Lincoln: Temporary Underwriting Guideline Changes

02-13-2023

**02/13/2023**

Effective Feb. 13, 2023, Lincoln’s COVID-19 temporary underwriting guidelines for life insurance products (Term, IUL and VUL) have been revised as follows: 

• Now eligible for consideration:
  • All cases up to Table 6 for age 71-80
  • All cases up to Table 8 for age 70 and under
• “Good Health Statement and Insurability Supplement” – Form LFF12222, will only be required for placement in the following scenarios:
  • All cases for ages 70 and up
  • All cases when the Part II (exam and/or nonmedical form) is over 60 days old
  • All cases rated greater than standard, including flat extras and table reduction program
  • All cases with a face amount of $10,000,000 and above

The signed Good Health Statement and Insurability Supplement Form is valid for 60-calendar days from the client signature date on the form. A new form will be requested if the policy is not placed within 60-calendar days of the client signature date as a result of other placement restrictive outstanding requirements – including, but not limited to: other delivery requirements, premium, or a revised illustration.

The following temporary underwriting guidelines will continue to remain in effect for all life insurance products (Term, IUL and VUL):

• All cases meeting the following criteria will be postponed:
  • Ages 81 – 85, all rate classes

**04/11/2022**

 Effective April 11, 2022, Lincoln’s COVID-19 temporary underwriting guidelines have been revised with the following modifications:

• Postponement period updates for individuals who test positive for COVID-19:
  • For individuals who have managed a positive COVID-19 diagnosis at home (outpatient), the postponement period for an underwriting offer has been reduced to 10-calendar days from full recovery (previously 1- month). −
  • Note: There will be no changes to Lincoln’s postponement period for individuals who required hospitalization for treatment of COVID-19. Following full recovery, the underwriting offer will be postponed for 3-months, and an Attending Physician’s Statement (APS) will be required.
• The validity period has been extended for the “Good Health Statement and Insurability Supplement” [formerly known as the Declaration of Insurability (DOI) Supplement - LFF11709]:
  • For issued cases in which Lincoln has received the signed Good Health Statement and Insurability Supplement – Form LFF12222, but await other outstanding administrative requirements, the Supplement will now be valid for 21 calendar days (previously 10 days).

For any pending case that was submitted prior to April 11, 2022, and was impacted by the prior temporary underwriting guidelines, please work directly with your dedicated Lincoln Underwriting team for guidance.

The following temporary underwriting guidelines will continue to remain in effect for all life insurance products (Term, UL, IUL and VUL):

• All cases meeting the following criteria will be postponed:
  • All ages, rated Table 5 and higher
  • Ages 81 – 85, all rate classes
  • All cases assessed with a Flat Extra greater than $10.00 per $1000

PLEASE NOTE: As a reminder, Lincoln Underwriting does not ask about immunizations (for any virus/disease) through the application process and has no plans to ask about the COVID-19 vaccine. The COVID-19 vaccine is not a factor in the underwriting process. The underwriting guidelines are subject to change and will override any underwriting guidelines currently published in Lincoln’s marketing or reference material. Lincoln will continue to re-evaluate their position with changes in the current environment, as the COVID-19 pandemic evolves and/or as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and World Health Organization (WHO) give further guidance.

**05/06/2021**

Effective May 10, 2021, Lincoln’s COVID-19 temporary underwriting guidelines have been revised with the following modifications: 

• The Table Reduction Program (TRP) is now available! Consideration for up to $10 million maximum face amount, through age 70, for Table 3 to Standard rate classes  
• Internal Retention Limits have been increased up to $20 million for permanent life insurance products 
• Substandard ratings, up to Table 4, will be considered for all ages through 80  
• Cases assessed with a Flat Extra up to $10.00 per $1000 will be considered 
• Table Rated and Flat Extra combo cases will be considered with up to Table 2 (150%) with a Flat Extra up to $10.00 per $1000
• Lincoln MoneyGuard® cases for ages 71 and up will now be considered for the following products:
  • Lincoln MoneyGuard® III, ages 71 – 80
  • Lincoln MoneyGuard® II, ages 71 – 79
  • Lincoln MoneyGuard® II NY, ages 71 – 79

For any pending case that was submitted prior to May 10, 2021 and was impacted by the prior temporary underwriting guidelines, please work directly with your dedicated Lincoln Underwriting team for guidance according to the revised guidelines on a case-by-case basis. Lincoln Underwriting does not ask about immunizations (for any virus/disease) through the application process and has no plans to ask about the COVID-19 vaccine. The COVID-19 vaccine is not a factor in the underwriting process.

Temporary Underwriting Guidelines

The following guidelines will continue to remain in effect for all life insurance products (Term, UL, IUL and VUL):

All cases meeting the following criteria will be postponed:

• All ages, rated Table 5 and higher
• Ages 81 – 85, all rate classes
• All cases assessed with a Flat Extra greater than $10.00 per $1000
• All cases assessed at Table 3 or higher with a Flat Extra greater than $10.00 per $1000

PLEASE NOTE: The underwriting guidelines are subject to change and will override any underwriting guidelines currently published in Lincoln’s marketing or reference material. Lincoln will continue to re-evaluate our position with changes in the current environment, as the COVID-19 pandemic evolves and/or as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and World Health Organization (WHO) give further guidance.

