Method of calculating a premium payable by an insured person on a life insurance policy

• US 7,908,156 B2
• Filed: 09/20/2002
• Issued: 03/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vitality Group International, Inc. (Discovery Limited)
• Original Assignee: Discovery Holdings Limited (Prudential PLC)
• Inventors: Gore, Adrian, Mayers, Herschel Phillip
• Primary Examiner(s): Cobanoglu; Dilek B
• Application Number:
  US10/251,120
• Publication Number:
  US 20040059608A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,098 Days
• Field of Search: 705/3, 705/4, 705/36.R, 705/38, 600/300, 434/107
• US Class Current: 705/4
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/03 Credit; Loans; Processing thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/06 Asset management; Financial planning or analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/30 for calculating health indices; for individual health risk assessment

Abstract

A method of calculating a premium payable by an insured person on a life insurance policy uses the amount of claims made from a health insurance plan of the insured person and information regarding the general well-being and/or lifestyle of the insured person to calculate the premium payable. The premium is calculated using a base percentage amount which is then either increased or decreased. If the insured person has made few claims to the health insurance plan and they have taken positive steps to look after their health, they will be rewarded by a relatively lower premium on their life insurance policy.

Claims

1. A method of calculating a premium payable by an insured person on a life insurance policy, the method comprising:

obtaining, by an information processing system, first information regarding any claims made from a health insurance plan of the insured person;

obtaining, by the information processing system, second information regarding a general well-being and/or lifestyle of the insured person by;

defining a plurality of health related facilities and/or services;

offering the facilities and/or services to the insured person;

monitoring a use of the facilities and/or services by the insured person;

allocating points to the insured person depending on the use of at least one facility and/or service in the plurality of health related facilities and/or services by the insured person; and

assigning, by the information processing system, a wellness program status category to the insured person based on the points that have been allocated to the insured person, wherein the second information is the wellness program status category assigned to the insured person, and wherein the wellness program status category indicates a participation level of the insured person within a wellness program;

using, by the information processing system, the first information in combination with the second information to calculate an amount of the premium payable; and

re-calculating, by the information processing system, the amount of the premium payable using updated first and second information at least annually,

wherein the re-calculating the amount of the premium payable using updated first and second information at least annually is comprised of two components;

a first component being a pre-agreed premium increase and a second component being a further increase or decrease of the pre-agreed premium increase determined by the first and second information,

wherein the re-calculating the amount of the premium payable using updated first and second information at least annually has a pre-agreed maximum amount, and

wherein the pre-agreed premium increase and the pre-agreed maximum amount is between the insured person and an insurance company.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first information is the amount of claims made from the health insurance plan.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of health related facilities and/or services includes at least one of the group consisting of a membership of health clubs, membership of gymnasiums, membership of fitness programs, weight-loss programs, programs to quit smoking and preventive medical procedures.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the pre-agreed maximum amount is related to other life insurance products available from the insurance company.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the re-calculating the amount of the premium payable using updated first and second information at least annually is comprised of two components, a first component being a pre-agreed premium increase and a second component being a further increase of the pre-agreed premium increase determined by the first and second information, wherein the pre-agreed premium increase is between the insured person and an insurance company.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the re-calculating the amount of the premium payable using updated first and second information at least annually is comprised of two components, a first component being a pre-agreed premium increase and a second component being a further decrease of the pre-agreed premium increase determined by the first and second information, wherein the pre-agreed premium increase is between the insured person and an insurance company.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the pre-agreed maximum amount is based on premiums associated with a standard life insurance policy over a given period of time, wherein the pre-agreed maximum amount is one of equal to and below the premiums.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the pre-agreed maximum amount is based on premiums associated with a standard life insurance policy, wherein the pre-agreed maximum set to one of equal to and below the premiums for a first given period of time and is set to a given percentage above the premiums for at least a second given period of time.