The research project leading to this book was initiated in the fall of 1979 when the American Council of Life Insurance (ACLI) contacted Dan McGill, chairman of the Wharton School Insurance Department, about conducting a study on risk classification in life insurance. The ACLI was concerned about legislative and judicial activity in this area and its potential effects on the life insurance industry. A meeting was held at the ACLI offices in Washington, D.C., between several members of the ACLI staff and Dan McGill and David Cummins representing the Wharton School insurance department. An agreement was reached that a study would be conducted at Wharton dealing with issues in risk classification. Although the staff of the ACLI suggested directions the study might take, it was agreed that the design and execution of the study would be solely under the control of the researchers. The researchers also retained unrestricted publication rights in the results of the study. This agreement has been honored by the ACLI during the course of the project.

1 Introduction.- I Fundamentals of Risk Classification.- 2 The Theory of Insurance Pricing: Loss Distributions and Expected Value.- 3 The Economic Role of Risk Classification.- 4 Heterogeneity in Risk Classification.- 5 Fairness in Risk Classification.- 6 Conclusions to Part I.- II Current Risk Classification Procedures.- 7 Introduction: Overview of Risk Classification.- 8 The Nonmedical Application Nonmedical Factors.- 9 Underwriting Medical Impairments High Blood Pressure.- 10 Nonphysical Underwriting Factors.- 11 Conclusions to Part II.- III Multivariate Analysis of Underwriting Risk Factors and Mortality.- 12 Introduction.- 13 A Multiple Logistic Methodology for the Estimation of Risk Classification Models.- 14 The Effect of Physical and Medical Impairments on the Annual Probability of a Policy Terminating by Death.- 15 Comparison of Logistic Model Results with Other Data.- 16 Summary and Conclusions for Part III.