SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROCESSING DATA RELATED TO LAST SURVIVOR LIFE INSURANCE POLICIES

• US 20120330687A1
• Filed: 06/27/2011
• Published: 12/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Prudential Insurance Company of America (Prudential Financial Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Hartford Fire Insurance Company (The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hilario, Shawn P., Barron, Edwin C.
• Granted Patent: US 10,535,101 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/4
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance

Abstract

A computer system for processing data related to last survivor life insurance policies includes a processor configured to process data related to a last survivor policy on two or more insureds, associated single life policies on the two or more insureds, and one or more ancillary benefits. The processing of data may include generation of illustrations, processing of applications, underwriting of applications, and generation of policy documents, employing common data for the last survivor policy and the one or more associated single life policies. The ancillary benefits may include payments based on a medical condition of an insured, payments based on longevity of an insured, and payments based on disability of an insured.

Claims

1. A computer system for processing data related to last survivor life insurance policies having a death benefit payable on a death of a last to die of two or more insureds, one or more associated single life policies on the lives of one or more of the insureds and having one or more ancillary benefits, comprising:

a data storage device storing data indicative of rates and corresponding death benefit amounts for last survivor policies and individual life insurance policies based on age and gender of insureds, and rates and available benefit amounts associated with each of the ancillary benefits;

a user accessible device in communication with the data storage device; and

a processor in communication with the data storage device and the user accessible device, the processor configured to;

cause the user accessible device to prompt for face value amounts or a premium amount to be paid, age and gender of the two or more insureds, and user selection of the one or more ancillary benefits;

receive via the user accessible device data indicative of a user selection of a premium amount or face value amounts, age and gender of the two or more insureds, and the one or more ancillary benefits;

determine, based on the received data, face value amounts or premium amounts for a last survivor life insurance policy and the one or more individual life policies having the selected one or more ancillary benefits; and

generate and display on the user accessible device illustrations for each of the policies.

2. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the one or more ancillary benefits comprise:

a benefit in the nature of periodic payments that reduce the death benefit amount conditioned on receipt of a certification that the insured has a loss of at least two abilities of daily living or severe cognitive impairment, and a benefit in the nature of a withdrawal benefit in the nature of periodic payments payable to the policy owner upon request and on condition of the insured being living, the insured having reached a minimum age achieved at a benefit eligibility date, and a policy protection account having at least a target balance, each payment reducing the amount of the death benefit until a residual death benefit amount is reached.

3. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the one or more ancillary benefits further comprise a benefit in the nature of a disability benefit payable on condition of a disability preventing an insured from performing occupational duties.

4. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to cause the user-accessible device to prompt for a single premium amount for payment on issue of each of the life insurance policies.

5. The computer system of claim 4, wherein the processor is further configured to employ iterative calculations to determine face value amounts for the policies.

6. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to determine the face value amounts or premium amounts by calculating, using at least the stored data for rider rates and cost of insurance data, and assuming no policy loans, whether stored conditions for eligibility for a withdrawal benefit will be met by a benefit eligibility date.

7. The computer system of claim 4, wherein the processor is further configured to determine projected policy protection account balances based on a schedule of projected premium payments, charges based on policy face value, interest credited on balances and charges based on riders;

determine, based on the policy protection account balances, the schedule of premium payments, and the benefit eligibility date, whether premium payments in accordance with the schedule will cause the policy protection account balance to reach a target balance by the benefit eligibility date; and

responsive to determining that the policy protection account balance will not reach the target balance by the benefit eligibility date, recalculate the projected policy protection account balances employing a different premium schedule or a different policy face amount.

8. A computer-implemented method for processing data related to last survivor life insurance policies having a death benefit payable on a death of a last to die of two or more insureds, one or more associated single life policies on the lives of one or more of the insureds and having one or more ancillary benefits, comprising:

causing, by a policy illustration generation system, a user accessible device in communication with the policy illustration generation system to prompt for face value amounts or a premium amount to be paid, age and gender of the two or more insureds, and one or more ancillary benefits, for a last survivor life insurance policy having a death benefit payable on a death of a last to die of two or more insureds, and one or more associated single life policies on the lives of one or more of the insureds;

receiving at the policy illustration generation system via the user accessible device, responsive to the prompting, data indicative of a user selection of a premium amount or face value, age and gender of the two or more insureds, and at least one selected ancillary benefit;

determining by the policy illustration generation system, based on the received data and stored data indicative of insurance rates and rates for the at least one selected benefit, face value amounts or premium amounts for the policies, at least one of the policies including the at least one selected ancillary benefit;

generating by the policy illustration generation system illustrations for each of the policies, and transmitting the illustrations to the user accessible device;

