no idea how GR operates in Ohio. In MD I can do the entire app from my broker site and they get confirmation email.
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I like the extra step Assurant has requiring the client to sign and send back the offer to accept/attest. It's a paper version of the online app and fantastic CYA sytem.
As a consumer, I applied to Golden Rule, the app asked if I rode a motorcyce. I said "yes". They declined me. I looked it up and found the AMA had already fought this fight. I shared this information with GR and they reversed their decision. I didn't have a motorcycle license and I was a AMA member at the time.
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Keith Kessler
How To Shoot Yourself In The Foot...
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