OneAmerica: What You Need to Know About the Underwriting Impacts of COVID-19
As we continue to adapt to meet the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, our priority is to be there for you and your new and existing clients. That means providing as much flexibility to our underwriting approach as possible, while protecting the financial futures of our inforce policyholders.
Securing paramedical services helps your clients have the best chance for receiving an offer from OneAmerica.
Paramedical Services
Though there has been some disruption, paramedical services are still widely available. Our two primary exam companies, ExamOne and APPS Paramedical Services, have each been classified as “essential business” in almost all locales. Carriers are reporting that they are still having success, obtaining paramedical services and attending physician statements.
We encourage you to work with your case manager and/or underwriters to find a vendor that can work with your client and provide the information necessary to approve your case. Our goal is to continue to include paramedical services wherever our normal underwriting approach requires them. Here’s what that means for you:
– If your preferred examiner is not available, you should consider contacting ExamOne or APPS Paramedical Services to see if another has availability instead.
– If you’re unable to schedule with one vendor, please try the other instead of waiting for availability.
– If you have clients who don’t want examiners coming into their homes, ExamOne offers Patient Services Centers (PCSs) in many of their service areas. An applicant can then visit the PCS for an exam in a safe and sterile environment. Please visit ExamOne’s website to learn more.
– Every attempt should be made to complete paramedical services if they are required for underwriting.
– As communicated previously, if the required paramedical services cannot be obtained, we will consider proceeding with the case so long as the applicant has seen their physician within the last six months.
– Please note that obtaining these medical records will add some time to the underwriting process, as attending physician statements always do. Based on the information in these records, it’s possible we will still need to require that paramedical services be completed (such cases will need to be postponed until required paramedical services can be completed).
Keeping You Informed
As the situation changes, we’re monitoring our peers, working with industry organizations and collaborating with our reinsurers to make sure you and your prospects have the opportunity to secure coverage. We do so knowing it’s just as important to protect our financial strength– the secure foundation your existing clients rely on.
In such a fluid environment, we’re working to stay nimble, adapt to changes and keep you informed as the situation unfolds. We appreciate your patience, your commitment and your business, and we thank you for everything you do for the people who count on us.