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American Independence Corp.  (AMIC)
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What are American Independence's Business Segments?



Fully Insured Health Products

The Fully Insured Health line of business is comprised of: (i) specialty health, including dental, vision, short-term medical, supplemental products (including fixed indemnity limited benefit, critical illness, and hospital indemnity); (ii) pet insurance; (iii) non-subscriber occupational accident; and (iv) major medical business that is in run-out. Independence American has exited major medical business as a result of healthcare reform which caused adverse underwriting results in 2013 and 2014. IHC affiliates perform marketing, sales, underwriting and administrative functions on the majority of our Fully Insured Health business. We have also established a relationship with a leading provider of international health plans for specialized niche markets. We also own 80% of GAF, which through its wholly-owned operating subsidiaries (including third-party administrators and brokers) focus on non-subscriber occupational accident coverage in Texas, injured-on-duty coverage in Massachusetts and other accident-related coverages.

Ancillary Products

This category is primarily comprised of dental, vision, short-term medical, and supplemental products (including fixed indemnity limited benefit, critical illness, and hospital indemnity). These are sold through multiple distribution strategies. The ancillary products grew significantly in 2015 and we expect continued growth in 2016.

Independence American sells group and individual dental products. IHC administers the majority of Independence American's dental business and is also the primary distribution source of this line of business. The dental portfolio includes indemnity and PPO plans for employer groups of two or more lives and for individuals within affinity groups. Employer plans are offered on both employer paid and voluntary bases. As part of the distribution of our dental products, we also offer vision plans that offer a flat reimbursement amount for exams and materials. Gross dental premiums remained flat in 2015. We expect the dental business to remain relatively flat in 2016.

Independence American sells short-term medical (“STM”) products in the majority of states. STM is designed specifically for people with temporary needs for health coverage. Typically, STM products are written for a defined duration of at least 30 days and less than twelve months. Among the typical purchasers of STM products are people who are in between open enrollment periods or need coverage for a limited duration until their Affordable Care Act (“ACA”) plan becomes effective, and others who need insurance for a specified period of time less than 365 days. Independence American’s gross premium increased significantly in this line of business in 2015. We anticipate continued growth in this line of business in 2016 in part due to increased demand for coverage and new distribution relationships.

The Company markets supplemental products to individuals and families. These lines of business are generally used as either a supplement to a major medical plan or in lieu of major medical coverage for persons that choose not to purchase such coverage. The main driver for growth in this line is that consumers are moving to higher-cost sharing on their individual major medical plans, and are looking for products to help them offset the additional risk of higher deductibles and out of pocket limits. The product lines included in this supplemental grouping include critical illness and bundled packages of accident medical coverage, critical illness and life insurance. Sales of hospital indemnity plans (“HIP”) and fixed indemnity limited benefit plans decreased in 2015 due to a regulatory ruling that was subsequently overturned by a federal court. These products, which are available in most states are available through multiple distribution sources including Company owned direct-to-consumer websites, call center and career agents, general agents and on-line agencies.

Pet Insurance

Independence American writes pet insurance through a marketing and administrative company that manages one of the largest blocks of this business in the United States. During 2012, Independence American began to renew premium that had been underwritten by another insurance company. These plans are marketed to dog and cat owners through veterinary offices, independent marketing organizations, its nationwide call center, and increasingly, direct-to-consumer.

Occupational Accident

Independence American writes occupational accident insurance through marketing and administrative companies owned by GAF. This occupational accident product provides accidental death, accident disability and accident medical benefits for occupational injuries to employees of companies that have elected to not participate in the Texas workers compensation system (non-subscribers). The product also gives the employer the option to purchase coverage for employer’s liability. Employer’s liability arises when an injured employee brings an action against the employer for occupational injuries and chooses not to accept the benefits provided for by the employer’s occupational accident benefit plan. The employer is covered for damages and costs arising from the settlement of such action, subject to the terms and limits of the policy. On December 31, 2013, GAF acquired an entity that provides administrative services for occupational accident insurance as well as Injured on Duty coverage, a form of occupational accident coverage. We have achieved synergies through coordination of administrative services with other entities owned by GAF, and we will continue to seek cost savings.

Medical Stop-Loss

During 2015, Independence American marketed and reinsured employer medical stop-loss insurance nationally on a direct basis through Risk Solutions and indirectly through two select independent managing general underwriters ("MGUs"), which are non-salaried contractors that receive administrative fees. MGUs are responsible for establishing an employer's conditions for coverage in accordance with guidelines formulated and approved by Standard Security Life and Independence American, billing and collecting premiums from the employers, paying commissions to agents, and third-party administrators ("TPAs") and/or brokers. Standard Security Life and Independence American were responsible for selecting MGUs, establishing underwriting guidelines, maintaining approved policy forms and reviewing employers' claims for reimbursement, as well as establishing appropriate accounting procedures and reserves. After Westport receives the appropriate regulatory approval of their policies, Independence American will cease writing new business.

