Why Some Policies Require APS Reports (And How They Influence Your Outcome)

You finished the application, maybe even got through a phone interview, and then underwriting asks for an APS—an Attending Physician Statement. Now the clock slows and the questions start. I’m a licensed life insurance agent, and I help clients clear APS requests every week. An APS can feel like a hurdle, but it’s also a chance to show stability and win a better rate class.

What an APS actually is

An APS is a summary from your clinician’s records. Underwriters use it to confirm diagnoses, medications, test results, and follow-up plans. Think of it as the “official version” of the health story you shared on the application.

What’s typically in an APS

• Problem list and past history
• Office notes and visit dates
• Medications and doses
• Lab and imaging results
• Treatment plan and follow-up cadence
• Hospital or ER summaries, if any

What’s not in an APS

• Your full medical chart forever. Carriers ask for time-bounded sections or specific clinics tied to the condition they’re reviewing.

Why a carrier asks for an APS

Carriers pull several data sources up front: your application, Rx history, MIB codes, and driving record. If any of these leave an open question, an APS fills the gaps.

Common triggers:

1. New diagnosis without a documented follow-up yet
2. Meds that can mean many things (e.g., propranolol, topiramate, gabapentin)
3. Lab hints that need context (mild A1C rise, liver enzyme blip)
4. Hospital or ER mention in the last 2–3 years
5. Mental health care that needs a short stability summary
6. Sleep apnea where usage compliance matters
7. Cardiac or GI workups with tests pending or results not listed on the app
8. Build plus other factors where the underwriter wants trend lines, not guesses

How an APS can help you

An APS can improve your class when it proves control:

• Anxiety on a steady SSRI with therapy notes and stable work routine
• Hypertension with good readings and consistent follow-up
• Post-procedure recovery that’s fully resolved
• Sleep apnea with CPAP compliance reports showing regular use

When records line up with a calm treatment plan, underwriters often move you up a notch instead of down.

How an APS can slow or hurt a file

• Delays from the clinic: offices can take days or weeks to fulfill requests
• Old problem lists never cleaned up: outdated diagnoses sit there without “resolved” notes
• Auto-refills that look like active use: a med you stopped still shows recent activity
• Unclear notes: “Follow up PRN” with no readings or values attached

None of these are roadblocks you can’t fix. They just need context.

What APS means for your timeline

Typical ranges:

• National record-retrieval services: 3–10 business days for many clinics
• Busy specialty groups or hospital systems: 2–3+ weeks
• Smaller practices that fax: variable; polite nudges help

Your case stays open during this period. If you’re on a deadline for a loan or a closing, tell your agent so they can triage clinics and escalate when needed.

Your role: make the APS work for you

1) Give underwriters a roadmap

Send a one-page health summary with your application:

• Current meds: drug, dose, why you take it, prescriber, start date, “stable” if true
• Stopped meds: name and stop date
• Key tests: name, month/year, result in a few words
• Vitals: last BP; last A1C or lipid panel if relevant
• Apnea: CPAP compliance or a clinician line that use is regular and symptoms are controlled
• Mental health: diagnosis, therapy cadence, hospitalizations if any with dates, and present stability

Underwriters use this to aim the APS request at the right clinic and timeframe.

2) Call your clinic

Give a heads up that an APS request is coming. Ask for the medical records department and confirm their process, fees, and typical turnaround. Some clinics move faster when the patient asks.

3) Close loose ends before the request lands

If you have a follow-up visit or a pending lab, complete it. “Seen and stable” reads better than “next appointment in three months.”

4) Clean the story

If you stopped a med months ago, ask your clinician to update the med list and include the stop date in the note.

Privacy and consent

You authorize release with a HIPAA form during the e-application. The carrier or its vendor requests only the records tied to the questions they need to answer. If you want to see what they see, ask your agent for the retrieval vendor’s consumer process or request the same set directly from your clinic.

How an APS affects your rate class

Your rate class is the biggest driver of price. The APS can shift that class up or down.

