Thursday, July 8, 2010

Reflections on June Indices

June indices were released for both the life insurance and life settlement industries. Both reflecting a downward trend. Are these merely a reflection of "summertime cycles" or a reflection of the continued uncertainty in the economy?

Medical Information Bureau (MIB) is a firm that gathers data on the submission of all life insurance policies by participating carriers. Their index indicated a overall reduction of 3.9%on life insurance applications. Applications received from proposed insureds (PI's) aged 0-44 were down -7.2%, PI's aged 45-59 were down -3.1%, and for the first time this year PI's in the 60+ age group reduced to single digit growth vs. a consistent trend in past months of double digit growth. Compared to 2009 trends, these numbers are atypically low for the summer months.

Amrita LS index reflected a reduction in policy transactions as well. A decline of 14.3% over the prior month. Following on the heels of two prior months reflecting sharp gains-so what happened? The potential reasons given were inconsistent buying power - access to capital and reflection of an unbalanced recovery between funding sources and providers.

It appears that the struggling economic recovery continues to haunt all industries, including ours, and we will most likely continue to see a year of inconsistent numbers. A challenging reality!

"Our imagination is the only limit to what we can hope to have in the future"
-Charles F. Kettering
Check Us Out!
Contact Traci Davis (Founder/Chief UW/Philospher)

Monday, July 5, 2010

The Centenarian Code-Genes and Longevity

The associated press released a story this past week on how close genetic researchers are getting to establishing specific genes shared by those robust elderly that are living past the age of 100, with the ability to specifically cull out factors of lifestyle.

Researchers have found that there are common gene variations shared by individuals living past the age of 100. A very early step in determining which genes reflect potential vulnerability for diseases with mortality impact. The study did note the importance of lifestyle factors.

The research team, studying specific genetic markers, were able to predict mortality with 77% accuracy. For those of us with a specific focus on predicting longevity this may become a critical factor, and possible tool, as the research evolves.

Stay tuned as AUS leads the field of underwriting in utilizing genetic markers in longevity estimations!

Contact Us!
www.advanceduwsolutions.com
newbus@advanceduwsolutions.com

Connect with Traci Davis (President/Chief Underwriter/Blogger):
www.linkedin.com/in/tddavisaus
tdavis@advanceduwsolutions.com
303-367-1129

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

Emerging Malignant Melanoma Treatment

Bristol-Meyers released information on a new drug therapy which has promise for significant impact on Malignant Melanoma (MM) survival.

A clinical trial of 676 patients - who had previously undergone treatment (some with advanced stages (3/4) tumors) indicated a near doubling of life expectancy. 12-month survival increased from 25% to 46% and 24-month survival increased from 14% to 24%.

The new drug (Ipilimumab) acts as a targeted T4 cell suppressant (immunosuppressive affect) for patients that carry a specific HLA gene. Data on the percentage of MM treated patients with this gene was not covered in the releases.

Although the drug has not achieved FDA approval, it is available at (75) cancer centers in the U.S. on a "compassionate-use trial" basis.

In addition to treatment of MM, there is indication that it may be a powerful therapy for other advanced cancers of the breast, prostate, and lung.

This blogger wonders if we are on the edge of "silver bullet" cancer therapy-what a hopeful thought!

Contact us for all of your underwriting needs!

Website: www.advanceduwsolutions.com
Email Us: newbiz@advanceduwsolutions.com

Connect with the Prez;
www.linkedin.com/in/tddavisaus
http://twitter.com/TraciDavisAUS

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

April Indices-Oh the Ups and Downs!

April was positive for Life Settlements however Life Insurers continue to struggle. Let's see what the experts had to say;

Amrita LS index noted that in April 2010 there was an unexpected, and quite positive, jump in life settlement transactions over the prior month. The reported numbers climbed an astonishing 92.8 points over March. Amrita indicates that the jump was largely attributed to an increase in market activities and "renewed bullish expectations".

On the flip, Medical Information Bureau (MIB) indicated that individually underwritten life insurance was off -1.4% in April over March. Comparitively, the index has been fluctuating between mild growth and losses since January 2010. Senior life insurance applications continue to reflect growth - with a continued upward trend of +10.5% on applicants aged 60+. MIB indicates that the April numbers are consistent with "seasonal norms".

