Support with underwriting
How we help you with our underwriting processes and decisions.
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We’ll send an application summary to all of your clients so that they can review the information given on their application and make sure it’s correct. This gives your clients an opportunity to make any changes if necessary.
If no changes are needed, then nothing further is required.
If your client does make changes, they’ll need to send the summary back to us and an underwriter will review the changes. What happens next will depend on what the changes are:
No change to decision
- If the changes don’t impact the original underwriting decision, we’ll write to your client telling them there’s no change.
Further information required from a GP
- If the changes mean we need a General Practitioners Report (GPR), we’ll cover your client for up to 56 days while we wait for the report. If we don’t get the report back within 56 days, we’ll cancel the policy.
Further information required from client
- If the changes mean we need further information from your client, one of our underwriters will phone them.
- If we can’t get the information over the phone we‘ll write to your client. We’ll cover your client for up to 56 days, until we get the information. If we don’t manage to contact your client or get the information within 56 days, we’ll cancel the policy.
Revised underwriting decision
- Changes or additional information could mean a change to the original underwriting decision. This may result in us increasing your client’s premium, if that’s the case we’ll send revised terms and policy documents to your client.
- We may apply an exclusion or not be able to offer Premium Protection cover. If this happens we’ll send your client revised terms and ask them to confirm they accept these new terms. We’ll cover your client for up to 56 days while we wait for them to accept our terms. If we don’t get the acceptance within 56 days we’ll cancel the policy.
- We’ll notify you of any changes that result in a premium increase or decrease.
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Any documents gathered during the application and underwriting process are only considered valid for certain periods of time.
Application forms
- Online applications and paper applications are valid for a period of 12 months from the date we receive them or the date they are signed.
- If the underwriting decision is made more than 6 months from the date we received the application, a Declaration of Continued Good Health (DCGH) will be required before terms are offered.
- If the validity period expires before terms are offered, then a new, up-to-date application form will be required.
Offer of terms
- Valid for a period of 90 days from the date the terms are offered.
- If the validity period expires before the policy is placed on risk then a Declaration of Continued Good Health (DCGH) will be required providing the original application form is still valid.
Declaration of continued good health (DCGH)
- Valid for a period of 90 days from when dated.
- If the validity period expires then a further DCGH will be required providing the original application form is still valid.
Medical evidence
- A General Practitioners Report (GPR) will remain valid for a period of 6 months from when dated.
- A Medical Examination will normally remain valid for a period of 12 months from when carried out.
- Any routine tests will normally remain valid for a period of 12 months from when carried out.
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We may ask for medical information from your client's GP within 6 months of their policy starting to make sure our records reflect the correct medical information of your client. We’ll only ask for this where a policy has been accepted without the need for any other medical evidence. This is common practice amongst protection providers.
If one of your clients is selected, we’ll send a letter to both you and your client explaining what will happen. We’ll ask you to provide signed consent from your client which lets us access medical information under the Access to Medical Records Act (AMRA) 1988. Once we receive this we’ll ask for a General Practitioner's Report from the named GP.
If the medical evidence highlights any new information which your client did not disclose on their original application, and which would have had a bearing on our underwriting decision, we may need to amend the terms or cancel their policy. If we amend the policy terms, we’ll issue a revised policy schedule and our reasons for the amendment.
If there’s no new information then we will let you know that no further action will be required and the policy will remain on risk on the original terms.
By agreeing to the declaration as part of the application, your client is agreeing to take part in the medical sampling process if they are selected.
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To progress your client’s case, there
are number of different ways we can gather medical evidence about them.Tele-underwriting
If we need more information or clarification about something disclosed in your client’s application, one of our underwriters will contact them to get additional information over the phone. In most cases, a successful
tele -underwriting call means we don’t have to contact your client’s doctor, speeding up the application process. We’ll assess the information provided within 24 hours.How does it work?
- One of our underwriters will call your client to get additional information over the phone.
- If the first call is unsuccessful we’ll try twice more within a 24 hour period.
- If we can’t contact your client by telephone we’ll write and ask them to call us on our dedicated line.
- We’ll
confirm the answers given before closing the call. - If your client agrees with the confirmation then they don’t need to take any further action.
- All calls are recorded.
- Our
tele -underwriting line will be open from9:00am to5:30pm Monday to Friday.
AMRA
The Access to Medical Records Act 1988 (AMRA) gives a person the right to access their medical records for either employment or insurance purposes. This act also governs how we access your clients’ medical records.
Before we can ask for medical records or a GP report, we’ll ask your client to sign a consent form to allow us to proceed, and we’ll tell you about this during the online process.
You can find a copy of the AMRA declaration here (PDF, 43KB). So that we can process the application quicker you can email the declaration to us.