Self-insured group major medical plans permit employers flexibility in designing employee health coverages at a cost that may be lower than that available through other health care plans provided by an insurer or managed care organizations (“MCO”). Employer medical stop-loss insurance provides coverage to public and private entities that elect to self-insure their employees' medical coverage for losses within specified ranges, which permits such groups to manage the risk of excessive health insurance costs by limiting specific and aggregate losses to predetermined amounts. It is available on either a "specific" or a "specific and aggregate" or an “aggregate only” basis. Specific stop-loss coverage reimburses employers for large claims incurred by an individual employee or dependent. When an employee’s or dependents' covered claims exceed the specific stop-loss deductible, covered amounts in excess of the deductible are reimbursable to the employer under the specific stop-loss policy. The specific stop-loss deductible is selected based on the number of covered employees, the employer's capacity to assume some of the risk, and the medical claim experience of the plan. Aggregate stop-loss coverage protects the employer against fluctuations due to claim frequency. The employer's overall claim liability is limited to a certain dollar amount, often referred to as the attachment point. An aggregate stop-loss policy usually provides reimbursement when coverage claims for the plan as a whole exceed the aggregate attachment point.

Group Disability

IHC entered into a reinsurance relationship with a leading producer of expatriate business, effective January 1, 2012, which provides employee benefit insurance, including medical, life, and disability, to expatriates, third-party nationals or high net-worth local nationals. Independence American will continue to reinsure 10% of the risk on the health business in 2016, and we have filed these policies in the United States on Independence American’s paper for employers that wish to purchase a domestic policy to cover their employees. Due to anticipated growth of this program, the Company expects an increase in premium in this line of business in 2016.

Independence American reinsures 20% of Standard Security Life's DBL. All companies with more than one employee in New York State are required to provide DBL insurance for their employees. DBL coverage provides temporary cash payments to replace wages lost as a result of disability due to non-occupational injury or illness. The DBL business is marketed primarily through independent general agents. Independence
Reinsurance

Reinsurance is an arrangement in which an insurance company (the "reinsurer") agrees to indemnify another insurance company (the "ceding company") against all or a portion of the insurance risks underwritten by the ceding company under one or more insurance contracts. Reinsurance provides a ceding company with additional underwriting capacity by permitting it to accept larger risks and write more business than would be possible without an accompanying increase in statutory capital and surplus. There are two basic types of reinsurance arrangements: treaty and facultative reinsurance. In treaty reinsurance, the ceding company is obligated to cede and the reinsurer is obligated to assume a specified portion of a type of category of risks insured by the ceding company. Treaty reinsurers do not separately evaluate each of the individual risks assumed under their treaties and, consequently, after a review of the ceding company's underwriting practices, are largely dependent on the original risk underwriting decisions made by the ceding company. In facultative reinsurance, the ceding company cedes and the reinsurer assumes all or part of the risk under a single insurance contract. Independence American currently only participates in treaty reinsurance. Both treaty and facultative reinsurance can be written on either a pro rata basis or an excess of loss basis. Under pro rata reinsurance, the ceding company and the reinsurer share the premiums as well as the losses and expenses in an agreed proportion. Under excess of loss reinsurance, the reinsurer indemnifies the ceding company against all or a specified portion of losses and expenses in excess of a specified dollar amount, known as the ceding company's retention or reinsurer's attachment point, generally subject to a negotiated reinsurance contract limit. Premiums paid by the ceding company to a reinsurer for excess of loss reinsurance are not directly proportional to the premiums that the ceding company receives because the reinsurer does not assume a proportionate risk. In pro rata reinsurance, the reinsurer generally pays the ceding company a ceding commission. The ceding commission generally is based on the ceding company's cost of acquiring and managing the business being reinsured (commissions, premium taxes, assessments and miscellaneous administrative expenses). Independence American participates in pro rata reinsurance for their medical stop-loss business.

   

American Independence Tax Rate Companies within the Accident & Health Insurance Industry


Business Segments Q2
Revenues
(in millions $)
Q2
Income
(in millions $)
(Jun 30 2016)
%
(Profit Margin)
Total 29.45 1.42 4.81 %

Growth rates by Segment Q2
Y/Y Revenue
%
(Jun 30 2016)
Q/Q Revenue
%
Q2
Y/Y Income
%
(Jun 30 2016)
Q/Q Income
%
Total -35.44 % 0.15 % 50.85 % -98.76 %

To get more information on American Independence's Total segment. Select each division with the arrow.


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