For Agent Use Only. Not for Use with the Public. Underwriting the Elderly Cas Pengelley General Director, Life Underwriting April 2013 Insurance products.
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For Agent Use Only. Not for Use with the Public.
Underwriting the Elderly
Cas PengelleyGeneral Director, Life UnderwritingApril 2013
– Easy to perform– Portable– Can be done by primary medical doctor,
paramedical vendor
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MMSE (cont’d)
• MMSE scoring system
MMSE Score Range (0-30)
24-30 No impairment
18-23 Mild impairment
0-17 Moderate to severe impairment
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MMSE (cont’d)
Orientation What is the (year) (season) (date) (day) (month)? 5 Where are we: (country) (city) (part of city) (number of flat/house) (name of street)? 5
Registration Name three objects: one second to say each.Then ask the patient to name all three after you have said them.Give one point for each correct answer.Then repeat them until he learns all three.Count trials and record. 3
TRIALSAttention and calculation
Serial 7s: one point for each correct.Stop after five answers.
5Recall
Ask for the three objects repeated above.Give one point for each correct. 3
Language Name a pencil and watch (two points).Repeat the following: 'No ifs, ands or buts' (one point).Follow a three-stage command: 'Take a paper in your right hand, fold it in half and put it on the floor' (three points).Read and obey the following: Close your eyes (one point).Write a sentence (one point).Copy a design (one point).9
» Total Score_
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MMSE & Level of Education
Age Education Score
18-69 High School 28-29
College 29
70-79 High School 27-28
College 28
80+ High School 25-26
College 27
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• NOT a part of normal aging• Risk of developing disease increases with age – severity
increases with age• Defined as cognitive impairment
– to include memory impairment as well as at least one of the following: aphasia, apraxia, agnosia, executive function disturbance
– impaired social or occupational functioning– gradual onset/continuing decline– other causes ruled out
• National Institute of Aging – for every five-year age group beyond 65, the percentage of people with symptoms doubles
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Medications for Dementia
• Commonly seen medications used to halt the progression of dementia include:– Cognex (tacrine)– Aricept (donepezil)– Namenda (memantine)– Exelon (rivastigimine)– Razadyne (Reminyl) (galantamine)
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Clock Test
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Pulmonary Function Test
• Pulmonary function, as measured by forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) or forced vital capacity (FVC) are important independent predictors of morbidity and mortality in the elderly
• Lung function declines slowly throughout adult life, even in healthy individuals
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Serum Albumin
• Serum albumin level is an independent risk factor for all-cause mortality in older persons
• A combined measure of albumin and disability reveals a strong gradient in mortality risk and may serve as a simple but useful index of frailty that can identify a high-risk group of older men and women who could be targeted for preventive and treatment efforts
Source: JAMA: The Journal Of The American Medical Association, Vol. 272, No. 13, October 5, 1994.
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**concerned when <3.8 g/dL with loss of more than 10% body weight within the last six months
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Kidney Function & Cardiovascular Disease
• Long-term adverse outcomes associated with chronic kidney disease include kidney failure, complications of impaired kidney function, and more commonly, an increased risk for cardiovascular disease and death– Annual mortality from CVD is increased 10-100
times with kidney failure– Risk of CVD is increased 1.4-2.05 times with
creatinine > 1.4-1.5 mg/dL– Risk of CVD is increased 1.5-3.5 times with
microalbuminuria
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Glomerular Filtration Rate – eGFR
• eGFR is equal to the sum of the filtration rates in all the functioning nephrons – how well kidneys are filtering wastes
• Normal value of eGFR depends on age, sex, body size
• Not an exact correlation between loss of kidney mass and loss of kidney function
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Clinical Implications – eGFR
• eGFR is used to assess degree of kidney impairment and to follow the course of the disease
• Using serum creatinine alone to estimate eGFR is unsatisfactory and leads to delays in diagnosis & treatment of CKD (chronic kidney disease)
• Elevation in serum creatinine does not always occur until there has been approximately a 50% loss of kidney function
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Serum Creatinine
• Mean serum creatinine:– Women: 0.93 mg/dL– Men: 1.13 mg/dL
• Varies by race
• Value lower in women due to less muscle mass and therefore less production of creatinine
• Increased weight = increased creatinine production
• With age, there is a decline in creatinine production (muscle mass decreases with age)
• Declines by approximately 1mL/min per 1.73m2 per year after 40 years of age
• Increasing age is NOT invariably associated with an abnormal eGFR
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Stages of Chronic Kidney Disease
Stage Description GFR Level
Normal kidney function
Healthy kidneys 90 mL/min or more
Stage 1 Kidney damage with normal or high GFR
90 mL/min or more
Stage 2 Kidney damage and mild decrease in GFR
60 to 89 mL/min
Stage 3 Moderate decrease in GFR 30 to 59 mL/min
Stage 4 Severe decrease in GFR 15 to 29 mL/min
Stage 5 Kidney failure Less than 15 mL/min or on dialysis
Source: National Kidney Foundation
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Conclusions
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Underwriting Tools Review
• Cover letter
• John Hancock exam includes:– Details of medical questions– Exam findings– Older age section
• Word recall and orientation• Mobility test• Functionality
– Blood and urinalysis results
• APS information– Remember dual residence– Dual medical care
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Putting It Together
Are these older age applicants insurable?
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Putting It Together (cont’d)
• YES!!!! Older age applicants are insurable!!
• Stay informed, be prepared to ask for more details if necessary with a focus on VEDS: Vitality, Energy, Dexterity and physical Strength
• Some mortality risks at younger ages taper off with advancing age
• Risk of co-morbidities – and how it impacts VEDS
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The Challenge
• Putting it all together:
– Look at all the information
– Identify favorables and unfavorables
– How do the co-morbidities fit together?
– How do any functional capabilities or limitations factor into assessment?
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Underwriting Tips
• Underwriting the older age applicant is an “art”• Look at the picture displayed by the information carefully• Those that present favorable VEDS are best risks
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