GP reports
In cases where there is a disclosure of a particularly complex medical condition, or due to the level of cover requested, we may ask for a report from your client’s GP in order to assess their health or medical condition(s) fully. We’ll do this so that we can get further insight into the client’s medical history and gather medical information that your client might not know or disclose at outset.
How does it work?
- Before we can get a GP report, your client will be asked to sign a consent form.
- We won’t be able to proceed without a GP report, so we’ll regularly chase on your behalf.
Electronic GP reports
Making sure your clients are covered as quickly as possible is important to us. This is why we use electronic General Practioner reports (
eGPRs ).Implemented in partnership with the software provider Niche Health, the use of
eGPRs means that digital medical records can be transferred much more quickly to us.How does it work?
- The GP practice needs to have installed the Niche Health software before they can send medical records electronically.
- Before we can get a GP report, your client will be asked to sign a consent form.
- We won’t be able to proceed without the
eGPR , so we’ll regularly chase on your behalf.
Medical screenings
In cases where an independent medical examination is required, we work with a third party medical services provider to conduct the screening.
How does it work?
- The third party provider will contact your client directly.
- They will arrange a convenient appointment that can take place at home or place of work.
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You can track the progress of your client's application using our online tracking system.
The list below is a guide to our online tracking status.
Current status What does this mean? Refer to underwriting
The application is with our Underwriting team and awaiting assessment. In underwriting
Evidence requested by the Underwriting team is outstanding. Postponed after underwriting
The underwriting process is complete and the application has been postponed. Declined after underwriting
The underwriting process is complete and the application has been declined. Awaiting acceptance terms
Terms have been offered and we await confirmation of acceptance. Complete - Not yet on
risk The terms offered have been accepted and we await confirmation of a start date (if not already given). On
risk The client's cover is now on risk. Cancelled
The application process has ceased due to one of the following:
- adviser request
- client's request
- outstanding requirements have not been provided.
NOTE: It is possible to continue with any cancelled application.
If the application needs additional underwriting you can check online for any updates.
All actions will show as either requested, received or cancelled.
Tracking comments GPR
The General Practitioner Report or Targeted General Practitioner Report (TGPR). Further info from GP
The additional evidence requested after assessment of a GPR or TGPR. Paramed
The Medical Examination or blood tests to be carried out. Further info from client
Any request made directly to the client. Medical POSQ
The Underwriting Supplementary Questionnaire issued to the client. Non-Medical POSQ
The Underwriting Supplementary Questionnaire issued to the client. DCGH
The Declaration of Continued Good Health. -
If your client’s health changes before our underwriting is completed we must be notified straight away. If we are not advised of these changes it may lead us to not paying a claim in the future.
You can contact our Scottish Widows Protect Team on 0345 030 6240 to discuss any of these changes.
You don’t need to tell us of:
- any health changes that happen after the date we have offered terms, providing the terms are within the 90 day validity period
- any health changes that occur after you have started the policy, providing the policy does not lapse due to missed premiums.
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A partial decline will happen when we’re unable to offer cover which your client has applied for, or unable to
insure one of the lives under a joint life application.Online Decision
- The online quote and
apply process will provide the appropriate underwriting outcome for each cover and life that has applied. - You can then complete a new quote, and apply for another option that may be available to your clients.
Manual Underwriting Decision
- Your client will receive a letter from us letting them know we are unable to offer the cover requested and will ask that they contact you as alternative options may be available.
- We will contact you to advise what our decision is and what options are available. Based on this discussion, we will then send out the revised acceptance terms.
Call or email us to discuss the options available, or let us know how you wish to proceed. Telephone
0345 030 6240 Email
protect@scottishwidows.co.uk If we don’t receive a response within 30 days the application will be cancelled. Should you wish to continue with the application after this point please call or email us.
- The online quote and
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To help you manage your client's expectations, we've developed a number of ways you can get an indicative decision and save time for you and your client.
Underwriting outcome tool
When applying for cover, your client will be asked a number of questions about their health and lifestyle. Depending on their answers there can be various outcomes, including an increase to their premium or an exclusion added to the policy. We've developed our underwriting outcome tool to allow you to input client information and obtain an indicative underwriting decision for some commonly disclosed illnesses and conditions.
Key summary
- A quick straightforward interactive tool saving you unnecessary phone calls.
- Helps you manage client expectations and saves time by avoiding wasted applications.
- The tool covers 23 of the most commonly disclosed illnesses and conditions.
- This tool is designed to give outcomes for single conditions.
Access our Underwriting Outcome Tool
XRAE
Provided in partnership with iPipeline, XRAE is an underwriting solution that allows you to enter client health and lifestyle information at pre-application stage. XRAE then gives the indicative rating that would be applied by us based on that information.
Key summary
- Helps you manage client expectations.
- Can give you an indication of terms.
- Available to AssureWeb portal and SolutionBuilder® users. To join click here.