How long has the investigation been running?

The current CMI Critical Illness Investigation started in 1999 with the first data collected in 2000. The first data collected pertained to claims settled during 1998 and 1999. The investigation has continued to collect data since. The 1998 data was significantly lower in volume than subsequent years, so has not been analysed further.

What is the definition of Critical Illness?

The ABI defines Critical Illness cover as "Critical Illness cover means cover which pays out on a diagnosis of a listed critical illness.  The list of illnesses must include cancer, heart attack and stroke".

How do you collect/analyse data?

Until 2005 we have collected census data, i.e. in force data at 1st January each year and claims settled during an investigation year, from insurance companies, termed contributing offices.  The in force data is in a per life, per policy format and the claims data is per claim settled.  The analysis methodology is described in detail in Working Paper 14.  For 2006 data, we encourage offices to submit data in accordance with the 'Per Policy' format.  Please click here for more details.

Who should I send data to or ask about the Critical Illness Investigation?

For all investigations the CMI use group email addresses in order to manage communications.  Any general enquiries about the CMI should be directed to info@cmib.org.uk. For correspondence about the Critical Illness Investigation, or to submit data, use ci@cmib.org.uk. Should you want to speak to someone directly, please call the CMI on 020 7776 3820.

Do you analyse rated policies?

No.

What is the definition of date of diagnosis?

The CMI understands that it is not always easy to determine what constitutes the date of diagnosis for all claims. For heart attack or stroke, for instance, it is much clearer when the event occurred, however, for cancer it may not be. Additionally, different companies may have different practices, and indeed even between different claims assessors. The CMI is currently considering this further the CMI therefore developed guidelines in conjunction with the Health Claims Forum.  These were published in November 2006 and can be found here.

Do you provide the raw data underlying the results?

The CMI has agreed to release the underlying data to the 1999-2002 All Office experience to members of the CMI. Please click here for further details. It is not necessarily the case that future data will be made available. Data would not be shared if the CMI believed the confidentiality agreement with contributing offices could be breached.

What is the age definition used in producing the results?

The CMI analyses use an initial exposed to risk and an age definition of age nearest. This means that lives are exposed from age exact x–½ to x+½. Since the rate q applies as at the start of that year of age, either qx-½ (if the table is based on exact age) or qx (if the table is based on age nearest) need to be used. Note that the principal table that the CMI uses for comparisons, CIBT93, was originally contained in the paper “A Critical Review” presented to SIAS in 2000. This stated that the age definition of the CIBT93 table was age exact, which is the age definition of most standard actuarial tables. However, the paper also contained the results of an investigation into the claims experience in 1991-1997 and in producing the A/E figures in the paper it appears that CIBT93 was used as if the rates were age nearest. After consulting with the authors, the CMI has used the table consistently with the latter interpretation, i.e. assuming the rates are age nearest, in the results it has released to date.