Have you considered conducting your underwriting and LE business from a different perspective? AUS has been busy incorporating new services from Red Flag Underwriting (exceptional tool for portfolio tracking) to obtaining medical records and pharmaceutical profiles.

Our prices are reasonable and our customer focus is second to none! Give us a call for a full list of our services!

www.advanceduwsolutions.com
www.linkedin.com/in/tddavisaus
http://twitter.com/TraciDavisAUS

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

A Finger on the Pulse of Mortality

A recent study I happened across indicated a direct correlation of resting pulse rates in cardiac patients with all-cause mortality.

The study indicated that in cardiac patients with resting pulse rates of greater than 70 had a mortality increase of 40% after adjusting for all factors.

Additionally, it was noted that these individuals were also at risk for increase hospitalizations related to acute episodes of congestive heart failure (CHF)-a leading cause of death in the seniors we underwrite every day!

"Among nearly all mammals, life expectancy is close to 1 billion heartbeats"
Michael S. Lauer, MD
National Health, Lung and Blood Institute
Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine
76 (2009): S18
"Hanks Hot Notes", Vol. 9 Num. 5, May 2010
Connect with Us!

Friday, April 9, 2010

Life Insurance Applications-March Madness!!

MIB (Medical Information Bureau) just released the March index which reflects life insurance application trends (insurance industry in-total) and it had some surprisingly good news. There was an increase in life insurance applications (+2.4%) "year over year" ages combined. Interestingly, compared to prior years, year-over-year growth in March is atypical and has not been seen in over six years.

Applications based upon age reflected lack of growth in ages 0-44, however ages 45-59 were up +4.6% over prior years and there is a continued rise in senior applicants over the age of 60 with an astounding +15.5% year-over-year. This trend in growth in the 60+ market has been seen since April of 2007.

For those of us that focus on senior markets, it is further verification that our focus is not misplaced!

Quote of the Day:
Aging is not 'lost youth' but a new stage of opportunity and strength
Betty Friedan (1921-2006)
Come Visit Us!

Monday, April 5, 2010

What Interviews and RX Profiles Tell You-That Doctors Don't!

Underwriters utilize a number of "tools" during the assessment process of a life insured. These provide a wide array of additional data points and insight that just cannot be gleaned from doctors reports. A number of these tools are unavailable to the Life Settlement (LS) underwriter - however, two of the most valuable tools ARE available however investors often don't know about these tools and they are not readily available by the life expectancy providers in the industry.

Two critical underwriting tools are the telephone interview and the RX profile. Telephone interviews, completed by the experienced underwriter, can provide a tremendous amount of insight into the individuals medical history, compliance with therapy, details on doctor consultations, and most importantly-lifestyle (activities of daily living-ADL) factors. A recent study of 658 seniors noted a direct correlation of lower mortality and morbidity rates associated with a senior engaging in a "hobby". Researchers found that with a simple "hobby" a senior was more likely to have increased ADL scores, lower depression scores, and closer ties to family and friends. Simple, but critical, insight gleaned from a simple conversation with a senior that will rarely be reflected in medical records but can have a tremendous impact in the individuals longevity.

The RX profile is a simple pharmaceutical database check that provides an underwriter with critical data on the individuals medications, the refill history (denoting compliance, or non-compliance, of prescribed therapy), insight into changes in medical history (outlining introduction of new medications or changes in prescribed amounts) and detail on prescribing physicians. A simple check that provides a tremendous amount of information, that reviewed by a trained underwriting professional, can be a powerful tool in assessing ones mortality.

These tools are the "tip of the iceberg" in the benefits that can be gleaned from these sources. The lingering question may be "Why don't all underwriting firms offer these benefits to their customers?". It's this underwriting professionals "humble" underwriting opinion that because some groups do not appreciate the value an underwriter brings to the assessment of an individuals mortality-they disregard all traditional underwriting tools and methodologies-stating that they have no basis in understanding an individuals mortality. Additionally they don't have ready access to obtain these value added products.

AUS, founded and managed by underwriters offers our clients the full value of all underwriting tools available-from medical history interviews by an experienced underwriter to RX profiles to our clients. Traditional life insurance and life settlement clients have full access to our suite of services-including our blog!

Come visit us!
www.advanceduwsolutions.com
www.linkedin.com/in/tddavisaus
http://twitter.com/TraciDavisAUS