Presentation
Opening Ceremonies and Presidential Address
Keynote - Going Social Jennifer Golbeck, PhD Dr. Golbeck’s research focuses on analyzing and computing with social media and creating usable privacy and security systems. She writes for Slate and The Atlantic and frequently appears on National Public Radio (NPR), including as a regular guest host for The Kojo Nnamdi Show. Her TED talk was named one of the most powerful talks of 2014. Her degrees include: a BA in Economics, a BS and MS in Computer Science from the University of Chicago, and a PhD in Computer Science from the University of Maryland. Social media has transformed the way people use the web and the way they interact with companies. Gone are the days where a customer mails you a letter and waits weeks for responses; they expect nearly instant and in-depth interaction. Similarly, employees are on social media and the way they present themselves and your company can dramatically impact how you are perceived. In this presentation, Dr. Golbeck, a leader in social media and analytics, offers five lessons for how your company can use social media to recruit the best talent and manage your brand.
Celebration Time: AHOU Executive Council Updates & AHOU 2017 Hall of Fame
Disrupt or Be Disrupted - The Future of Underwriting is Now Sarah Schneider, FLMI, CLU, ChFC, CASL, CFP In today’s rapidly changing environment, business as usual is a thing of the past. Digital trends, uncertain regulations, and sustained low interest rates are impacting the insurance industry now, as well as promising more change in the future. This presentation will explore how underwriters in a once-conservative mutual company are embracing change, engaging technology, and exploring innovation to create the future. See how you can help lead your company through change.
Association Delegates, New FALU Recognition & Closing Comments
Developing a Successful Underwriting Training Program Willie Whatley, FLMI, AALU, ACS This will be an interactive discussion regarding the challenges and opportunities in a changing underwriting environment. We will share best practices and experiences that will enable success in introducing, cultivating, and retaining new talent in underwriting.
Liars and Deniers - How to Avoid Misrepresentation in Simplified Products Robert Gregg, FSA, CERA, MAAA Doug Parrott Our innovation experts will discuss how to avoid misrepresentation in simplified products. From application design – to underwriting requirements needed – to agent analysis, they will cover the full range of tools and techniques to help improve applicant disclosure and influence improvements in mortality.
Lifting the Smoke Screen: Tobacco Risk Realities in the Age of Accelerated Underwriting Brian Lanzrath, MBA Karen Phelan, FLMI, AALU Patrick Sugent Carriers are searching for every opportunity to drive growth, improve the customer experience, and accelerate the underwriting process. A key element in this process is identifying and protecting against those with “smoker’s amnesia.” In this session, we’ll discuss the current landscape of tobacco non-disclosure and misrepresentation, the additional risk that accelerated underwriting introduces, the mortality and adverse selection considerations, and the tools and resources available to combat and mitigate its risk in this new underwriting paradigm.
NT-ProBNP…Several Years Later Craig Davison, MD, DBIM, CLU Robert Lund, MD, DBIM James Topic, MD, DBIM, FAFP, FLMI, CLU NT-ProBNP laboratory testing has been prevalent in our industry for several years. Have you wondered what, if any, conclusions we can draw from these results and how it has been shown to correlate (or not) to mortality thus far? During this informative session, current research data will be provided. In addition, two different direct companies who use this test as part of their underwriting criteria will share some of their own experience with the audience.
The Drivers of Future Mortality: Why Aren’t We Dead Yet? Philippe Aussel In this thought-provoking presentation, we will discuss the determinants of mortality improvements over the last 150 years from different standpoints: medical, social, economics, etc., and look at the possible key components of future longevity. If you’re interested to know exactly how mortality has improved and why we are still alive, this session is just for you.
Embracing Change - Teamwork in a New Underwriting Era Lauren Cross, FSA, MAAA Susan Ghalili, FLMI, FALU, CLU Vishwa Kolla, MBA Kyle Bauer, FSA, MAAA, CERA This engaging panel will describe the ways in which they collaborate within their organization and how their traditional roles intersect in an environment of change. Every company is looking to remain relevant with their product offerings and improve the customer experience. By embracing change instead of avoiding it, each of their functional areas has an opportunity to positively influence what life insurance looks like in the future and establish a culture that supports experimentation and innovation.
