New-York tribune., 1909-04-03
TO ADD ) YEARS TO LIFE
N IDEA IN INSURANCE
FROM THE UEST.
Re-eramine P0LcyhoIdcrs and Pre-
rent Disease, DIR. Foster Tells
the Presidents.

rr Burnside Foster. editor of The St Paul
,tadical Journal and chief examiner of the New
r,pland Mutual Life Insurance Company for
minnesota speaking before the Association Of
gfe Insurance Presidents yesterday afternoon
.ggd !, would he possible to add at least five
,.o.,e N the life Of the average polcyholder by
s5opting plan of re-eXamination once In i've
,..ars as frequent medical examinations would
indicate the beginning of unsuspected diseases
tn time 10 effect cures or materially retard the
nroeress Of disease.
Or Foster urged that as the life insurance
.s;ness was more directly concerned with the
hes,tb Of the people than any other business the
-o,,anies form combination TO carry out his
grestion He referred 10 the large amount OF
camtal invested in life insurance and to the
Great number cf persons interested, either as in
s,,rers or insured. proof that some action was
,oesed The re-examnation, according To his
nan would b. free TO pclicyholders, and the
ifsI cost. he said would be more than bal
snced by the increased premiums that would
result DR.. Foster said:
vo6eru medicine has, above all two chlet
,i-ns the prevention OF disease and the recHg-
nitjon Of its earliest signs IN the lhplNiuuai'
:, horh Of these aims the business of life lnsur-
rnce has an immense interest, since the nearer
ne ar,proach II their accomplishment the more
.s add 10 human longevity Preventive meul,
cine becomes more nearly an exact science an
~ ,iroe and while its possibilities are far from
beine recognized, this is not because OF It's own
inexsctness or shortcomings. but because the
naople have not Vet awakened 70 the facl tIat
those diseases which cause the grealest ngIDeI st
M deaths and the greatest amount OF sulITi
are actually preventable II money enough pe
spent to prevent them The only way 10 Enns. .
eli the people actively in the crusade aSa'lis'
Trerentable disease is TO present the subject as
:, economic one which il surely is, and one
which appeals directly TO their pocketoooks.
HELPS COMPANIES, TOO.
A. Ear as the policyholders were concerned.
p- Foster said life insurance companies had
tvo chief objects in view: First that every
,olic,bolder shall be physically sound when his
rolie, is issued and second that he shall live
rs long and pay as many premiums as possible
These Two conditions were also Of great inpor-
tsnce 10 the policyhclders themselves. he eX-
nlsined because a low death rate meant a
smaller cost Of insurance, and also because
every one wanted to live as long as possible
Then he added:
believe that the medical examinations for
nfe insurance in this country are vigorously ana
honestly made and that the great majority OF
accepted applicants are sound at the time thelr
policies are issued. This, Of course, Is as II
should be but SO far as | know no eIort is mace
by any life insurance company to keep in touch
with its policyholders after their policies are
issued
tuberculosis, cancer. diabetes and heart disease
every year. and many millions OF dollars are
paid by the life insurance companies which nave
issued policies on the lives of these persons
who were sound when the policies were issued,
and who might have lived much longer and paid
Inan- more annual premiums If the diseases
which caused their deaths had been recognized
and properly treated in their early stages Ihese
are the very diseases which figure most largely
in your mortality tables
Dr.. Foster called attention to.the fact that the
-ar1
the early recognition and the prevention of dis
ease and told the life insurance presidents that
the company that first made practical appli-
cation OF this principle TO business would not
only bring about a revolution in the business Of
life insurance but would confer an immense and
fasting benefit 10 the world.
CONTROL OF DISEASE.
When preventive medicine becomes actually
preventive a large number of diseases, notably
the communicable diseases will become practi-
cally extinct. he said. just the bubonc plague
and cholera are now practically extinct in the
most highly civilized communities. He added:
The possibilities # properly directed scientific
been amply demonstrated by the United States
government in the work that has been done IN
ne last twenty-five years by the Department OF
AgTieutuTc IN protecting hogs cattle ana 90
meStlc fowls from the many pests which for
merly Eere SO fatal to these animals. and the
millions expended by the government in this
work have been returned many times In the form
Of Increased profits the farmers and stock
rslsers and have added immensely to our ma
tonsl prosperity
The problems Of the control Of the diseases
Of mankind are not very different from the
problems Of the control of the diseases Of beasts.
Inc medical profession has for years been
hloading for governmental aid in the effort to
prevent preventable disease II has pleaded 10
deaf ears. Let the immense influence OF the life
insurance gg-1rapias he brought to bear the
government in this matter. and those ears VIII
DC deaf no longer
VAS said that Dr. Fosters suggestion would
De considered by the associations life extension
committee. which Is already busy with the pro-
pYsai cf Professor Irving Fisher. OF Yale who
ADVISED the life insurance companies to spend
hefeF IN campaign Of health education.
WOULD COST MILLIONS
Dr Thomas Il willard medical examiner Of
'he Metropolitan Life Insurance Company. said
li1' IN his company upward OF five million poll
Nc mad heen IN force for more than five years
n the industria- Department alone To re-ex-
aiiiie these risks. he said. would cost not less
than S250eoo
me ordinary polIcyholder he said. would be
scared 10 death at any attempt to re-examine
eld Tie man who consented to such re-ex-
'0'ion and received clean bin of health
1 " Inclined 10 let his policy lapse if ii be-
came the least lit irksome
y r G Wells. medical examiner Of the
N3li1atae Life. said the only way to arrive at
'n'elhng lis Tie results desired bv DIR Fos
vas by carnpairn Of education. in the
pe oi Pamphlets showing men the benefits to
HeilEed from regular recurring medical ex
'iina'lon to discover the beginnings of anv ills
Leh might become serious