Description: This article is part of the Digest of Informal Discussion, which took place at the 1956 Society of Actuaries Eastern Spring Meeting, held April 19-20 in Hartford, CT. It identifies the participants and summarizes each person’s comments. The participants discuss various issues around guaranteed issue insurance, including companies writing it, restrictions deemed necessary such as preunderwrting as to eligibility, maximum/minimum insurance limits, and minimum number of lives use of special rate bases, dividend classifications, and commission scales expected experience and tendency of better risks to terminate and impaired lives to remain. From Transactions of Society of Actuaries 1956 Volume 8, Number 21.

Description: Discussion of the following underwriting topics: A. In view of the low rates of mortality currently experienced on standard lives, is the standard classification too narrow? B. Do substandard extra premiums at the lower ratings make fair provision for the additional expenses incurred on substandard policies? C. What problems are encountered in issuing life insurance on persons residing outside the continental United States and Canada? D. What changes have been made recently in non-medical selection and why? E. How could greater use be made of mortality or morbidity studies conducted by hospitals, clinics, government agencies, universities and others outside of the life insurance business?

Description: The purpose of this paper is to provide a unified theory for the evaluation of underwriting requirements where this evaluation is based on the measurement of the levels of mortality costs associated with such requirements. A discussion of this paper is included.

Description: This discussion looks at the main trends in substandard insurance, including: changes in medical impairments subject to substandard ratings or declination, increased availability of substandard insurance and reinsurance, changes in occupational and special hazard ratings, and progress with offerings of substandard individual health and accident coverages.

Description: Discussion of the mortality experience of the Korean War. The purpose of this paper to present some statistics and point out variations in the hazard that might that might be of value in setting up rules for the underwriting of military risks.

Description: This discussion looks at problems encountered in putting new underwriting standards into effect, looks at trends in the current economic situation which are taken into consideration in underwriting the financial aspects of a risk, and the results of comparisons between the mortality experience under uninspected business with that under inspected business.

Description: Discusses issues specific to large amount underwriting and the mortality outlook for current high face amount plans.

Description: This discussion focuses on underwriting for war risk including antiselection issues, the advantages and disadvantages of a permanent war clause in policies, and insuring combat and non-combat related aviation hazards.

Description: Presents aviation mortality statistics, updated for complete 1961 data and estimated 1962, with historical data shown beginning in 1950.

Description: These were discussion papers on the paper, 'The Korean War Hazard' by James T. Phillips.