Liars and Deniers - How to Avoid Misrepresentation in Simplified Products (repeat) Robert Gregg, FSA, CERA, MAAA Doug Parrott Our innovation experts will discuss how to avoid misrepresentation in simplified products. From application design – to underwriting requirements needed – to agent analysis, they will cover the full range of tools and techniques to help improve applicant disclosure and influence improvements in mortality.
Pharmacogenetics: Sequencing the Future of Medicine One Patient at a Time Dave Rengachary, MD The days of a “one size fits all” approach to medicine are over! Join us for a deep dive into the world of personalized medicine with a thorough exploration of pharmacogenetics. What exactly does it mean? How can the principles of the field be used for risk assessment? Which conditions may be impacted the most from a longevity and pricing standpoint? Are there opportunities for product development in this burgeoning space? We’ll answer these questions and more in this engaging session.
Underwriting Diabetes Using Prescription Histories Scott Coller, PharmD This presentation will provide an overview of Type 1, Type 2, and Gestational Diabetes and then move into a description of some of the newest therapies available. We’ll see how a prescription rules engine can take into account medication patterns and relative mortality data to interpret likely diabetic conditions. In addition, we’ll cover a few tricks-of-the-trade to detect patterns within a prescription history that are likely indicators of diabetic comorbidities and discuss how various medications influence hemoglobin A1c values.
Adapting Electronic Record Information to Insurance Underwriting Steve Dunlap, MD, DBIM The presenter will give an overview of the electronic medical record (EMR) systems in use, types of data available, and strategies for retrieval. Insight will be provided as to the use of electronic content in the context of contemporary underwriting needs for precision and speed. In addition, the disruptive potential of EMR data and systems will be reviewed and how the innovation process is utilized.
Financial Case Clinic - Making ‘Cents’ of It All Patrick Brachmann, FALU, FLMI Mike Happold, FALU, FLMI, AFSI Join us for a review of some unique financial underwriting situations comparing types of cases that at first glance might, or might not, appear to be financially acceptable. In a point/counterpoint format, the presenters will provide insight on what to look for when confronted with these types of cases.
Advances in the Diagnosis and Treatment of Malignancies Steven Zimmerman, MD, FLMI, CLU Traditional methods of diagnosing and treating cancer has been accepted for years and have been associated with improvements in early detection and successful outcomes. However, as we enter a new era of medical knowledge, these newer, more focused techniques are reaching exciting new heights. This presentation will explore some of these new approaches including early detection as well as targeted and individualized therapies. We will also discuss how these new advances can impact risk selection and mortality. This talk will focus on cancers commonly encountered in underwriting.
Childhood Obesity: An Epidemic Beyond the Scale Jeffrey Hoschek, MD, FAAP Childhood obesity is a nationwide problem that is affecting the overall health of this generation of children. Typical adult diseases such as Type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and obstructive sleep apnea are being diagnosed in obese children, which affects medical cost, morbidity, and certainly mortality. This presentation will detail the impact that childhood obesity has on the risk of developing chronic medical conditions unique to this generation and how these conditions impact their overall longevity.
Creating the Future of Insurance - What’s Going on in InsureTech and Why Now? Jacqueline LeSage-Krause Paul Rivard, FLMI, AALU In this two-part presentation, you will hear about the future of insurance through the eyes of a venture capitalist currently collaborating with and investing in the very companies and technologies that are positioning themselves to disrupt the industry. In addition, you will learn about some specific technologies in various stages of development that could impact the underwriting paradigm in the not-so-distant future.
