The SWAT Underwriting team at Highland is respected in the industry. Carriers know this team “plays fair” with their case requests and this engenders trust. When a borderline case arises, the carrier will give more consideration to the SWAT team. This is much like basic human nature — people will work harder to find a solution for you when they trust you. In the case study below, learn how this diabetic client benefited from the seasoned SWAT Underwriting team.
Client Profile
- Client: Male, Age 35, Smoker
- Health: Insulin-dependent diabetic, Age 14 onset
- Life Insurance Requested: $4M IUL
- Initial Offer: Table 10
- Offer with Credits for Control: Table 8
- SWAT Intervention Offer: Table 6
Typically, an insurance carrier’s best offer for an applicant who is a smoker and has insulin dependent diabetes is a Table 10. However, in this case, because the diabetes was well controlled, the carrier offered credits which improved rating to a Table 8.
The client did not accept the offer.
Enter SWAT.
The diabetic risk is not the diabetes itself, but the accelerated vascular complications associated with diabetes (i.e: cardiovascular, cerebrovascular etc.). Since the carrier already credited for the excellent blood sugar control and no early onset of vascular complications, the SWAT team went to work making a case for additional credits by highlighting how other vascular risk factors are being minimized by the client’s management of his diabetes. The SWAT team pointed out the following mitigating factors:
- How well controlled the client’s lipids (cholesterol, HDL) are and how this minimizes the narrowing of arteries which decreases the risk of strokes and heart attacks.
- How the client’s excellent build and blood pressure reduce the strain on the heart, mitigating the risk of cardiovascular or cerebrovascular disease.
- How the client’s physician has been monitoring his kidney function tests and urine regularly with no signs of small vessel kidney disease, mitigating early onset renovascular disease (kidney).
- How the diabetic foot exams that evaluate decreased blood flow to the feet, which can ultimately result in amputations for diabetics, are negative, thereby mitigating peripheral vascular disease.
The SWAT Underwriting team is seasoned at negotiating beyond just crediting for good control. SWAT has the expertise to make the case for a better offer — focusing on not only control but the impact of monitoring and managing complicating risk factors. Thus, the carrier was able to get to Table 6 from Table 8.
Table 10-8-6
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