Navigating a Pandemic: The Unique Role of the Medical Director

Abstract

The sudden emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020 presented a unique challenge for medical directors of life insurance companies. Company leadership required quick answers about many issues, but two in particular: 1) the magnitude of the pandemic's impact on the insured lives portfolio and 2) the underwriting of new applicants during a pandemic. This article will describe the experiences of a global team of reinsurance medical directors during a pandemic. It may also serve to provide guidance for medical directors facing a similar challenge in the future.

Keywords: COVID-19; critical illness insurance; disability insurance; insurance portfolio.; life insurance; medical director; pandemic; risk selection.