Under Pennsylvania Life, Accident, and Health Insurance law,underwritingis the formal process by which an insurer evaluates an applicant and decideswhether to issue a policy, under what terms, and at what premium rate. This process involves analyzing risk factors such as age, health history, occupation, lifestyle, and financial suitability. Pennsylvania insurance study materials emphasize that underwriting is essential to maintaining the insurer’s financial stability and ensuring equitable treatment of policyholders.

Underwriting differs from risk classification, which is the grouping of individuals with similar risk characteristics after underwriting decisions are made. Adverse selection refers to the tendency of higher-risk individuals to seek insurance more actively than lower-risk individuals, which underwriting is designed to prevent. Assignment involves transferring ownership rights of a policy, not evaluating applicants.

Pennsylvania law requires underwriting decisions to be based on lawful and actuarially sound criteria, prohibiting unfair discrimination. Insurers may accept, rate, limit, or decline coverage based on underwriting results. Therefore, the process by which an insurer decides to whom to issue a policy is correctly identified asunderwriting.