The Body Mass Index has its origins in the mid-1800s, when Belgian statistician and “social physicist” Adolphe Quetelet devised it to describe "a normal man". The original Quetelet index was merely a means of working out the average build of a typical male human.
Enter Louis I. Dublin, who over one hundred years later would oversee the development of height and weight tables in his capacity as vice president of Metropolitan Life Insurance Company. These tables were based not on medical information but on actuarial statistics. The charts depicted the mortality rates of men based on height and weight, which was (and is) important data for an insurance company for rating life insurance policies.
In 1998, the U.S. National Institutes of Health brought U.S. definitions into line with World Health Organization guidelines, lowering the normal/overweight cut-off from BMI 27.8 to BMI 25. This had the effect of redefining approximately 25 million Americans, previously "healthy" to "overweight".[13] It also recommends lowering the normal/overweight threshold for South East Asian body types to around BMI 23, and expects further revisions to emerge from clinical studies of different body types.
In the United States, where medical underwriting of private health insurance plans is widespread, most private health insurance providers will use a particular high BMI as a cut-off point in order to raise insurance rates for or deny insurance to higher-risk patients, thereby reducing the cost of insurance coverage to all other subscribers in a 'normal' BMI range. The cutoff point is determined differently for every health insurance provider and different providers will have vastly different ranges of acceptability. Many will implement phased surcharges, in which the subscriber will pay an additional penalty, usually as a percentage of the monthly premium, based on membership in an actuarially determined risk tier corresponding to a given range of BMI points above a certain acceptable limit, up to a maximum BMI past which the individual will simply be denied admissibility regardless of price. This can be contrasted with group insurance policies which do not require medical underwriting and where insurance admissibility is guaranteed by virtue of being a member of the insured group, regardless of BMI or other risk factors that would likely render the individual inadmissible to an individual health plan
The Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 requires lobbyists at the federal level, including Congress, the White House, and federal agencies, to submit biannual reports describing the organization they lobbied for and the amount spent on lobbying activities. However, the lobbying reports do not specify the legislation discussed or the positions advocated by lobbyists. Thus, it is not possible to determine the extent to which health policy decisions were affected by lobbying. The Lobbying Disclosure Act could be strengthened by requiring more detailed reporting, such as specifying the legislation discussed and the positions advocated by lobbyists, say the authors of this new study.
Health care organizations lobby lawmakers in order to influence health policy decisions. Such decisions affect virtually all aspects of health care, including compensation for goods and services, licensing and oversight, and research priorities. The investigators found that a total of 1192 organizations were involved in health care lobbying. Individual organizations with the highest lobbying expenditures included the American Medical Association ($17 million), the American Hospital Association ($10 million),Pharmaceutical Research & Manufacturers of America ($7 million), Schering Corporation ($7 million), Health InsuranceAssociation of America ($7 million), Blue Cross/Blue Shield ($6 million), and Eli Lilly & Company ($5 million).
Reports on the finding by nonprofit Center for Responsive Politics that insurance firms and allied organizations have spent $66 million lobbying the United States Congress in 1997. List of the top 16 insurance lobbying spenders; Insurance industry as the second biggest lobbying spender among industries.
