Underwriting

A health plan accepts responsibility for paying for the health care services of covered individuals in exchange for dollars, which are usually referred to as premiums. This practice is known as underwriting. When a health insurer collects more premiums than it pays in expense for those treatments (claim costs) and the expense to run its business (administrative expenses), an underwriting gain is said to occur. If the total expenses exceed the premium dollars collected, an underwriting loss occurs.