Marijuana: Assessing the Risk Gina Guzman, MD, DBIM, FALU, FLMI Chris Regione, ChFC, CLU, FALU, FLMI, FLHC The increase in medical usage of marijuana coupled with the trend toward decriminalization of medical and recreational use could create the impression that the drug has well understood effects and benefits. In fact, scientific research on the topic is still at a very early stage. This presentation will provide an introduction to marijuana and its effects on the human body. In addition, we will share current clinical evidence for the use of medical marijuana, discuss the shifting attitudes towards recreational marijuana, and outline possible implications for the insurance industry.
Coronary Calcium Scores and Cardiac CTA Judy Finney, MD, FACC Coronary Calcium Scores and the Cardiac CTA are newer tools that underwriters and Medical Directors can use to their advantage in terms of mortality prediction in the complex cases on the spectrum or coronary artery disease that presents to the insurance underwriting world. In this session, the presenter will describe some useful basics, review the pros and cons of the studies, and compare this tool to others in the overall assessment of a CAD risk.
Financial Data in Life Underwriting - What Have We Learned? Bob Cicchi, FALU, FLMI, CLU Sean Conrad, FSA, FIA, MAAA, CFA Keith Hoeffner Mario M.S. Martins, CFP, RFC During this panel discussion, you will hear industry experts with different perspectives describing the value, impact, and opinions on the future of using financial data scoring to help determine an individual’s mortality risk. As the availability of data derived from untraditional resources increases, analyzing the correlation between scores and mortality is emerging as the next frontier in life underwriting. Both the new, as well as the seasoned underwriter, are encouraged to attend and participate.
Genetics and Life Insurance: An Update Bruce Margolis, DO, MBA, CHIE In this session, we will provide an update on the clinical use of genetic testing, the concept of personalized medicine, direct-to-consumer (DTC) genetic testing, the current legislative landscape with a U.S. and International comparison, and the social and ethical issues with genetics and insurance.
The Bloody Truth about CBCs Brad Heltemes, MD, DBIM What should you be assessing when you see a complete blood count in the medical records? What does it mean if a result is high or low? During this hour, we will cover the various components of blood and bone marrow including disorders of the red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. We will also outline the important underwriting aspects to consider when encountering abnormalities of the complete blood count.
The Gold Mine AFTER Issue Robyn Wallner, FALU, FLMI, CLU This presentation will cover the wealth of information that can be obtained after underwriting approval and issue. It can come from many sources, and the analysis and proactive review can mitigate risk in front-end underwriting activities.
Underwriting Alcohol-Related Risk with Confidence Cliff Hale, MD, MBA, DBIM We’ll review recent and salient past studies quantifying alcohol-related mortality risk and examine the risk implications of mild, moderate, and heavy alcohol consumption as well as the case characteristics that modify these risks. Biological and psychosocial markers for alcohol-related risk including CDT will be examined, and we will show how to use these markers in risk selection. We will help underwriters understand their own biases in assessing the risk and help guide objectivity in explain the risks to clients and agents.
Adapting Electronic Record Information to Insurance Underwriting (repeat) Steve Dunlap, MD, DBIM The presenter will give an overview of the electronic medical record (EMR) systems in use, types of data available, and strategies for retrieval. Insight will be provided as to the use of electronic content in the context of contemporary underwriting needs for precision and speed. In addition, the disruptive potential of EMR data and systems will be reviewed and how the innovation process is utilized.
Back to the Future - The Underwriting Requirements Revolution Cindy Mitchell, CLU, FALU, FLMI, ACS Our research and development expert will recount the evolution of age and amount requirements, the history of preferred classes, and where these are headed in the future. From no fluids underwriting – to full blood profiles – to no fluids underwriting with new data sources and predictive models, she will cover the paradigm shift as we enter a new era.
Be the Disruptor: Making Yourself Relevant in a Data Driven World Eric Flender, FALU, FLMI, CLU, ChFC Susan Hennis, FALU, FLMI, CLU, ACS Roger Tafoya Phil Murphy, FLMI, MBA The times they are a changin’! Underwriting can either lead the disruption or find themselves on the outside looking in. A panel of industry experts will share their experience with implementing a rules engine, a simplified issue product, and a predictive model to streamline the process for traditional products. Learn from their experiences with being the disruptor—and not the disrupted.
