The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-08-29

Plan to Provide Insurance Instruction
for Them.

New York Evening Post.
A movement has been started to provide
lectureships at medical colleges covering
the duties of insurance examiners. One
faculty has already taken action, and
others will, it is believed, follow suit as
soon as the demand has been generally
recognized. Life underwriters for years
have doubted the value of some examina-
tions conducted by young physicians, not
specially. equipped for the work, and since
the medical examiners verdict in many
cases governs the acceptance or rejection
of risks, it is of the utmost Importance that
such Investigations should be intelligently
pursued.
1t is estimated that fully s2,5OO,OO0 is paid
annually in fees by life insurance COM
panies to medical examiners, The service
is remuneratve, and. in many cases, OF
great value to the physician who is thus
brought in contact with hundreds of per-
sons who might not otherwise visit his
office In this way the personal conn ectiOn
is established, and handsome practices
often built up in the course of a few years
While the large companies employ special
lists to pass upon the merits of important
risks, most of the business is left TO local
practitioners who rarely see the home office
officials. In this connection it is worthy of
note that some of the large companies no
years, believing that many insurable lives
have been in this way needleSsly rejected.
One company, which kept track of its re-
jected applicants, found many of them
alive and we'll years after they had been
turned down.
Aside from reducing the loss ratio, it is
believed that corps of trained examiners
would soon get at the real danger of writ
ing substandard risks. Commenting on
the necessity of providing such instruction,
the Medical Examiner says: without our
services, the results of scientific research
ana ZEAL the financial affairs of the in
surance business would not be so prosper
Gus, and at all times the companies are de-
pending upon our special knowledge for
this success. The queries TO which all
this leads up, however, are these: In the
first place, are We as a profession rightly
and sufficiently cogniZant of our obligation
and advantage in this matter? Not, we
do not hesitate TO reply, so long as we do
not specially and better prepare our medi-
cal students to meet the peculiar demands
TO be made upon them. There should be in
every medical college some special lecture
course designed 10 give the special instruc-
ton required of the life insurance eXamin-
err Some Of the questions in examinations
by the college and by the State boards
should be framed with this in view. Sec
ondly, are those members OF our profession
who are examiners giving back TO the
results Of their examinations? They have
splendid opportunities for research, tabula-
ton ana statistics and the formulation OF
valuable conclusions derived from the rich
clinical material placed at their disposal
Some good work of this kind has been done
but as a whole the scientific contributions
of the medical examiners of life insurance
companies are deplorably wanting in unity
and thoroughness. The companies may
rightly ask of US a proper recognition anC
preparation for their special work, and We
may as justly demand OF them more scien-
tific. statistic, and literary work as eVi-
dences of their social obligations"
In warning the public against the numer
Gus weak concerns that have sprung up II
certain sections of the West Insuranc,
| Commissioner Yates. of Illinois. says:
This inadequacy in insurance facilitie:
J has induced the exploitation OF quite !