Articles April 2017
Innocents Abroad?

Greater freedom of movement has contributed to a rise in foreign death claims – and increased incidence of fraud.

Read More
Articles March 2017
Opinion: Actuaries and the Growth Mindset
Only dancers who show the most improvement are selected to join the corps de ballet, and these may not necessarily be the best dancers. The ballet master is looking for the dancers who best respond to feedback—those who have a growth mindset. Read More
Articles March 2017
2017 Canadian Reinsurance Conference: Talkin’ ‘Bout Our REvolution …
One constant about the work we do is change. We work closely with our clients to evolve our paradigms in order to offer the products and services needed in a world that is changing rapidly on a variety of fronts. Read More
Articles March 2017
Why Facultative Matters

As we look ahead, the practice of underwriting is going to become more entwined with the application of new technologies and data sources. We will need to continually refine and integrate facultative underwriting expertise into these solutions to compete and succeed....

Read More
Articles March 2017
Precision Medicine
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) defines precision medicine as “an emerging approach for disease prevention and treatment that takes into account individual variability in genomics, environment, and lifestyle for each person. Read More
Double exposure image of man experiencing virtual reality and the metaverse
Articles March 2017
Artificial Intelligence and Underwriting

Is underwriting like a still photograph, a movie, or virtual reality? Georgio Mosis of ˿ƵAPPx Asia shares a fresh perspective. 

Read More
Illustration of multiple sclerosis
Articles March 2017
Mystery and Insurability: Unraveling the Challenge of Multiple Sclerosis
Despite decades of research, the exact causes of MS are still hotly debated, and so are the implications for insurers. MS has no ‘normal course’ of progression and no cure, so it is a difficult impairment to underwrite and price. Read More
Articles March 2017
˿ƵAPPX Asia: Reimagine Insurance and the Future of Insurtech
Insurtech describes a fusion of insurance, health and wellness, and technology. It is an intersection on the innovation highway, a place where discoveries across multiple disciplines converge to enhance daily lives, even as they upend old business models. Read More
Articles March 2017
Brave New Approach
In disability claims management, we are continuously seeking to better understand the physical, psychological and social barriers that contribute to claimants' disabilities and prevent them from returning to work. Read More
Articles March 2017
A Score for All Seasons: Big Data and Credit Scores Bring Big Changes to Life Underwriting

Enter TransUnion TrueRisk® Life, a credit-based insurance score that models credit-based behavior and is predicti...

Read More
Articles March 2017
Living to 100: The Insurance Perspective on Aging

˿ƵAPP closely monitors advances in mortality and morbidity research that have the potential to significantly affect our clients.  Events such as the Society of Actuaries' Living to 100 Symposium provide a valuable opportunity to hear from key rese...

Read More
Articles February 2017
International Health Brief - Bariatric Surgery
As bariatric surgery advances and becomes more common, it is increasingly being used as a quick-fix treatment for weight-related conditions. This article explores the type of patients who may benefit from bariatric surgery, provides an update on the various surgical tec... Read More
Articles February 2017
Valentine’s Day – Of Hearts and Love
It is February. A time when walking through shopping centres will see you assaulted by plush heart-holding-gorillas and heart-wielding sales assistants, all promising to solve your love woes with heart-shaped chocolates.  Read More
Graphic of microbiome
Articles February 2017
From Microbiome to Insurance Medicine: Exploring a New Frontier in Science
The billions of bacteria residing in the human gut, called “microbiota,” make up an invisible world scientists are only beginning to explore. These bugs might exert far more influence on morbidity and mortality – and insurance medicine – than we ever suspected. Read More
Astronaut floating above earth, illustrating a moonshot in underwriting and medicine
Articles February 2017
The Right Stuff: Critical Illness in the U.S. Market
Insurers have taken note, and one innovation – the critical illness (CI) policy – offers a powerful solution to help patients land gently. Read More
Articles February 2017
Talk Therapy

In an era of big data, telephonic interviews remain the disability claim analyst's most effective tool. ˿ƵAPP’s U.S. Group Re is developing a new e-learning module and game for clients that coaches personnel on ways to conduct effective claimant interviews.

Read More
Claims Challenges: Illustration of Businessman rising above puzzle
Articles January 2017
Global Claims Views: Claims management challenges – Real or Imagined? Internal Industry Pressures

Are life insurers worldwide facing increasing challenges in investigating and validating claims? ˿ƵAPP surveyed its claims managers about their thoughts and experiences. This whitepaper reveals internal pressures on claims practices, including;
• Product design and ...

Read More
Research and White Papers January 2017
UPDATED: Marijuana - Not Just Blowing Smoke
As more governments liberalize cannabis regulations, the mortality and morbidity impacts of this drug, as well as its potential benefits when used for medicinal purposes, will be of great interest to the insurance industry. Read More
Articles January 2017
Simple Disability Offers a New Vehicle for Growth
As traditional insurance products become increasingly commoditized, the first impulse for carriers is to come down on price to win business. While competitive pricing is important, continually slashing premiums can lead to unsustainable business in the long term. How th... Read More
Illustration of the Thyroid
Articles January 2017
Update on Thyroid Nodule Imaging Guidelines

In May 2016, The American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE), the American College of Endocrinology (ACE), and the Associazione Medici Endocrinologi (AME) issued the latest update of their Medical Guidelines for Clinical Practice for the Diagnosis and Ma...

Read More