LOBBYIST EMPLOYERS - FINANCE & INSURANCE* | Jan - Mar 97 | Apr - Jun 97 | 1997 Total |
Adam's Marketing Associates, Inc. | $45,942 | $45,942 | $91,884 |
Aetna Inc. | $9,919 | $8,006 | $17,925 |
AFLAC | $7,899 | $7,899 | $15,798 |
Alliance of American Insurers | $34,635 | $34,635 | $69,270 |
Allstate Insurance Company | $33,800 | $68,619 | $102,419 |
American Agents Alliance | $7,770 | $9,785 | $17,555 |
American Council of Life Insurance | $76 | $25,036 | $25,112 |
American Express Financial Advisors Inc. | $3,000 | $3,000 | $6,000 |
American Express Travel Related Services Co., Inc. | $13,250 | $15,412 | $28,662 |
American General Finance | $5,054 | $7,362 | $12,416 |
American Insurance Association | $81,781 | $50,646 | $132,427 |
American International Group, Inc. | $5,391 | $30,106 | $35,497 |
American Share Insurance | $12,027 | $11,017 | $23,044 |
American Stock Exchange | $0 | $0 | $0 |
AON Corporation | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Associated Electric & Gas Insurance Services Limited | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Association of Banks-In-Insurance | $6,062 | $6,055 | $12,117 |
Association of California Insurance Companies | $141,584 | $146,395 | $287,979 |
Association of California Life and Health Insurance Companies | $99,705 | $109,614 | $209,319 |
Association of California Surety Companies | $4,875 | $10,787 | $15,662 |
Aurora National Life Assurance Company | $15,996 | $15,000 | $30,996 |
Avco Financial Services | $4,570 | $3,769 | $8,339 |
AXA Global Risks (UK) Limited | $1,539 | $0 | $1,539 |
BankAmerica Corporation/Bank of America NT&SA (a wholly owned subsidiary of BankAmerica Corporation) | $118,137 | $75,398 | $193,535 |
Beneficial Management Corporation of America | $4,911 | $10,675 | $15,586 |
Blue Cross of California | $64,160 | $141,853 | $206,013 |
Boxers and Wrestlers Benefit Fund of Southern California | $0 | $0 | $0 |
California Administrative Services Organization | $3,210 | $6,605 | $9,815 |
California Association of Exclusive Insurance Agents, Inc. | $0 | $3,000 | $3,000 |
California Association of Health Underwriters | $10,650 | $10,650 | $21,300 |
California Association of Life Underwriters, Inc. | $33,125 | $32,168 | $65,293 |
California Association of Professional Liability Insurers | $0 | $0 | $0 |
California Association of Thrift & Loan Companies | $23,750 | $0 | $23,750 |
California Automobile Assigned Risk Plan | $5,371 | $353 | $5,724 |
California Bankers Association | $146,022 | $216,911 | $362,933 |
California Credit Union League | $62,032 | $69,914 | $131,946 |
California Financial Services Association | $9,195 | $9,736 | $18,931 |
California Independent Bankers of the IBAA | $0 | $0 | $0 |
California Insurance Guarantee Association | $5,000 | $6,353 | $11,353 |
California Insurance Wholesalers Association (CIWA) | $16,250 | $8,125 | $24,375 |
California Investor's Mutual | $3,025 | $3,000 | $6,025 |
California Land Title Association | $26,192 | $21,269 | $47,461 |
California Public Securities Association | $21,455 | $18,512 | $39,967 |
California Self-Insurers Association | $9,873 | $10,699 | $20,572 |
California State Automobile Association and California State Automobile Association Inter-Insurance Bureau | $178,986 | $120,589 | $299,575 |
California Surety Federation | $6,750 | $10,125 | $16,875 |
California Workers' Compensation Institute | $4,538 | $0 | $4,538 |
Central Mutual Insurance Company | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Charles Schwab and Company, Inc. | $3,000 | $18,087 | $21,087 |
Chase Manhattan Bank, The | $0 | $25,121 | $25,121 |
Chicago Title Company, and affiliated Title Insurance Companies | $6,719 | $6,699 | $13,418 |
CIGNA Corp. on behalf of CIGNA Healthcare of CA., Inc. and Pacific Employers Insurance Co. and its affiliated entities | $85,000 | $15,000 | $100,000 |
Citicorp & Subsidiaries | $13,496 | $19,068 | $32,564 |
Claims Benefit Insurance Administrators, Inc. | $0 | $250 | $250 |
CollegeFund-Partners in Education, Inc. | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Collegiate Capital Group, LLC | $2,000 | $10,000 | $12,000 |
Colonial Life & Accident Insurance Company | $6,000 | $6,000 | $12,000 |
Commonwealth Land Title Insurance Company | $0 | $8,000 | $8,000 |
Continental Casualty Company | $82,554 | $83,995 | $166,549 |
Cooperative of American Physicians/Mutual Protection Trust | $6,845 | $16,292 | $23,137 |
