What is Up With Americo?

[Rearden]

I really want to write more Americo, but they have proven to be completely unreliable regarding underwriting decisions.

I am an excellent field underwriter and know my medications, but half of the apps I have sent in over the past six months... that SHOULD have been issued with no problems... have been unnecessarily rated up.

Take my most recent case; late 70s, smoker, COPD, takes gabapentin for non-diabetic nerve damage. Should be a slam-dunk UP2, right?

Well Americo rates it up to a UP3 because "they cannot fully develop the risk." What the hell is that?

Beyond not writing them anymore, does anyone have enough experience with Americo to explain what I might be missing with placing these cases?


Thanks,
Dave

 

[jdeasy]

I haven't experienced any problems with them. Out of the ordinary anyway.

I can't remember the last time one came bacl OTAF. Recently had a COPD smoker approved. They gave some benefiicary problems a month or so later on it but that's not out of the ordinary.

I just had my first phi with them in about 3 years. 71 year old dipper that I put UP1 because of the dipping.

He took metoprolol for hypertension. Had a stoke 11 years ago. I was concerned about the phi and was worried about it being rated and I had a heck of a time getting them to complete the call. But once they called him it was approved as applied for.

My only problem with them is the changes they made last summer and now they are not an option for cigarette smokers unless they happen to also have COPD.

 

[peteybear]

Why not run thru trans? Its a little more for standard but I find there underwriting the best overall I've seen.I'm not with americo but I just ran $10k on age 72 smoker. Man there upi is not competitive. The spread between the up1 and up2 is very small compared to other carriers difference in preferred and standard.Won't UH take them?Jd why not run threw trans for copd smoker? Its a little more but good underwriting.Why did americo give beneficiary problems?

 

[Newby]

The problem with Trans comes when they use insulin plus have COPD.

 

[jdeasy]

Why not run thru trans? Its a little more for standard but I find there underwriting the best overall I've seen.I'm not with americo but I just ran $10k on age 72 smoker. Man there upi is not competitive. The spread between the up1 and up2 is very small compared to other carriers difference in preferred and standard.Won't UH take them?Jd why not run threw trans for copd smoker? Its a little more but good underwriting.Why did americo give beneficiary problems?

Americo's changes last summer was to make UP2, what was their graded plan, immediate coverage. That's a good thing. But they also made cigaette smokers UP2 even if otherwise healthy. That's a bad thng. Especially when they had good smoker rates before. That made them a no go for healthy smokers.

For COPD and still smoking their rates are far better than Trans. For the non smoker with COPD Trans is better priced.

I was intending to write 2 Americo's on Tues. Bith non smokers. Turned out they were DE payers so I used Trans. It was less than a dollar a month higher to use Trans but the apps I faxed in were 10 pages each. And hat was no replacement. That would have been 3 more pages each.

They had to sign so many pages they even asked about it.

I will be using more Trans because of that smoking change that Americo made but I'm sure not looking forward to it.

 

[SPUR CITY]

I really want to write more Americo, but they have proven to be completely unreliable regarding underwriting decisions. I am an excellent field underwriter and know my medications, but half of the apps I have sent in over the past six months... that SHOULD have been issued with no problems... have been unnecessarily rated up. Take my most recent case; late 70s, smoker, COPD, takes gabapentin for non-diabetic nerve damage. Should be a slam-dunk UP2, right? Well Americo rates it up to a UP3 because "they cannot fully develop the risk." What the hell is that? Beyond not writing them anymore, does anyone have enough experience with Americo to explain what I might be missing with placing these cases? Thanks, Dave

I wrote Americo enough in 2013 to win their trip. I never had a rate-up problem with them. I couldn't write Americo for 6 months when I transitioned, so I had to search for a new favorite carrier. Luckily I found Trinity


What I did is if there were ANY questionable meds that have dual purposes or that would cause a UP 2 rating, I would list those meds below the health question section and put the name of med, purpose for taking, dosage and how many times per day med is taken. Adding docs info to top it off.


Seemed to get more placed without issue or rate-up when I placed that info on app, as opposed to when I didn't, so I learned to do that on EVERY app. I treated it similar to my TRANS apps. Granted w/ Trans I list EVERY med and w/ Americo I list ONLY dual purpose meds or meds that caused a UP2 rating.


I don't write them nearly as much as I used to BUT I have not had a single rate-up since I started using them again.

 

[Rearden]

Why not run thru trans? Its a little more for standard but I find there underwriting the best overall I've seen.I'm not with americo but I just ran $10k on age 72 smoker. Man there upi is not competitive. The spread between the up1 and up2 is very small compared to other carriers difference in preferred and standard.Won't UH take them?Jd why not run threw trans for copd smoker? Its a little more but good underwriting.Why did americo give beneficiary problems?

Americo's niche is smoking COPD prospects and/or those with liver problems, in addition to the smokeless tobacco users.

Had this same scenario a few weeks back; guy qualifies for UP2, but gets rated up for UP3 regarding the CHF/Cardiomyopathy/angina question -- never has taken any heavy meds for his heart, or went to the hospital about chest pain.

Also have had several diabetics with no heart history complications get UP3'd. They did take heart meds for hypertension.

I'm probably going to (begrudgingly) start sending Americo prospects back over to Transamerica.

 

[jdeasy]

Americo's niche is smoking COPD prospects and/or those with liver problems, in addition to the smokeless tobacco users.

Had this same scenario a few weeks back; guy qualifies for UP2, but gets rated up for UP3 regarding the CHF/Cardiomyopathy/angina question -- never has taken any heavy meds for his heart, or went to the hospital about chest pain.

Also have had several diabetics with no heart history complications get UP3'd. They did take heart meds for hypertension.

I'm probably going to (begrudgingly) start sending Americo prospects back over to Transamerica.

Not just the smokeless tobacco. They are also non tobacco for pipe and cigar smokers too.

 

[peteybear]

I'm willing to bet 80% of Fe clients won't tell you if they smoke an occasional cigar are chew

 

[pcbinsurance]

You can smoke 5 cigars a day and be a non smoker with them. Love that.