APS that often lift a class

• Treated hypertension with readings around target and steady visits
• Well-controlled anxiety or depression with routine care and stable function
• Sleep apnea with consistent CPAP usage
• Mild prediabetes with lifestyle change and improving A1C trend

APS that can push a class down

• Uncontrolled readings without a plan
• Recent hospitalization for a serious event with no follow-up yet
• Multiple prescribers writing overlapping meds that look like escalation
• High-risk hobbies or driving notes in physician history that conflict with the app

Context fixes many of these. Ask for reconsideration with a short clinician summary if the first read missed that context.

Alternatives to a full APS

Underwriters often accept targeted items instead of the entire chart:

• A clinician summary on letterhead
• Select lab pages and the assessment/plan
• A CPAP compliance report for apnea cases
• A one-page discharge summary for resolved events

These are faster and usually enough when the question is narrow.

If you’re offered two paths: APS vs short exam

Some carriers give a choice:

• APS path: no labs for you, but the clinic has to deliver records
• Quick exam path: 20–30 minutes at home, vitals and labs, then underwriters may skip the APS

If your labs would look great and your clinic is slow, the exam path can be faster and cheaper. Ask your agent to price the same specs both ways.

Scripts you can copy

Clinic heads-up
“Hi, my life insurer will request medical records for underwriting. I authorize release. Could you share your processing steps and typical turnaround? If there’s a fee, let me know the amount and how to pay. Thank you.”

Doctor note request
“Could you write a brief summary for life insurance underwriting? Please include diagnosis, current status, meds with doses, last visit, recent labs or imaging if relevant, and a line that my condition is stable with routine follow-up.”

Reconsideration to underwriting
“Please reconsider application #[number]. Attached is my clinician summary and updated med list with stop dates. These address the items noted in your review.”

FAQ

Will an APS reveal something I didn’t list?
If it’s in recent records, yes. That’s the point of the check. Straight answers on the app plus a short summary keep everything consistent.

Can I refuse an APS?
You can withdraw consent, but the carrier may decline or postpone. If privacy is a concern, ask whether a targeted note or exam will solve the question.

Who pays for the APS?
Many clinics bill a small fee. Carriers or their vendors often cover it. If the office asks you, loop in your agent so it routes correctly.

How long do they look back?
Varies by condition. Many requests focus on 2–5 years or since diagnosis.

Does an APS affect contestability?
No. Contestability is about the first two policy years after issue. The APS just informs your initial class and approval.

Real case snapshots

Anxiety, on SSRI
Model flagged treatment. We sent a one-paragraph clinician note: stable for three years, monthly therapy, no hospital stays. Carrier waived a full APS and issued at Preferred.

Sleep apnea
APS requested. We offered a CPAP compliance report instead. Underwriter approved at the class we expected.

Post-surgery opioid refill in Rx file
Looked like chronic use. Surgeon’s discharge note showed a 7-day script and no refills. Standard Plus lifted to Preferred.

Prediabetes trend
A1C drifted high last year. Two fresh labs from the PCP showed improvement with diet and walks after dinner. Class improved one notch.

Your one-evening APS prep checklist

1. Build a one-page health summary with current meds, stop dates, key tests, and follow-up cadence
2. List clinics and exact doctor names for the last 2–3 years
3. Call the primary clinic’s records desk and note their turnaround
4. If apnea applies, download a compliance report
5. If you have a pending visit or lab, complete it
6. Send everything to your agent so the APS request is targeted and fast

How I keep APS from derailing your file

• Pre-screen that captures meds, dates, and which clinics hold the relevant notes
• Carrier picks that fit your profile and are flexible on records
• Choice of paths: APS vs quick exam, priced with the same specs
• A clean, targeted records request instead of a fishing expedition
• Fast reconsideration if the first read misses context
• Clear updates so you know where the records sit and what’s next

You get a calmer timeline and a class that matches your real health.