Council for Affordable Health Insurance, The | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Dean Witter Reynolds | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Delta Dental Insurance Co. | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Doctors' Management Company, The | $15,081 | $15,000 | $30,081 |
Dun & Bradstreet | $0 | $60,000 | $60,000 |
Escrow Agents Fidelity Corporation | $6,062 | $6,080 | $12,142 |
Fannie Mae | $11,442 | $5,509 | $16,951 |
Farmers Group, Inc. | $127,455 | $65,586 | $193,041 |
Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac) | $31,844 | $41,095 | $72,939 |
Federated Investors | $13,461 | $9,465 | $22,926 |
Federated Mutual Insurance Company | $3,325 | $11,548 | $14,873 |
Federation of Exchange Accommodators, Inc. | $7,856 | $8,448 | $16,304 |
FGIC Capital Market Services | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Fidelity Investments Public Sector Services Company | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Fireman's Fund Insurance Company | $21,269 | $15,414 | $36,683 |
First American Financial Corporation, The | $20,103 | $10,069 | $30,172 |
First American Title Guaranty Company | $0 | $0 | $0 |
FMR Corp. | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Fremont Compensation Insurance Group | $30,045 | $30,045 | $60,090 |
Funeral Security Life | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Funeral Security Plans, Inc. | $6,900 | $8,137 | $15,037 |
G.E. Capital/Monogram Retailer Credit | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Gerald J. Sullivan & Associates, Insurance Brokers | $3,644 | $7,292 | $10,936 |
Goldman, Sachs & Company | $12,590 | $9,360 | $21,950 |
H & R Block | $45 | $135 | $180 |
H.F. Ahmanson & Company, including its subsidiaries | $1,500 | $1,500 | $3,000 |
Health Insurance Association of America | $18,750 | $18,750 | $37,500 |
Health Net | $81,964 | $83,009 | $164,973 |
Heddington Insurance (U.K.), Limited | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Highlands Insurance Company | $18,612 | $8,275 | $26,887 |
Home Warranty Association of California | $9,480 | $24,970 | $34,450 |
Household Financial Group, Ltd. | $40,316 | $28,055 | $68,371 |
Independent Administrators Association | $2,250 | $0 | $2,250 |
Industrial Bank of Japan, Ltd. | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Insurance Agents and Brokers Legislative Council | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Insurance Brokers and Agents of the West | $88,192 | $82,848 | $171,040 |
Insurance Brokers Society of Southern California | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Insurance Services Office, Inc. | $35,478 | $34,629 | $70,107 |
Investment Company Institute | $0 | $2,814 | $2,814 |
Koiso & Company | $1,076 | $3,302 | $4,378 |
Lehman Brothers, Inc. | $9,737 | $15,336 | $25,073 |
Lincoln National Life Insurance Company | $900 | $400 | $1,300 |
McLaughlin & Associates, Incorporated | $0 | $250 | $250 |
Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company | $13,667 | $10,250 | $23,917 |
Maxicare | $6,000 | $6,000 | $12,000 |
MBIA Insurance Corporation | $232 | $32 | $264 |
Medical Insurance Exchange of California | $11,475 | $11,475 | $22,950 |
Mercury General Corporation & its subsidiary Mercury Casualty Company | $64,040 | $63,039 | $127,079 |
Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc., and its subsidiaries | $27,682 | $27,108 | $54,790 |
Metropolitan Life Insurance Company | $0 | $19,039 | $19,039 |
MGIC Investment Corporation | $2,563 | $1,232 | $3,795 |
Money Store, The | $135 | $0 | $135 |
Morgan Stanley, Dean Witter, Discover & Co. | $13,155 | $8,803 | $21,958 |
Mortgage Association of California | $5,200 | $6,325 | $11,525 |
Mortgage Insurance Companies of America (MICA) | $7,500 | $0 | $7,500 |
Multistate Associates Inc. on behalf of H.D. Vest | $5,000 | $10,000 | $15,000 |
Muriel Siebert & Company | $3,000 | $2,000 | $5,000 |
National Association of Bail Insurance Companies | $0 | $15,000 | $15,000 |
National Association of Independent Insurers | $14,095 | $9,333 | $23,428 |
National Association of Insurance Brokers | $0 | $1,500 | $1,500 |
National Association of Securities Dealers (NASDAQ) | $0 | $0 | $0 |
National Consumers Finance Company | $6,000 | $6,049 | $12,049 |
National Council on Compensation Insurance, Inc. (NCCI) | $16,357 | $7,819 | $24,176 |
Nationwide Insurance Enterprise | $10,222 | $10,381 | $20,603 |
New York Life | $7,500 | $7,500 | $15,000 |