receiving by a policy application processing system via the policy illustration generation system and the user accessible device data for applications for the policies, the policy application processing system employing common data relating to the two or more insureds in the applications;

receiving, responsive to completed applications for the policies, by an underwriting administration system, data relating to the policies, and processing by the underwriting administration system data relating to the policies, the underwriting application system employing common data relating to the two or more insureds; and

generating, by a policy document generation system, responsive to receipt of data indicating underwriting approval, policy contracts and riders for the policies, the policy contracts providing for issue of the policies on a same day.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein the one or more ancillary benefits comprise at least one of:

a benefit in the nature of periodic payments that reduce the death benefit amount conditioned on receipt of a certification that the insured has a loss of at least two abilities of daily living or severe cognitive impairment;

a withdrawal benefit in the nature of periodic payments payable to the policy owner upon request and on condition of the insured being living, the insured having reached a minimum age achieved at a benefit eligibility date, and a policy protection account having at least a target balance, each payment reducing the amount of the death benefit until a residual death benefit amount is reached; and

a benefit in the nature of a disability benefit payable on condition of a disability preventing an insured from performing occupational duties.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, wherein the last survivor policy is for two and only two insureds, and the one or more associated single life policies are two single life policies on the lives of the two and only two insureds.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, wherein the last survivor policy and the one or more associated single live policies are universal life policies having a policy protection account, and the determining of the face value amounts or premium amounts for the policies comprises determining projected policy protection account balances based on a schedule of projected premium payments, charges based on policy face value, interest credited on projected policy protection account balances and charges based on the selected one or more ancillary benefits.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein the one or more selected ancillary benefits are implemented as one or more riders on the one or more associated single life policies.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein the prompting comprises prompting the user for selection of a single premium amount or a level premium amount and a term of years for payment of level premiums, the term being between 5 years and 20 years, inclusive.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein the prompting comprises prompting the user for face value amounts for the last survivor policy and the one or more single life policies.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium, the computer-readable medium having processor-executable instructions stored thereon, which instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:

access data related to a last survivor life insurance policy having a death benefit payable on death of a last to die of at least two insureds and at least one associated single life policy having a death benefit payable on death of one of the at least two insureds, and one or more ancillary benefits;

cause a user accessible device to prompt for face value amounts or a premium amount to be paid, age and gender of the two or more insureds, and user selection of the one or more ancillary benefits;

receive, responsive to the prompts, data indicative of premium amount or face value, data relating to mortality of the two or more insureds, and a selection of one or more ancillary benefits;

determine, based on the received data, face value amounts or premium amounts for a last survivor life insurance policy and the one or more individual life policies having the selected one or more ancillary benefits; and

generate and transmit for display on the user accessible device illustrations for each of the policies.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the one or more ancillary benefits comprise at least one of:

a benefit in the nature of periodic payments that reduce the death benefit amount based on a medical condition of an insured;

periodic payments based on longevity of an insured past a predetermined age or date, and periodic payments based on an insured having a disability preventing the insured from performing occupational duties.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the prompting comprises prompting for face value amounts for each the last survivor policy and two and only two single life policies.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the policies are universal life policies.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to, prompt the user for data relating to health conditions of the two or more insureds, and determine whether the two or more insureds are eligible for life insurance in real time, responsive to receipt of the data relating to health conditions.

20. A computer system for processing data related to last survivor life insurance policies having a death benefit payable on a death of a last to die of two or more insureds, one or more associated single life policies on the lives of one or more of the insureds and having one or more ancillary benefits, comprising the following networked systems:

a policy illustration generation system configured to, responsive to receipt of data indicative of a user selection of face value amounts or a premium amount to be paid, age and gender of the two or more insureds, and one or more ancillary benefits, for a last survivor life insurance policy having a death benefit payable on a death of a last to die of two or more insureds, and one or more associated single life policies on the lives of one or more of the insureds, determine corresponding premium amount or face value, and generate illustrations for each of the policies for transmission and display to a user;

a policy application processing system configured to receive, via the policy illustration generation system, data for applications for the policies, and to employ common data relating to the two or more insureds in the applications;

an underwriting administration system configured to administer underwriting for the policies, employing common data relating to the two or more insureds; and

a policy document generation system configured to generate policy documents for the policies, the policy documents providing for issue of the policies on a same day.

21. The computer system of claim 20, wherein the common data relating to the two or more insureds comprises health data.

22. The computer system of claim 20, wherein the policy document generation system is configured to generate policy documents comprising riders to implement the one or more ancillary benefits.

23. The computer system of claim 20, wherein the system is further configured to prompt users for data relating to health conditions of the two or more insureds, and to determine in real time whether each of the two or more insureds is eligible for issue of a policy prior to completion of comprehensive underwriting.