May 2025

When your clients apply for insurance using Manulife E-Application, there are different options to gather accurate medical information. It’s a bit like a choose-your-own-adventure: 

1. Have a tele-interviewer ask all the medical questions.
2. Ask all the medical questions yourself, even if a paramedical exam is required because of age/face amount.
3. Have a paramedical professional ask the medical questions, when a paramedical exam is required because of age/face amount.

Understanding the differences between these methods can help you better serve your clients and streamline the application process for you. Let’s take a look at each and a recent improvement!

The tele-interview involves a trained interviewer conducting the medical questionnaire over the phone with a client. It’s considered a shortened experience for you (their advisor) because it allows you to focus on minimal paperwork. Think of it as a "short app" for you, but a thorough and engaging conversation for your client. 

Clients must still answer all application questions, covering areas like travel, lifestyle, driving habits, and medical history. In cases where a paramedical exam is required due to age or policy amount, the tele-interviewer steps in as the third-party questioner. Of course, if blood, urine, or vitals are needed, health professionals/paramedical examiners will still perform these tasks, but the tele-interviewer will have covered the medical history.

We’ve improved the tele-interview process with a fresh, conversational twist to put clients at ease. It’s much like a friendly chat with their doctor instead of a barrage of body-specific questions. Gone are the days of monotonous, exhaustive medical questionnaires that feel more like a pop quiz than a path to coverage.  

Manulife's refined tele-interview focuses on the essentials, such as medications and their purposes, mirroring the logical flow of a medical consultation. This shift enhances client disclosures and reduces unnecessary follow-ups, making the entire experience more intuitive and less intimidating.

You can take a hands-on approach and complete the medical questions with your client, guiding them through every query, even if your client requires a paramedical exam as a routine age and amount requirement. 

If a paramedical exam is a requirement, and you don’t want to complete the medical questions with your client, a paramedical examiner can complete the medical questions when they collect the blood, urine, and vitals from your client. You simply select this option when filling in the Manulife E Application. 

Life doesn’t always stick to the script, and Manulife gets it. While we prefer to lead the charge on applications (and there are benefits to doing so), we’ll accept telephone interviews from other companies. Complete a Manulife E-Application, bypass the medical questions, and note in the advisor report to gather the interview from elsewhere. It’s a seamless way to keep the process moving without redundant medical queries. 

Manulife offers multiple avenues to suit the unique needs of you and each of your clients. Whether you prefer a personal, hands-on approach or feel your client would be more comfortable answering medical questions with someone other than yourself, like a tele-interviewer or paramedical examiner, the choice is yours. And remember, the tele-interviewer approach will save you time and paperwork and allow your client to benefit from a more chat-friendly interview. 

Work closely with Manulife’s field underwriters, underwriters, and case coordinators to determine the best path forward, ensuring a smooth journey from application to approval. 

In the evolving landscape of insurance, Manulife is leading the way with a process that’s as personal as it is professional. Take the next step and experience the future of insurance applications with Manulife. 

For more underwriting tips and insight follow Karen Cutler on LinkedIn. Karen is our VP, Head of Underwriting and Claims, Chief Underwriter Individual Insurance.