New York Stock Exchange | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Norcal Mutual Insurance Company | $11,683 | $11,475 | $23,158 |
Norwest Financial | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Norwest Mortgage, Inc. | $19,660 | $10,145 | $29,805 |
Pacific Genesis Group, Inc. | $4,000 | $16,000 | $20,000 |
Pacific Life Insurance Company | $3,590 | $8,906 | $12,496 |
Pacific Rim Assurance Company | $4,474 | $0 | $4,474 |
Personal Insurance Federation of California | $78,552 | $82,912 | $161,464 |
Physicians Mutual Insurance Company | $1,500 | $0 | $1,500 |
Pipar Jaffray Companies, Inc. | $4,296 | $2,565 | $6,861 |
Presidio Capital Corp. | $3,494 | $15,573 | $19,067 |
Private Medical-Care Inc. | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Professional Insurance Agents of California and Nevada | $32,037 | $39,669 | $71,706 |
Program Beta | $0 | $15,900 | $15,900 |
Prudential Insurance Company of America, The | $0 | $12,500 | $12,500 |
Re-Insurance Association of America | $18,750 | $12,500 | $31,250 |
Reliance Insurance Company | $0 | $225 | $225 |
Safeguard Health Enterprises, Inc. | $7,500 | $6,000 | $13,500 |
Securities Industry Association | $16,498 | $20,316 | $36,814 |
Skandia International Insurance Corporation | $1,553 | $0 | $1,553 |
Society of Insurance Brokers | $0 | $8,334 | $8,334 |
Southern California Physicians Insurance Exchange | $11,475 | $43,475 | $54,950 |
St. Paul Reinsurance Company, Limited | $1,553 | $0 | $1,553 |
State Farm Insurance Companies | $100,792 | $204,863 | $305,655 |
Stewart Title Guaranty Company | $1,507 | $4,852 | $6,359 |
Surety Company of the Pacific | $23,323 | $20,580 | $43,903 |
Surplus Line Association of California, The | $51,750 | $22,251 | $74,001 |
Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America/College Retirement Equities Fund | $9,000 | $9,000 | $18,000 |
Terra Nova Insurance Company Limited | $1,553 | $0 | $1,553 |
Threadneedle Insurance Company Limited, The | $1,485 | $0 | $1,485 |
Title Loans of America | $19,500 | $0 | $19,500 |
Trans Union Corporation | $5,017 | $10,177 | $15,194 |
Transamerica HomeFirst, Inc. | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Transamerica Occidental Life Insurance Company | $5,590 | $3,069 | $8,659 |
Travelers Express Company, Inc. | $6,036 | $4,000 | $10,036 |
Travelers Group, Inc. | $0 | $818 | $818 |
Underwriters at Lloyd's, London | $7,493 | $8,171 | $15,664 |
UnionAmerica Insurance Company Limited | $1,545 | $0 | $1,545 |
United Healthcare | $13,750 | $13,750 | $27,500 |
United Services Automobile Association (USAA) | $21,045 | $42,265 | $63,310 |
Variable Annuity Life Insurance Company, The | $12,180 | $9,087 | $21,267 |
Ventura & Associates Insurance | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Viaticus Inc. | $5,000 | $0 | $5,000 |
VISA U.S.A. Inc. | $9,222 | $9,434 | $18,656 |
Vision Service Plan | $2,602 | $2,570 | $5,172 |
Wausau Insurance Companies | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Wells Fargo and Company | $58,870 | $74,228 | $133,098 |
Western Association of Venture Capitalists | $7,200 | $7,200 | $14,400 |
Western League of Savings Institutions | $64,694 | $63,486 | $128,180 |
Word & Brown | $750 | $2,436 | $3,186 |
Zenith Insurance Company | $50,022 | $33,464 | $83,486 |
Zurich Reinsurance (London) Limited | $0 | $1,555 | $1,555 |
20th Century Insurance Company | $20,343 | $31,198 | $51,541 |
21st Century Casualty Company | $0 | $0 | $0 |
TOTAL | $3,047,205 | $3,308,687 | $6,355,892 |
Just sayin......
Sources: Wikipaediea, Open Secrets, Centre for Responsive Politics,
Sources: Wikipaediea, Open Secrets, Centre for Responsive Politics,
Where did you get all this stuff, darling? Fascinating.
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ReplyDeleteSome interminable long insurance document I read and now wish to forget on calculating premiums and setting rates for actuaries
Goggling lobbying and then lobbying by insurance companies in 1996/7
Reports to shareholders 1996 - 2004 for Blue Cross, Wellpoint, Kaiser etc
Centre for Responsive Politics
Those are the websites I used. I also read a load of other stuff but would have to look at my computer history...........
This is obviously a major flaw in the insurance industry and body builders are paying the price. Both BMI and body fat should be included in the formula to ensure fair rates to all consumers.
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