Health History

[RandeeLouisiana]

I am a fairly new agent and I'd like to get a book or something so that I can take a good history. My clients are having to call in and speak with Underwriting several times and I'm very frustrated. Can ya'll make any recommendations on a book or some literature I can read that would give me an idea as to what' pertinent to include in the history.


Thanks!

 

[STIBROKER]

yo cajun girl....ieeeee......you print off dat applicatsun and you call dem clients and say you need to know sumpn you call me and din you write da question right der on da application and keep hand written evinced........and you call underwriting and you call your client back.....lickity split..... and suck a head fer me......

 

[Bob_The_Insurance_Guy]

Name of Applicant:
Date of Birth:
Sex:
Used tobacco in the last 12 months?
Height/Weight:

Home Address:
City, State, Zip:
Home Phone:
Cell Phone:
Work Phone:
Fax:
E-mail Address:

If Family Coverage:

Spouse's Name:
Spouse's Date of Birth:
Spouse's Sex:
Has spouse used any form of tobacco in the last 12 months?
Spouse's Height / Weight:

Age and Sex of each child:

Name and Address/Phone number of:

Current Physician:
Current Pediatrician:
Current Specialist:
Current OB/GYN:

Has anyone applying for coverage, in the past 5 years, had any surgical procedures, and, if so, what were the dates of treatment, and the final outcome? Please provide as much detail as possible.

Current Medications taken:

Name of Medication:
Daily dosage (mg/day)
Taken by which family member:
Reason for taking medication:
How long on medication:

(Please provide this information for each medication taken)

Who is your current health care provider?
What is your current family/individual deductible?
How much do you pay each month?

Would you like to include Dental and Vision coverage?

 

[STIBROKER]

bob...thats all on the application....its your best note pad.....

 

[RandeeLouisiana]

Thanks for the help! One of the companies I write for is Assurant. Doesn't seem to matter how detailed I think I am my clients have to wind up calling underwriting. If you deal with the self employed like I do they get real testy when they have to call up there 3 or 4 times. So I guess what i"M asking is are there any suggestions or a book or something I can read to help me to find out what I need to put in there so my clients won't have to call repeatedly!


Thanks ya'll!

Randee

"When life gives a southern girl lemons, she makes lemondade!"

P.S. Don't worry I sucked plenty of heads during crawfish season. MM MMMM!

 

[Bob_The_Insurance_Guy]

OK. I totally misunderstood the question.

I have no idea.

 

[J.R.]

Thanks for the help! One of the companies I write for is Assurant.

Me too!

Doesn't seem to matter how detailed I think I am my clients have to wind up calling underwriting.

I don't have any of my clients call underwriting unless they want to deal with headaches. Having an underwriter call is IN THE BEST INTEREST of the client, insurance company and yourself.

If you deal with the self employed like I do they get real testy when they have to call up there 3 or 4 times.

95% of my business is small business owners. what is causing your clients to call underwriting 3 or 4 times. If underwriting needs to speak with one of my clients, they speak with the client once to verify what they need to get done. 4 times for one client more than once is interesting!

So I guess what i"M asking is are there any suggestions or a book or something I can read to help me to find out what I need to put in there so my clients won't have to call repeatedly!

I have a book and it costs $10,000, but I no longer accept checks or credit cards...JUST CASH!!!

I would find out where you have done things wrong and ask the underwriter AND sales support....what you need to make sure you ALWAYS have to make sure things go smooth. Are you a GA or WA????

 

[RandeeLouisiana]

For instance, I have a client who was injured in a car wreck. I put this information in the history. I put that the client had back surgery and has had no recurrences and is perfectly healthy now. They wanted to know the exact diagnosis and exactly what type of surgery it was.

my client writes back and says:
L4-5 disk herniation with segmental instability
This was the back and auto ins covered all medical.
the elbow was just to unpinch the nerve in the right elbow.

well then UW wants to know the exact diagnosis. So my client after the 3rd time of speaking with the customer service person hangs up on them. So I call and speak to the actual underwriter and told her the situation. She said well pinched nerve is the diagnosis and that's all I need.

So my point is..how specific do we get when doing a health history? Are there certain details I should be adding to my history if my clients have illnesses other than the obvious? How did you all become effective at taking a good health history and minimizing the amount of time it takes to get your apps approved.

Does that clarify better what I'm trying to ask?

Thanks!

 

[Crabcake Johnny]

Your client did nothing wrong and from what you posted gave all the info needed. When they talk on the phone to Assurant they are not talking to actual underwriters but just people paid and loosley trained to gather health information. They have good people and ones with bad attitudes. If you have a client complaint that the person was rude just remember that all of those calls are recorded and they will indeed pull the call and listen to it if you complain.

I've also gone 'round and 'round with Assurant, especially when there wasn't a diagnosis:

Client: "I had chest pain a year ago, went in and got tested and the doctor said I was fine."

Assurant: "What was the diagnosis"

Client: "Nothing. They ran tests and gave me a clean bill of health."

Assurant: "Yes, but what was the diagnosis for your chest pain?"

Client: "Again, the doctor said everything was fine."

Assurant: "Well we'll need the diagnostic code to continue underwriting."

That's normally when I have to step in and call my dedicated underwriter.

 

[RandeeLouisiana]

That's exactly what I'm running into. We need the diagnostic code and crap. My clients don't walk around with a PHD in medicine or pharmacology. How are they suppose to know the diagnostic code and stuff? Phew...ok I just needed to blow off that steam...

So can you offer me suggestion as if there's any question or details that you put in your history? I use EASE and try to put as much info in there as will fit. When it happened, meds taken, how long used, recovery?


Suggestions to make my cases close faster?!??!

THanks again John and everyone for answering. I'll be happy when I get past the Newbie stage!