**03/29/2021**

With the increased availability of the COVID-19 vaccination across the country, Lincoln wants to reinforce that their underwriting position related to vaccines and immunizations has not changed.  Lincoln does not ask about immunizations (for any virus or disease) through the application process and have no plans to ask their customers about the COVID-19 vaccine. Therefore, the COVID-19 vaccine is not a factor in the underwriting process. To help address questions you or your clients may have related to COVID-19 and the impact on new or existing life insurance policies, Lincoln has created the following resources for your reference.

Client-Approved:  The COVID-19 Life Insurance guidance section of our public-facing website now includes a new section focused on “Applying for Life Insurance”, including questions related to COVID-19 testing and vaccinations: https://www.lfg.com/public/COVID-19/Life

Financial Professional-Approved: The “Go Digital” webpage remains your resource for the latest news from Lincoln Life Solutions, including:

• COVID-19 Guidelines 
• Underwriting Guidelines
• Resources for conducting business digitally

Life: www.LFG.com/GoDigital

MoneyGuard: www.LFG.com/GoDigitalMG

**08/10/2020**

Effective August 10, 2020, Lincoln’s COVID-19 temporary underwriting guidelines have been revised:

Postpone

• Ages 65 and under, rated Table 5 and higher
• Ages 66-69, rated Table 3 and higher
• Ages 70-79, all substandard rate classes
• Ages 80-85, all rate classes
• All cases assessed with a Flat Extra greater than $7.50 per $1000
• All cases assessed with a Table Rating and Flat Extra

Internal Retention

• $10 million maximum limit for term and permanent products
• Available up to age 59 only
• Preferred Plus, Preferred and Standard rate classes only

NOTE: Lincoln’s auto-bind limit remains at $60 million. Internal retention is only used for cases that are over Lincoln’s jumbo limit of $65 million. Offers over the jumbo limit will be limited to $10 million.

Lincoln's Table Reduction Program still remains suspended at this time.

**April 13, 2020**

Beginning Monday, April 13, 2020, the following updates will apply to all pending and new submissions of Lincoln individual life insurance policies, including Lincoln MoneyGuard®. Lincoln will re-evaluate their position in June 2020, as the COVID-19 pandemic evolves, and/or as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and World Health Organization (WHO) gives further guidance.

PLEASE NOTE: These changes are temporary, subject to change, and will override any underwriting guidelines currently published in Lincoln’s marketing or reference material.

Life Insurance Underwriting Updates

The following updates are temporary and will apply to all Term, Universal Life, Indexed Universal Life and Variable Universal Life policies. Formal applications in a QUOTE, APPROVED, ISSUED or PLACED status as of April 13, 2020 will not be impacted.

Lincoln MoneyGuard® Underwriting Updates

The following updates apply to all Lincoln MoneyGuard policies. Formal applications in a QUOTE, APPROVED, ISSUED or PLACED status as of April 13, 2020 will not be impacted.

Underwriting Guidelines for Foreign Travel

The following updates were implemented March 20, 2020, and apply to all Lincoln life insurance applications, including Lincoln MoneyGuard® Solutions.

• Underwriting offers will be postponed indefinitely for any travel planned to a Level 3 country identified by the CDC, intended to be completed by June 30, 2020, or 14 to 30 days after the CDC lowers the alert status
• Indication of planned travel after June 30, 2020, to a Level 3 country identified by the CDC will be evaluated on a case by case basis depending on the situation. Postponement is likely, but limited face amount options could be considered depending on the age and country travelled to
• If travel plans to a Level 3 country are cancelled or delayed until travel is determined to be safe by the CDC, Lincoln will amend the application and proceed with completing the underwriting process
• Each situation will be evaluated on its own merits and we will provide further guidance as more information is known about the pandemic status

Obtaining medical records, labs and other requirements

 As states are continuing to implement stay-at-home orders, along with facility closures and other state restrictions, Lincoln recognizes that you may experience delays as a result of the inability to retrieve an APS and medical records, criminal reports and/or obtain exams or labs. While these requirements will not be waived, to help keep business moving forward, Lincoln will:

• Attempt to obtain information needed for Underwriting in alternative ways, including but not limited to: obtaining Electronic Medical Records, PHI calls for medical history information and/or clarification, Claims Billing Data, and asking the client to obtain medical information from their Patient Portal(s)
• Work with clients to schedule exams and/or obtain necessary information as normal business operations begin to resume, including scheduling out farther than the current 45-day limit
• Honor insurance applications for 1 year from the date of submission and Lincoln will keep the file open as we work to obtain outstanding requirements

Verification of Health Status

As previously announced, due to the ongoing pandemic and rapid spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19), Lincoln is requiring the Declaration of Insurability (DOI) Form [ICC18LFF11709] for all underwritten life insurance policies issued on or after March 30, 2020. This requirement is applicable for:

• All underwritten Term, UL, IUL, VUL products, excluding Lincoln MoneyGuard®
• All ages and face amounts
• Any exam completion date
•  Any case that was previously closed and requested to be re-opened
•  Any case with a Temporary Insurance Agreement (TIA) is in place

The DOI form is required to be signed after policy issue and will be a Delivery Requirement. For 1035 Exchanges, the DOI form will be required to initiate the exchange. The policy will not be placed inforce until the DOI form has been signed and returned to Lincoln in good order.

If the client has COVID-19, it must be disclosed. Lincoln will then determine if it can continue to offer the policy or postpone until the client fully recovers.

Up-to-Date Life Operations FAQS and Resources

Visit the NEW agent-approved website: www.LFG.com/GoDigital for the latest news and updates, FAQs and resources from Lincoln Underwriting and New Business and Customer Solutions.

Please give us a call at 1-800-792-6795 if you have questions about these updates.