Behavioral Economics - Applications to Insurance Yommy Chiu Behavioral economics is all the rage, but is anyone actually doing anything about it? How does changing the context rather than the content of our communications encourage customers to purchase life insurance? These are just two of the questions we can, and are, answering with behavioral economics. Behavioral economics merges psychology with traditional economic theory, offering insights into individual decision making behavior that go beyond the purely rational model. Join us in this enlightening session to learn more about the concept and how it can be applied within our industry.
Marijuana: Assessing the Risk (repeat) Gina Guzman, MD, DBIM, FALU, FLMI Chris Regione, ChFC, CLU, FALU, FLMI, FLHC The increase in medical usage of marijuana coupled with the trend toward decriminalization of medical and recreational use could create the impression that the drug has well understood effects and benefits. In fact, scientific research on the topic is still at a very early stage. This presentation will provide an introduction to marijuana and its effects on the human body. In addition, we will share current clinical evidence for the use of medical marijuana, discuss the shifting attitudes towards recreational marijuana, and outline possible implications for the insurance industry.
Big Data: Restrictions on Use for Underwriting and Emerging Concerns about Discrimination Jonathan Sager, FLMI Insurers’ use of big data products for both underwriting and nonunderwriting purposes poses challenges for their compliance with the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) and certain state laws. This session will provide guidance on knowing when and how to comply with the FCRA. It will also explore whether insurers should regulate themselves when using big data. Finally, it will raise awareness about the potential discriminatory effects of using this data for certain eligibility decisions.
Big Data: Restrictions on Use for Underwriting and Emerging Concerns about Discrimination (repeat) Jonathan Sager, FLMI Insurers’ use of big data products for both underwriting and nonunderwriting purposes poses challenges for their compliance with the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) and certain state laws. This session will provide guidance on knowing when and how to comply with the FCRA. It will also explore whether insurers should regulate themselves when using big data. Finally, it will raise awareness about the potential discriminatory effects of using this data for certain eligibility decisions.
Financial Data in Life Underwriting - What Have We Learned? (repeat) Bob Cicchi, FALU, FLMI, CLU Sean Conrad, FSA, FIA, MAAA, CFA Keith Hoeffner Mario M.S. Martins, CFP, RFC During this panel discussion, you will hear industry experts with different perspectives describing the value, impact, and opinions on the future of using financial data scoring to help determine an individual’s mortality risk. As the availability of data derived from untraditional resources increases, analyzing the correlation between scores and mortality is emerging as the next frontier in life underwriting. Both the new, as well as the seasoned underwriter, are encouraged to attend and participate.
Leveraging Technology to Attract New Customers Jamie Hale Chris Shanahan, FSA, MAAA Dustin Yoder A panel of new market entrants from InsureTech will discuss their visions for how the life insurance industry will be disrupted and emerge in the next decade. At the conclusion of the session, attendees will be able to develop a better understanding of exactly how our world may be significantly changed through the use of technology in the not-so-distant future.
Life Lessons: A History of Data/Analytics from Property and Casualty Peter Wu, FCAS, ASA, MAAA The property and casualty insurance arena is more than ten years ahead of the life insurance industry when it comes to the use of new data sources and statistical techniques in underwriting. Hear from a P&C expert about the challenges encountered, solutions found, and lessons learned.
Underwriting in a Global Environment Rafael Shabetai Unique issues are faced when underwriting an applicant who resides outside the United States, including U.S. citizens living abroad and citizens residing in their home countries other than the U.S. What information do you use to verify information financially and medically? What are the obstacles to obtaining reliable information? What are the differences in regulations faced in different countries? What are the best ways to underwrite foreign nationals living in the U.S.? All of these questions and more will be covered in this presentation.
The Secrets Behind Improving Your Insurance Policy Placement Rates Tiffany Hyde, FALU This fascinating and must see presentation will reveal secrets that can dramatically improve your case placement rates. This session is geared towards the home office underwriter who wants to gain insight into the many factors that impact getting a policy placed.
