Health Benefits Underwriting Made Simple

Trustmark’s MARK™ Platform Takes the Friction Out of the Traditional Approaches 

By Michael Mattila

Traditional underwriting plays a critical role in building sustainable, well-priced health plans. Through Individual Medical Questionnaires (IMQs), carriers gain the kind of deep risk insight that enables precise, transparent, and accurate pricing, along with more predictable rate changes at renewal. IMQ data helps:

• Design smarter benefit plans aligned to the true health profile of the group
• Set appropriate stop‑loss levels based on more accurate risk assessment
• Develop contribution strategies that balance affordability and long‑term sustainability
• Target wellness initiatives in areas with the greatest opportunity for impact

Plans can be tailored to the specific needs of each employer and employee population. When done well, traditional underwriting optimizes plan economics and supports long-term stability.

That said, traditional underwriting is often perceived as slow and administratively heavy. Paper IMQs, incomplete submissions, and manual follow-ups can slow the process, forcing brokers to spend time chasing forms or clarifying information. When documentation lags, quotes can be delayed, and cases may stall before reaching enrollment. Without the right processes and tools in place, the experience for brokers, employers, and employees can feel anything but smooth.

Trustmark recognized that the challenge of traditional health insurance underwriting was never the results, it was the process. That was the inspiration for Trustmark’s MARK™ online platform. By streamlining data collection and workflows, brokers and their clients have all the positives of traditional health insurance underwriting without the negatives.

Simplified approaches to underwriting

To streamline quoting and improve speed, brokers and carriers often use census-based pricing and AI-assisted underwriting. These approaches play an important role in today’s market by supporting early-stage evaluations, market checks, and situations where speed and simplicity are essential. They help brokers quickly assess options and move opportunities forward with confidence.

Innovations that address the real issues in modern underwriting

As underwriting continues to evolve, innovation has focused on improving how more detailed approaches are delivered without increasing administrative burden for brokers or employees.  Trustmark created the MARK platform to modernize IMQ underwriting. It eliminates the bottlenecks and slowdowns of the traditional process to make it faster, cleaner, and scalable, yet easy for brokers to use. Health insurance brokers can initiate a case and manage it on a single digital platform. That means:

• No paper forms to chase
• Smooth communication that reduces unnecessary follow‑ups
• Real-time tracking to monitor data collection for timely and accurate completion
• Security of two-factor authentication that protects employee data
• Easy employee access to digital IMQs across devices—desktop to tablet to mobile phones
• Intuitive interfaces make MARK easy for employees, employers, and brokers 
• Available in English and Spanish to serve multiple users

Streamlining the traditional process with MARK, brokers can generate fast, efficient, accurate, priced quotes with much less effort. Clients and employees enjoy a smoother onboarding experience.

Flexibility to handle underwriting on your terms

In some cases, the census approach may still be preferable. AI advances will continue to transform future health insurance underwriting. Furthermore, each group is unique. A platform like MARK ideally supports each approach and innovation.

• When precision, pricing accuracy, and reduced renewal volatility are vital, the value of the IMQ approach is undeniable
• Certain group characteristics and the need for simplicity and speed make a census-based approach practical in some cases

Brokers should connect with their Trustmark sales consultant to choose the underwriting approach that best fits the group, based on size, location, and plan design.

MARK from start to finish—how it works

1. Trustmark sets up the client on the MARK platform
2. Employers and employees get a secure link to their digital IMQ and dashboards
3. Broker can monitor and track IMQ completion

Once all IMQs have been submitted, the behind-the-scenes work begins. Trustmark reviews, scrubs, and analyzes submitted data, whether IMQs, census information, or renewal risk forms, to generate a price. Your sales consultant is available to review the pricing and terms so you can confidently share it with clients. 

Technology is only as good as the people behind it

MARK is not simply a digital tool. Brokers have dedicated support by knowledgeable Trustmark employees during business hours. They are ready with tech support, answers to questions, practical advice, and to make sure brokers are successful and productive on the platform.

In a fast-changing world, Trustmark continues to evolve and invest in MARK. Continuous investment reflects real world applications and feedback. As technologies like AI evolve, Trustmark supports expanding MARK capabilities. 

Recapping the advantages of the MARK platform

• Simplifies and speeds up underwriting level-funded plans and onboarding employees
• Flexible to handle both IMQ and census-based approaches
• Fully digital and streamlined workflow, including electronic signature support
• Secure, cloud-based platform with two-factor authentication
• Accessible anytime, anywhere, on any device
• Real-time visibility into submissions, completion status, flagging errors or omissions
• Modern, intuitive bilingual interface guides users to complete and accurate submissions 
• Tech support during business hours and with sales reps always on hand
• Improved pricing outcomes

Modernize your underwriting

Experience traditional underwriting at modern speed, convenience and transparency.
Connect with your Trustmark representative to see MARK in action.

About Trustmark

Smarter health plans, backed by experience.
For more than a century, Trustmark^® has built benefits that balance flexibility, value, and long-term sustainability. 
Trustmark Small Business Benefits^® offers level funded solutions—including PPO plans with access to national networks through Aetna Signature Administrators^® and Cigna^® PPO Network, Reference Based Pricing, and dual option designs—that give employers real transparency, predictable monthly costs, and the potential for surplus refunds. 

Through these plans, employees get benefits they can easily access and use, and brokers partner with Trustmark Small Business Benefits as a stable, experienced organization they can rely on.