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of the consumer . GDPR , POPIA and other data legislations enforce service providers to only use data when consumer consent has been provided , that the data must be treated securely , and only used for the specific purpose ( underwriting ) that the consumer provided consent for . This consent , however , can be obtained electronically at quotation or underwriting stage – provided the consumer is properly informed as to the usage of their data and assurances that it will be kept securely and only used for specific risk assessment processes .
Advancements in AI and ML are significant enablers in the underwriting process . Algorithms use digitised health data records to create scoring metrics which provide underwriters with more insight into a consumer ’ s health risks . Individual data sets , using trained ML , are compared to broader population statistics to infer the risk of diabetes , stroke , heart attack and others in the future and this insight can be condensed into a single Health Risk Score . Providing a single score of an individual ' s health , while taking all known risk factors into account , frees up an enormous amount of specialist underwriting time – which would normally be spent analysing medical reports , selfassessment questionnaires and other , usually paper or manual , data points .
rPPG – a technology that measures subcutaneous blood flow – has emerged in recent years as an interesting technology that many insurers are experimenting with . The ability to obtain real-time health measurements and insights from a 30 – 60 second facial scan enables insurers to classify individual risk without the need for onerous paperwork and blood work . While these risk indicators may change slightly daily , they still provide good insight into the broad individual risk and can be used to determine very early in the underwriting process which consumers should be allowed to apply for cover and which individuals should either be avoided , sent for further blood testing or to have their policies appropriately loaded .
Furthermore , expectations are that by 2033 , saliva-based genomic sequencing will be made available at retail stores to identify potential risks and enable preventative treatment of costly and deadly diseases . Cost-effective and digital testing will only continue to be available – so insurers need to anticipate how these data points will be embedded to increase efficiencies in their processes , enable better decisions and enhance customer experiences .
Individuals themselves gain good insight into their own health , so there is personal benefit in doing the facial scanning process , especially if this can fast-track their policy approval without requiring blood tests to be done . Thus , rPPG technology can be used at the initial point of underwriting , but it could
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