During life insurance underwriting, an attending physician statement (APS) is:
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Answer & full 3-part explanation (select an option above, or peek)
Why A is correct
An attending physician statement is a medical report the insurer requests from the applicant's own physician when the application or other sources raise medical questions. The physician provides treatment history, diagnoses, medications, and other relevant medical details. The APS is one tool in the underwriting process, along with the application, the agent's report, the MIB report, and paramedical examinations. It is obtained only with the appropriate authorization from the applicant and is kept confidential, and it helps the underwriter decide between standard, rated, or declined coverage.
Why the other options are wrong
- B) The MIB report is a separate database record of coded medical information, not a physician statement. The APS comes directly from the treating physician and is typically used when underwriting needs detailed clinical information.
- C) The applicant's signed application is not an attending physician statement; it is the applicant's own representation. The APS is an independent medical source provided by the treating doctor. These sources are different in kind and purpose.
- D) Insurers do not ask physicians for a life-expectancy prediction as part of an APS; they seek factual medical history. Underwriters, not physicians, draw conclusions from the facts. Prognosis is the underwriter's job.
Memory hook
APS = your doctor's chart, summoned when underwriting wants the full medical story.