Be the Disruptor: Making Yourself Relevant in a Data Driven World (repeat) Eric Flender, FALU, FLMI, CLU, ChFC Susan Hennis, FALU, FLMI, CLU, ACS Roger Tafoya Phil Murphy, FLMI, MBA The times they are a changin’! Underwriting can either lead the disruption or find themselves on the outside looking in. A panel of industry experts will share their experience with implementing a rules engine, a simplified issue product, and a predictive model to streamline the process for traditional products. Learn from their experiences with being the disruptor—and not the disrupted.
Exploring Foreign Death Claims Lucie Cossette, ACS, FLHC Investigating foreign death claims is always a challenge for reinsurers, direct companies, and investigators. The number of foreign claims will continue to rise in our global environment where information is more and more available, but is the information reliable? Join us to discover the different concerns that claim adjudicators face every day with death overseas. This session will focus on key points that can help an underwriter identify red flags at the time of application and ultimately reduce these death claims.
Gear Up for the Fight Against Fraud Brenda Sutton, CFE, FLMI, ACA This session aims to help you identify, avoid, and manage the ever-changing challenge of fraudsters. Both novice as well as expert underwriters will benefit by learning some quick tips for avoiding the typical pitfalls along with gaining some insights on the emerging tools available to help you identify fraud.
HIV: A Chronic and Insurable Condition Dan Zimmerman, MD, DBIM Thanks to medical advances, more individuals with HIV are living longer and healthier lives. This presentation will cover the specifics of the disease and the timeline of how it has now evolved into an insurable condition. We will highlight the current drug treatments available, including prophylactic medication use for pre-exposure. In addition, we will discuss HIV prevention and how to underwrite this as a chronic disease.
How Important is a Family History of Cancer? Natalie Gleed, FSA, FIA, MAAA Kristen Kay, AALU, ALMI, ACS Monica Wilson, MD This dynamic panel will explore the importance of a family history of cancer in this underwriting-themed session with relevant case studies. The presentation will include both actuarial and regulatory-focused components, as well.
Life Underwriting with Real Time Biofeedback Jordi Posthumus, BSc, FFA The rise of mobile computing has brought business models in numerous industries to their knees while simultaneously enabling entirely new ones. Traditional life insurance underwriting will be affected and will evolve gradually away from medical science towards data science. We will explore various tools that will most likely be a part of our underwriting future. See where we are with wearable technology and where we are headed.
An Underwriting Buffet: A Variety of Interesting Topics in Risk Selection Clifton Titcomb, Jr., MD This presentation will cover a potpourri of topics that are of interest to and often vexing for underwriters. These topics range from the common (rheumatoid arthritis and depression in pregnancy) to the unusual (gallbladder polyps and RDW elevation), among others. The focus will be on brief reviews and factors that aid in decision making.
Shake, Rattle, and Roll: The Pediatric Brain Regina Rosace, MD In this enlightening presentation, we will review the brain anatomy and function, define the different aspects of the pediatric brain, and explore the various neurologic and psychiatric impairments we typically see today when underwriting younger age applicants.
Business Session/Mainstage Presentation/Closing
From Synthetic Life to Human Longevity Dr. Brad Perkins, MD Science has made remarkable progress in establishing DNA as the software of life. The question now is how rapidly can this progress be translated into extending high performance human longevity? This talk will address why the confluence of decreased DNA sequencing costs, cloud-based computational platforms, machine learning, and focus on value-based health care have created a new opportunity to revolutionize human health and the practice of medicine. Human Longevity, Inc., has established the Health Nucleus as prototype for the future of health and health care as an offering for high net worth individuals combining genomics with advanced 3D/4D imaging to prevent pre-mature mortality and extend our species-defined life expectancy. These efforts and others focused on cancer have the potential to rapidly alter the life insurance industry by providing partnership opportunities to create and offer post issuance life insurance products that extend life.
Closing Remarks and President's Address Traci Davis, AHOU President Tim Ranfranz, incoming AHOU President